Topical Commentary From the Most Knowledgeable
An autonomous, nonpartisan, nonprofit, public service association for promoting broad community discourse on topics of special interest or concern.
World Affairs – Local to Global
The Islesboro Forum was organized in 1992 by a small group of Islesboro residents who shared a keen interest in issues of public policy, philosophy, world affairs, science, and local community matters. What started as an informal group meeting in private homes evolved into a regularly scheduled program of weekly meetings open to the island public and guests during July and August.
Sunday Meetings
The Forum meets Sundays from 5:30-6:30. The format is a presentation and brief Q & A which may include further discussion. Speakers have included novelists, poets, historians, Pulitzer Prize winners, diplomats, investment managers, economists, environmental scientists, political scientists, corporate leaders, university presidents, and elected officials, in addition to many from other professional or vocational disciplines.
You Name It
Topics have been equally wide-ranging: from constitutional law, Perestroika, ethical issues in technology, the market economy, and jazz, to educational reform, astronomy, the world of Islam, opera production, and green architecture, to name only a few.
Open Membership
A diverse committee of Islesboro residents governs The Forum. It identifies and invites speakers on the island or from away, organizes and schedules the seasonal program. The committee strives to foster an experience akin to a “salon” in the European sense — a meaningful intellectual gathering in a relaxed setting where significant ideas and issues can be discussed, drawing upon the expertise of qualified speakers and panels. Governance guidelines have remained since The Forum was launched in 1992. A lifetime membership is open to all and offers a one-time fee of $10. No admission fees are imposed, nor are speakers to be paid.