Bernstein Forum

The World Affairs Council of Maine’s annual Sumner Bernstein Forum for International Understanding hosts prominent international figures to reflect on their societies and their perceptions of the United States. The Forum honors the memory of Sumner Bernstein (1924-2002), a distinguished attorney and Director of the Council with a life-long interest in international affairs.  Each forum addresses the important lesson drawn from the terrorist attacks on America of September 11, 2001, that our society must better understand foreign cultures and their perception of us.  The Bernstein Forum enables international figures to reflect on their societies and their perceptions of the United States. Past Bernstein Forums have been conducted by representatives of Afghanistan, Brazil, Israel and Korea.

Sumner Bernstein had a life-long interest in international affairs, particularly the Middle East vision of a secure state of Israel living at peace with Arab neighbors progressing toward a more democratic and developed future.  He was at home intellectually with the many dimensions of international affairs, including culture, history, and politics.  He was a strong supporter of Seeds of Peace.

It is said of Sumner Bernstein that no matter how esteemed his position and reputation, he never lost his concern and interest for the "common man."  He was supportive of those less fortunate, working to provide legal services for them and contributing his own time and expertise to their needs.  Young people also represented an important interest for him, reflected in his weekly reading sessions with elementary school students from immigrant and refugee families.

The Bernstein Forum is free and open to the public, seeks the involvement of young people, and its record is available to the public including Maine schools.  Proceeds support future forums and other Council programs devoted to the same purpose.

2010 BERNSTEIN FORUM

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       Adil Najam came to the US from Pakistan eighteen years ago to pursue an engineering degree at MIT. He left behind a very successful career as a national environmental expert, being  tapped by the Pakistani government to help draft the country’s first national environmental policy.   Currently, Adil Najam is Director of Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. He studies high-profile issues like the war on terror and global warming, but also less-covered subjects like senior care in poor countries and new trends in philanthropy.  In 2007, he shared in the
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Al Gore and to scientists on an international climate change council.  A multifaceted person with a global perspective, Najam hosts a popular web blog(10,000 hits daily) encouraging dialogue among Pakistanis (www.Pakistaniat.com)  and he is often sought out by national news organizations such as NPR and CNN for his expertise on the Muslin world.     

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The next Bernstein Forum will be held in June 2011.