The Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations, an organization formed in 1983 to facilitate the study and discussion of U.S. foreign policy, will spotlight over the next three months a lesser known and talked about aspect of that policy: Soft Power.

In a series of three programs, the Forum will bring speakers, cultural ambassadors and musicians to Midcoast Maine to focus on how the U.S. can and does exert power and influence throughout the world without coercion. 

“The Mid-Coast Forum, like most other foreign relations organizations, has focused on security issues—the so-called ‘hard power’ issues,” said George Look, president of the Forum. “Now we’ve decided that we need to give more attention to the equally important ‘soft power’ foreign relations issues. These are activities, both governmental and private, that expose other societies to elements of U.S. culture, in an attempt, over the long run, to allow citizens of other countries to view the positive elements of our society.” 

The Soft Power series kicks off on August 11 with a regular Forum program presented by Farah Pandith, a foreign policy strategist and former diplomat. She will address the issue of How We Win: The Threat from Hate and the Power of Compassion.

On September 7, the series opens to the public and the focus shifts to Soft Power: An Essential Element of Foreign Relations.  Forum member Michaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a former State Department Senior Foreign Service Officer, will interview two players in the world of soft power: Mohamed Bouabdallah, an advocate for French culture on the global stage and currently Cultural Counselor of France in the United States and Carla Canales, a performer, an academic and most recently Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange at the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities in the Biden Administration.

Finally, on October 30, the public will get to see soft power in action with a performance by the Silkroad Trio. Silkroad is an organization established in the 1990’s by cellist YoYo Ma to “advance global understanding, deepen learning, and promote cross-cultural collaboration.” Performing will be musicians Mike Block, a cello player, singer, composer and educator, Balla Kouyate, a djeli or West African oral historian and balafon player and Edward Perez, a bassist, composer and Grammy-nominated bandleader. Ben Hartley, the Executive Director of Silkroad, will introduce the trio and speak about its work and global impact.

“The events we will sponsor over the next three months are designed to focus the attention of the Midcoast community on the positive impact of exposure to different cultures and ideas,” said Look. 

The September 7 and October 30 Soft Power programs are free and open to the public and will be held at the Camden Opera House at 3pm and 7pm respectively.  

Registration for Soft Power: An Essential Element of Foreign Relations on September 7 begins on August 31.

Registration for the Silkroad Trio performance on October 30 opens October 23.  

To register go to: https://www.camdenoperahouse.com/shows or http://midcoastforum.org/softpower