Distinguished Speakers Series
BCFA offers 12 events in this series on average each year, focusing on the most critical foreign policy matters before the nation. We ask our speakers to analyze the tensions among the major powers, to explain the national interests at stake in foreign disputes and to put a spotlight on humanitarian crises that often are overlooked. Past speakers have included Vice Presidents, Secretaries of State and Defense, Directors of the National Security Agency, Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Congressmen, Journalists, Scholars, Senior Military Officers, and Ambassadors from more than 60 nations.
Highlighted below are our upcoming and recent events, with additional background readings and event recordings. Join BCFA today and attend our Distinguished Speakers Series to engage with experts in essential conversations on U.S. foreign affairs.
The New Papacy: Pope Leo's Foreign Policy
August 26, 2025
Speaker: Kim Daniels
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Virtual Event
Kim Daniels, Director for the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, will address the Council on the influence of the Vatican on the secular world and what it means to have the first American pope. Join us for insight into the foreign policy of Pope Leo XIV and how it may affect his home country. Attendance is free for BCFA members and $25 for non-members.
What's Next for Yemen's Houthi Movement?
July 16, 2025
"We either need to topple the Houthis or we need to clear the Red Sea coast of them...Bad leadership is what got us here. Pretty evil, nasty leadership of a pretty small group, part of Yemeni society."
Michael Knights, Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, addressed the Council on the Houthi’s violent ambitions in the Red Sea and as one of Iran’s closest allies, providing expert insight into one of the world’s greatest security concerns.
A Visit to the New Syria
June 26, 2025
"It could mean a multitude of things, including a vigorous reconstruction effort or a confrontation with the provisional central government. Clearly the key to the future is how Sharaa manages the country he's just conquered."
BCFA President Roy Gutman shared insight from his recent travel to Syria to better understand the reality on the ground, the past of Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the goals of the new Syrian government. He provided a rare look into country fresh from revolution and seeking to lay the initial foundations of democracy.
The post-Cold War era came to an abrupt end when Russia’s invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The United States’ growing rivalry with China meanwhile presents challenges in every area of foreign affairs. We are thus living in a suddenly more complex, dangerous era. Threats to democracy and fundamental human rights have expanded to include cyber warfare, space weaponry and digital authoritarianism, including the manipulation of social media. At the same time, political polarization at home raises questions about American leadership in global affairs. Flawed past decisions that led to long troop deployments abroad without achieving basic goals have weakened the national resolve to tackle new challenges as they arise. The questions that the Council seeks to explore are, can the United States learn from its mistakes – as well as from its past successes? Will it continue playing the lead role in supporting a rules-based world order, or will it abandon that role to malign actors whose main goal is to displace American leadership?
In this critical moment, the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs contributes to these debates by providing a public forum for distinguished experts in foreign affairs. View our Event Library below, which includes additional readings and video recordings of all our past events, to better understand U.S. foreign affairs and how these discussions have changed over time.
BCFA Programs
We offer 16 programs on average each year, focusing on the most critical foreign policy matters before the nation. We ask our speakers to analyze the tensions among the major powers, to explain the national interests at stake in foreign disputes and to put a spotlight on humanitarian crises that often are overlooked. Past speakers have included: Vice Presidents; Secretaries of State and Defense; Directors of the National Security Agency; Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Congressmen; Journalists; Scholars; Senior Military Officers; and Ambassadors from more than 60 nations.
UPCOMING:
July 18, 2024
Belarusian Political Dissidents
Topic: Three key figures from the Viasna Human Rights Centre and the Life Charitable Foundation
Location: WTC
BCFA Research & Analysis
The post-Cold War era came to an abrupt end when Russia’s invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The United States’ growing rivalry with China meanwhile presents challenges in every area of foreign affairs. We are thus living in a suddenly more complex, dangerous era. Threats to democracy and fundamental human rights have expanded to include cyber warfare, space weaponry and digital authoritarianism, including the manipulation of social media. At the same time, political polarization at home raises questions about American leadership in global affairs. Flawed past decisions that led to long troop deployments abroad without achieving basic goals have weakened the national resolve to tackle new challenges as they arise. The questions that the Council seeks to explore are, can the United States learn from its mistakes – as well as from its past successes? Will it continue playing the lead role in supporting a rules-based world order, or will it abandon that role to malign actors whose main goal is to displace American leadership? In this critical moment, the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs contributes to these debates by providing a public forum for distinguished experts in foreign affairs.
Event Library:
