The 31st Camden Conference
New World Disorder and America’s Future
February 16, 17, 18, 2018
The 2018 Camden Conference will explore shifts in global power and the ramifications for major players, particularly China, the US and the nations of Europe, in pursuing their national interests. Our speakers will address the impact of globalization, the rise of nationalism, transformations in global economies, and the management of a range of future threats such as climate change, population growth, and cyber insecurity. How can the United States remain competitive economically, preserve national security, safeguard American values, and meet dangerous challenges from unstable countries? What role in the world do Americans want for their country?
2018 CAMDEN CONFERENCE - VIDEOS
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SPEAKERS

INDIRA LAKSHMANAN
Moderator

STEPHEN M. WALT
Keynote Speaker

Chas W. Freeman, Jr.

Matthew J. Goodwin

Avril D. Haines

Thea Mei Lee

Evan S. Medeiros

Natalie Nougayrède

Cleo Paskal

Gerald Seib
FRIDAY, February 16
8:00 PM
Welcome
BRUCE COLE
President, Camden Conference
Keynote Address
The Best of Times or Worst of Times?
STEPHEN M. WALT
Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University
SATURDAY, February 17
8:45 AM
Opening Remarks
INDIRA LAKSHMANAN, Conference Moderator
Newmark Chair for Journalism Ethics, The Poynter Institute; Boston Globe columnist
9:00 AM
Nationalism and Populism in the U.S.: Their Impact on Foreign Policy
GERALD F. SEIB
Wall Street Journal columnist and commentator; former Washington Bureau Chief
9:30 AM
Open Versus Closed Europe? – The New Cultural Divide within the European Union
MATTHEW GOODWIN
Professor of Politics, University of Kent, and Senior Visiting Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House
10:00 AM
Break
10:30 AM
Politics, Nationalism and Their Impact on U.S.-China Relations and China’s Role
in World Affairs
EVAN S. MEDEIROS
Manager of the Asia Program at The Eurasia Group; former Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC)
11:00 AM
Panel of Keynote and Morning Speakers
11:45 AM
Lunch
1:30 PM
Sovereignty, Solidarity, and New Rules for a Changing Global Economy
THEA MEI LEE
President, Economic Policy Institute; Former Deputy Chief of Staff, AFL-CIO
2:00 PM
The Importance of Multilateral Frameworks and Mechanisms for Addressing Threats Against the United States
AVRIL D. HAINES
Senior Research Scholar, Columbia University World Projects; Former Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama; Former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
2:30 PM
Break
3:00 PM
The “3 Geos” Reshaping Our World
CLEO PASKAL
Associate Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Department, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House; member of the faculty, Manipal University (India)
3:30 PM
Panel of Afternoon Speakers
4:30 PM
Adjourn for the Day
SUNDAY, February 18
9:00 AM
Opening Remarks by Moderator
INDIRA LAKSHMANAN
9:20 AM
The Future of American Foreign Policy: Perspectives from America and Abroad
Can Europe Hold the Fort?
NATALIE NOUGAYRÈDE
Columnist and commentator, The Guardian (London), and former editor of Le Monde (Paris)
9:45 AM
“This Too Shall Pass”
CHAS W. FREEMAN, JR.
Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; former senior State Department and Defense Department official
10:10 AM
Panel of Morning Speakers
10:30 AM
Break
11:00 AM
Final Panel of All Speakers
12:30 PM
Conference Adjourns
RESOURCES
SUGGESTED READINGS FOR THE 31st ANNUAL CAMDEN CONFERENCE
Books authored by Conference Speakers









1. Shifting Global Power and Relationships








2. New Political Movements: Shift to Populism and Nationalism in the US and Europe








3. China’s Role in the World






4. Global Economics





5. Balance of Militarism and Diplomacy




6. Future Threats
Climate Change




Population Growth
Manipulation of Information and Cybersecurity






Other


SUGGESTED FILMS FOR THE 31st ANNUAL CAMDEN CONFERENCE
THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES
DIRTY WARS
JIHAD
WHY WE FIGHT
ALL GOVERNMENTS LIE
HOOLIGAN SPARROW
RISING TIDES
ZERO DAYS
Can Democracy Exist Without Trust? Ivan Krastev. YouTube. TedTalk. 8/13/2012. 7.3 min.
DOCUMENTARIES AND SHORT FILMS
These short films and documentaries follow the booklist categories.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Community Events
Join us for our Community Events!
Each year the Camden Conference focuses on a topic of global importance and offers a series of free or low-cost Community Events related to this topic. These events are held in libraries and senior colleges throughout Midcoast Maine and Southern Maine.
Community Events are intended to provide background on the yearly topic and to touch on areas related to the February Conference that may not be covered in its three-day program. The views of our presenters are their own and may not represent those of the Camden Conference.
VIEW COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR