#Palestine conference canceled by #USM over speaker’s sanctions has new location

The academic discussion called the ‘#ConsequenceOfPalestine’ will take place at #FirstParishCongregationalChurch in #GorhamME

by Riley Board, February 26, 2026

"A conference on Palestine scheduled for Saturday has found a new venue after the University of Southern Maine said it would no longer sponsor the event because one of the planned speakers is subject to sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

"The 'Consequence of Palestine' event will now be hosted at the First Parish Congregational Church in Gorham, and is scheduled to proceed on the same date, organizers with the #MaineCoalitionForPalestine and #MaineVoicesForPalestinianRights announced Thursday.

"University officials told organizers late last week they could no longer use Hannaford Hall on the USM’s Portland campus for the event after learning that speaker #FrancescaAlbanese is on the Office of Foreign Assets Controls’ #SanctionsLlist.

"#Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on #HumanRights in the #OccupiedPalestinianTerritories, was slapped with sanctions in July after she wrote letters to several major American businesses, telling them she planned to name them in a U.N. report for contributing to human rights violations by #Israel; the #StateDepartment called the letters campaigns of political and #EconomicWarfare. U.S. businesses and entities are prohibited from doing business with Albanese.

"Albanese was scheduled to speak at the conference remotely, and organizers said they received guidance that her participation was permitted so long as they did not engage in any financial transaction with her or offer an honorarium for her participation.

"Organizers also say they offered to remove Albanese from the schedule, but the university said it still could not host the event because it needed, 'time to assess the risk and put in place measures to ensure compliance with all federal and state laws and university policies.'

"More than 300 people had registered for the event as of Tuesday.

"Albanese is still slated to speak at the conference, an organizer confirmed. The USM Department of Criminology and Sociology, previously a co-sponsor of the event, is no longer involved."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/02/26/palestine-conference-cancelled-by-usm-over-speakers-sanctions-has-new-location/

Archived version:
https://archive.md/8VwxN

#MainePol #Capitulation #USPol #Fascism #Authoritarianism #IsraeliWarCrimes #USWarCrimes #FreeGaza #Gaza #GazaGenocide #LandTheft #Colonialism #FreePalestine #BibiIsAWarCriminal #MaineVoicesForPeace

A still from #Maine artist #HeatherLyon's short film, "Parnassius mnemosyne (Clouded Apollo Sybil), 2024-25. Filmed in Parco Nzionale dei Monti Sibillini, Italy and Acadia National Park in Maine. Part of the "Of Sybils and Source" exhibit at #USM #PortlandME.

#FirstFridayArtWalk #MaineArtists
#GreekMythology #Sybils #Caves #CaveOfTheSybil #Art

I visited an exhibition yesterday at the #CreweCenter at #USM in #PortlandME yesterday. The theme is "Of Sibyls and Source: Ranges and Ruptures" showing through March 31, 2026. The first piece that caught my eye was "Invoking the Muses" by artist and teacher #SusanBickford. "These dresses are meant to invoke and honor these ancient Goddesses, indeed to welcome them into this temple, remembering their essential role in creative inspiration. Position in relationship to the architecture and an extension of the sky, sunlight, moonlight, and the wind, and made as an offering, each stitch a prayer for the future, and the artists receiving their blessing."

#Muses #NineMuses #Inspiration #FirstFridayArtWalk

Weierstrass Substitution as a Special Case of the USM Framework:
https://geometriadominicana.blogspot.com/2025/12/weierstrass-as-special-case-of-usm.html

#math #calculus #Weierstrass #USM #framework #euler #unification #integral #integration

FOLKS, THIS IS A WORLD CUP REDEMPTION STORY IN THE MAKING! Gio Reyna's facing his BIGGEST CHALLENGE yet - getting back on Team USA! This young gun's battling injuries and drama, but he's got that CHAMPIONSHIP MENTALITY! Reyna's German club move? It's his TRAINING MONTAGE before the big fight! Coach Pochettino's throwing down the GAUNTLET - it's CRUNCH TIME for Gio! Will he ANSWER THE BELL and lead USA to glory? STAY TUNED!

#WorldCup #USM...

https://www.thetruthperspective.org/node/5070

#SouthernMaine - #USM Student, Staff and Faculty

Oakhurst Campus #FoodPantry

"The Oakhurst Campus Food Pantry provides essential resources to the USM community to fight food insecurity and meet the basic needs of students, faculty, and staff using a self-assessed need model.

"We believe individuals should have the autonomy to determine their current level of need and be empowered with accessible, equitable, and inclusive resources to alleviate and eliminate the need.

"We distributed over 10,900 lbs of food to the USM community in 2022

"There is no paperwork to fill out or expectation to 'prove' your current need in order to access the pantry; all you need is your current #UniversityOfMaineSystem (#UMS) ID. We do not limit how often you can access pantry resources.

"We offer a wide range of food (non-perishable, cold, and frozen), household, and personal goods. Shop in-person at our Portland campus location or submit a pre-order online, available for pick-up in #PortlandME, #GorhamME, and #Lewiston-#Auburn Campus.

"The Pantry has experienced a steady increase in need over the last 18+ months as reflected in our data; resources distributed, spending to stock pantry items, and the number of people being served. Pantry regulars include undergraduate and graduate students, domestic and international students, and university staff and faculty. What was once supplemental for many people, has become a resource they regularly depend upon."

FMI:
https://usm.maine.edu/dean-of-students/oakhurst-campus-food-pantry/

#MaineFoodPantries #FoodInsecurity #SNAP #SNAPCuts #USM #USMCommunity #Maine #FoodPantries

So, I mentioned #BernieReim's situation to one of my former teachers (the faculty did not know about it), and she spread the word. I saw that a lot of faculty donated soon afterwards. I love the #USM / #WMPG community! It's truly a community!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bernie-recover-from-his-car-accident