CAMDEN, Maine — The opera house was packed Saturday as the Camden Conference returned for its 37th year, transforming the town's main drag, usually quiet this time of year, into a center of international thought.
The focus of this year’s event is India, now the largest country in the world by population and a growing economic force.
For volunteers like Nathan Rockwood, who has now been to a handful of Camden Conferences, the changing yearly topics only go to serve a larger vision
"I think it's important for Mainers to expand their knowledge of foreign affairs," Rockwood said Saturday. "It serves as a forum for everyday citizens to come and be informed."
Despite this very public mission, the roots of the Camden Conference are rather clandestine. The forum was founded by former diplomats and CIA officers eager to keep their interests in world affairs sharp even after their careers had ended.
As Wayne Hobson, secretary of the board of the Camden Conference remembers, "They wanted to continue their interest and involvement in retirement, and they created the conference."
This year’s symposium is moderated by David Brancaccio, a Maine native and host of NPR’s "Marketplace Morning Report." The keynote speak for the conference is Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary of India and ambassador to the United States.
The audience Saturday was a mix of foreign affairs professionals, curious Mainers, and students, many of them accompanied by eager teachers, like Erin Downes of Edward Little High School, who sees the occasion as for more than simply education.
"Coming to the conference allows them a professional development opportunity that’s not offered anywhere else," Downes said.
The conference will conclude on Sunday.