The Grano Speakers Series was established as a modern-day salon: a smaller, more intimate gathering where thought leaders in business, government, academia and the media can meet to discuss world events. The Grano Series takes place at Toronto’s Grano restaurant under the proprietorship of Roberto Martella. Grano’s intimate atmosphere provides a perfect combination of informal dining with an energetic atmosphere for debate and discussion. All events are by invitation only.

The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies has been a partner since the series inception. On March 10, 2005, John Lukacs delivered the fourth and final talk in the 2004-05 series. He spoke to American imperialism:

“In my reactionary sign you say that this is a disastrous idea. I think the question before us and before our descendants is can we make democracy safe for the world, which is a very different question which, for example, Alexis de Tocqueville would have understood but Woodrow Wilson did not. Now, we speak now about American imperialism as an issue. Wilson’s universalism, whatever it was, was defeated in the election of 1920 and defeated by people who ever since that, again rather inaccurately, have been called American isolationists.”

To read the complete transcript, click here.

To read more about the Grano Series, click here