Betsy Mayberry & Vee Sheehan: Bringing the World – and this year, India! – to Maine through the Camden Conference
Every month PelotonLabs co-founder Liz Trice interviews local community members. This month, Liz caught up with Betsy and Vee, both Portland residents. They are longtime volunteers helping to run the Camden Conference, which hosts events every year that educate people in Maine and beyond on global issues. This year’s conference is February 16th through 18th, live in Camden and livestreamed to homes and other venues, including Luther Bonney Hall at USM in Portland. Also, there are dozens of community events, both live and virtual, held mostly in libraries, leading up to the conference.
How did you get involved in the conference?
Betsy: I moved to Northport, Maine from New York in 2001. I’d run social service agencies in New York, but hadn’t had much time to engage in global issues. I learned about the conference, and got involved right away. I was very impressed with the quality of the speakers at the conference. It attracts well-known experts who enjoy coming to Maine and spending time with other experts in their field.
Vee: My family were originally summer people, going to Tenants Harbor starting in 1948. My husband and I lived in Maine on and off since the 70s, lived in New Orleans for a while, came back in 1985, and have lived in the West End since 2001. We have relatives that live abroad, and have lived in Mexico and France. I’ve been on the board of Greater Portland Landmarks and the SALT Institute and am excited to have Portland Conservatory of Music right in the West End.
What does the conference focus on? What does it feel like?
Betsy: The conference is based in Camden but has lots of participants from all over the country and abroad. It’s a three-day conference; you can go to Camden in person, but you can also watch a livestream from Portland or Rockland – or stream from home in your pajamas. We also have over forty events in local libraries leading up to the conference. February 2024 will be our 37th year.
We try to make it collegial. Refreshments are provided at break times and boxed lunches are offered on Saturday. People sit together to chat and eat. It is very welcoming to people who attend alone- a very warm atmosphere. On Sunday morning, all our speakers come together to respond to questions from the audience. It is a wonderful way to learn about issues and meet people. We alternate between covering individual countries or regions and focusing on broader global issues. Last year the focus was on trade, this year it’s on India.
Vee: Some of us really enjoy it when it’s about a particular region because you can try to understand the culture and art. India is such a treat, because it is such a complicated country, now the most populous in the world, following China in terms of rapid development.
Since this year’s focus is India, will you have locals who are Indian there? Will there be Bollywood? Who are the attendees generally?
Vee: Yes! We have talks in our free library series on Bollywood, which is now the world’s largest film industry in terms of tickets sold. Attendees vary from year to year according to the topic, but many make it a favorite winter tradition. Our audience overlaps largely with audiences for Maine Public Radio and patrons of Maine’s senior college network, but almost a quarter of our audience consists of Maine high school and college students on scholarships as part of courses on the conference topic. We are reaching out to the Indian community in Maine and some of us will attend the Diwali festival in Scarborough. In addition to the Conference weekend, we offer a series of free community events at southern Maine and Midcoast libraries.
Betsy: There are students who attend from high schools and universities. Teachers at those educational institutions teach a course related to the theme and bring students to the conference as part of the course experience. Their presence enriches the experience for all of us.
Vee: This year’s conference title is “India: Rising Ambitions, Challenges at Home.” Public Radio’s David Brancaccio will moderate. He has been our moderator for a few years and he’s excellent. Our previous moderator, Nick Burns, is now the ambassador to China.
India: Rising Ambitions, Challenges at Home
February 16-18, 2024
“Seventy-five years after independence, India is on track to have both the world’s largest population and the second largest economy. It is pursuing a unique path as a democracy and as an ambitious player in global affairs. Possession of nuclear weapons gives it prestige globally and confidence in its security amid unstable neighbors. Domestically, a diverse, complicated, multicultural mosaic of issues—from poverty, caste, religion, to repression of women and minorities—pose unrelenting challenges for democratic institutions. How will a younger generation of Indian leaders choose its priorities? What’s at stake for China, Russia and the United States as India expands its role in the global economy and becomes a more assertive leader in the Indo-Pacific region?”
Nirupama Rao, Keynote Speaker
Nirupama Rao served as India’s Foreign Secretary from 2009 to 2011, and as India’s Ambassador to the United States, to China, and to Sri Lanka.
FMI
Visit CamdenConference.org for suggested readings and videos. The conference is February 16th to 18th. In-person in Camden cost is $300). Streaming Live at USM and Rockland, $200. Home streaming, $250. Reduced prices available to high school and college students.
Other Events in December
(Free or by donation – see website for details www.camdenconference.org/events.)
Women’s Identity in India: Old Views, New Views, Dec. 3, 3 – 4:30 p.m., Rockland.
South Asia’s Climate Challenges and Pathways to Positive Solutions (ZOOM), Dec. 6, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Cumberland Center.
Caste: A Crash Course, Dec. 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m., Rockport.
PelotonLabs is a co-working space in the West End of Portland, Maine with a mission to connect and encourage people working on their own to manifest their visions without fear.
