In association with the 2026 Camden Conference, Today’s Middle East: Power, Politics & Players, please join PPL on December 11, where we will get to hear from Fatima Saidi on displacement, immigration, and navigating identity. Fatima’s specialty is storytelling. Drawing from her lived experience, she uses narrative as a powerful tool to advocate for policy […]
On the morning of September 11, 2001, when hijacked jetliners brought down the World Trade Center towers, attacked the Pentagon, and killed passengers and crew in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm was in her first week of Arabic language training at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia. The devastating attacks redefined U.S. diplomatic engagement in […]
The Shavarsh Trio - Eric LaPerna, Jeremey Zela and Leo LaZarate - perform a captivating blend of folk, art, and classical music from Armenian, Greek, Turkish, and Arabic traditions, using an array of traditional string, wind, and percussion instruments from the Middle East. Eric LaPerna plays multiple instruments, specializing in Middle Eastern hand drums and […]
The Rockland Public Library will host Norman Olsen on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM, for a Camden Conference community event. Olsen will discuss from personal experience 34 years of deteriorating prospects for Middle East peace. This event will take place in the Community Room and will be livestreamed via Zoom. For more information or for […]
Turkey is a middle power located in the Middle East - indeed, a land in the middle between Europe and Asia. Turkey has always been a challenging ally of the United States, but the country played an essential part in the days of the Cold War countering Soviet influence. Now Turkey is invested in and […]
Join cookbook author Sandra Garson at Scarborough Public Library for a talk on the food of the Middle East, followed by a catered lunch. Space is limited; registration is required. Garson, a former caterer and food entrepreneur, has published numerous articles and two cookbooks. After closing her Maine bakery and catering business, she helped establish […]
This talk explores how Erdoğan’s increasing reliance on populist discourse and style throughout his tenure contributed to the rise of an authoritarian regime sustained by popular support. It highlights how the performative and emotional dimensions of these strategies can help autocratic leaders garner support and reinforce their perceived authenticity, particularly when their legitimacy is under […]
The Middle East is a generally arid region with few rivers. But as a result, the rivers that do flow there have an outsized importance, both physically and historically. In fact, some of these resources are listed among the great rivers of the world. This talk will focus on a few of these rivers and […]
Coexistence, My Ass!, an award-winning documentary film based on the provocative one-woman show of Israeli peace activist and comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi, will be screened at the Strand Theatre in Rockland on Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m. The film, co-presented by Points North and the Camden Conference, follows Shuster Eliassi as she challenges audiences […]
For Jews, it's the Promised Land of Zion. For Christians, it's the Holy Land of Jesus. For Muslims, it's the land of the prophets preceding Muhammad and the home of Al-Aqsa Mosque. In this talk, Dr. Derek A. Michaud (University of Maine) will guide us through the rich history, ideology, and theology that fuel these […]
Auburn Public Library invites you to a film screening and discussion of Erdogan: The Making of a Sultan. "In this acclaimed new documentary, Emmy and BAFTA award-winning director, Gilles Cayatte, and expert on Turkish affairs Guillaume Perrier, profile President Erdogan. He rose to power as the anti-corruption candidate, challenging the old order and advocating closer […]
Retired US Senior Foreign Service Officer Norm Olsen will speak about his personal experiences in his 34-year service in the Middle East. Cape Elizabeth native Norm Olsen served 26 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, including nine years in Israel and the Gaza Strip. He reported from Gaza during the First and Second Intifadas and […]