University of Southern Maine Launches American Democracy Forum

PORTLAND, Maine (August 21, 2025) – The University of Southern Maine recently launched the Forum on American Democracy, a series that aims to engage the community in productive, thoughtful conversations around democratic society. The first of the year-long public series takes place on September 3 at 5 p.m. with Eboo Patel as the series’ inaugural keynote speaker. The series will be hosted by USM President Jacqueline Edmondson.

The forum’s inaugural year will focus on pluralism — engagement and coexistence of different groups, views, opinions and beliefs. The events will highlight pluralism’s past and future impacts on democracy, civic life and public policy. Keynote speakers, panel discussions and campus engagement will help deepen the collective understanding of democracy and the footprints of pluralism in our society.

Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America, will kick off the Forum on American Democracy at USM’s Hannaford Hall with his keynote, Strengthening Democracy Through Pluralism. Patel is widely known for his influential voice on interfaith cooperation and collaboration, as well as his dedication to civic engagement. As founder and President of Interfaith America, a $20 million-per-year organization, Patel partners with institutions to transform faith into a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. Patel will reflect on the role that campuses, communities, and individuals can play in bridging divides and turning diversity into a civic strength.

"The Forum is an opportunity for us to consider together the ideas and values that have been central to our democracy for 250 years or more. Democracy is a dream - something we aspire to achieve - and we must continually work together to realize it. We must do so through dialogue that considers historic perspectives, differences of thought, and aspirations for the future,” said Edmondson. “Our hope through the Forum is to engage the broader public with our university community as we consider what it means to be a democracy today. I am thrilled that nationally recognized thought leaders like Eboo Patel and Raj Vinnakota will join us as we kick off this inaugural year of the Forum, and I am grateful to the Pond Family Foundation for their support.”

The Forum on American Democracy will host its first event on Sep. 3 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at USM’s Hannaford Hall (88 Bedford Street Portland, ME 04101). The event will be followed by a book signing from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Patel for his book We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy. The forum will continue to host events throughout the school year into the spring semester.

This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance. Registration information can be found on Eventbrite. To find out more about the Forum on American Democracy, future events and supporters, please visit usm.maine.edu/president/usm-forum-on-american-democracy/. This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.