Former Mass. Gov. Paul Cellucci spoke on the importance of public diplomacy in a post- Cold War and post-9/11 world Thursday evening at the Old South Meeting House as part of Ford Hall Forum’s annual lecture series, which is in its 98th year.

Cellucci’s lecture follows the release of his book, Unquiet Democracy, which focuses on his experiences as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada from 2001 to 2005.

Cellucci drew upon these experiences in his lecture, which covered topics from U.S.-Canada relations to the United States’ role as a dominant superpower in the modern world.

Speaking on the United States’ role as a world superpower, Cellucci emphasized the good that the United States is doing across the globe.

“We are criticized when we act, and we are criticized when we don’t act,” Cellucci said to a crowd of around 50 people. “The United States of America is a force for good on this planet, and we don’t always tell that story, but it’s important that people remember the good we do.

“Often people resent our power,” he continued. “It’s not easy being the only superpower.”

Citing United States’s involvement in the near nuclear crisis in India and Pakistan as one example of this “good force,” Cellucci said the United States is making as much progress diplomatically with Canada.

“Our differences [with Canadians] are magnified in the press,” Cellucci said. “But the truth of the matter is that our relationship is huge. So much goes well diplomatically every day. Even though we don’t agree on some issues, like Kyoto, we talk about these things. We listen to each other and work it out.”

Cellucci added that border control, which he considers an important issue in the post 9/11 world, was one example the former ambassador cited of effective Canadian and U.S. cooperation.

“However, once the [post-9/11 border control] effort was introduced, cooperation was effective. We put more people with better technology at the borders,” he continued.

Though Cellucci paid Canada many compliments in his lecture, he pointed out key areas where America and Canada disagree as well.

“In 2002, I made a case for Canada to significantly increase defense spending,” Cellucci said. “Then there was the issue of missile defense. I could not see why they did not want to participate in missile defense. I think it is an amazing give-away of sovereignty that [the United States] cannot understand.”

Ford Hall Forum President Susan Shaer responded to Cellucci’s remarks on Canada’s decrease in military spending and his critique of Canada’s need to borrow other countries’ air carriers to fly aid to Sri Lanka after the recent Tsunami.

“Canada is a beacon for diplomacy,” Shaer said. “They spent money on helping people, but they didn’t spend all the money on air carriers when they didn’t regularly need them. That would not have been smart security.”

Other members of the audience not affiliated with the host organization also asked Cellucci questions.

Boston University freshman Jacob Matthews, who asked a question during the lecture, said he attended the event because he grew up hearing Cellucci’s name in North Borough.

Ford Hall Forum will host five additional public lectures this spring at the Old South Meeting House on issues ranging from stem cell research to the role of public education in serving the common good.

“People are so locked in to technological ways of getting information such as instant messenger, television and the internet that they can forget that there’s something warm and personal about having someone in the room where you can ask them a question in real time and real space,” Shaer said.