The lecture was part of the International Studies Undergraduate Capstone Symposium. Istrabadi served as the keynote speaker for the event.
Istrabadi was recently admitted as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is known as an academic genius, focusing on the processes of building legal and political institutions in countries in transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Before taking his diplomatic position, Istrabadi served as a legal adviser to the Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs.
While serving in 2004, he worked on the negotiations for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1546, which recognized the reassertion of Iraq’s sovereignty.
He was also the principal legal drafter of Iraq’s interim constitution, the Law of Administration of the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period, and principal author of its Bill of Fundamental Rights.
Istrabadi recalled memories of roaming the corridors of the IMU as a little boy when his mother was a doctoral candidate at IU. He then talked about his transition from student to professor.
“There is a particular pleasure, difficult to put into words, roaming the halls of the school of which you graduated,” Istrabadi said.
The lecture commenced with stating the three issues diplomats usually face in ?today’s society.
The three most prevalent issues, according to Istrabadi, are Iran’s nuclear negotiations, the Israel-Palestine issue and the tensions between Ukrainian and ?Russian administrations.
Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Istrabadi said he believes some forces in the nuclear debate are not looking from the realist perspective within the international ?community.
If you do not behave like power is present, small countries will not have any say within a global discussion, Istrabadi said.
Istrabadi also spoke about Israel’s refusal to negotiate with bodies that do not acknowledge its state and its effort to be recognized as a Jewish state.
Istrabadi said he believes Israel’s refusal was completely rational because no country would want to work with other countries that condemn its existence ?completely.
“‘Negotiations’ means, to me, getting things done in a peaceful way,” Istrabadi said.
If compromise affects the true moral principles of a country, it is not worth it, he said.
Istrabadi’s response to the final issue of Ukraine versus Russia was that it isn’t a weakness to negotiate, even if you have a weak hand. All countries, no matter how small, can have an effect on the world, but allies are crucial in that notion, he said.
Maintaining the status quo to a certain ending is acceptable, Istrabadi said, but alternatives need to be thought through in a thorough context.
The thesis of the lecture was that diplomacy is the opposite of weakness. Diplomacy is always the hardest act to carry out before possible war could arise, ?he said.
“It is fascinating to hear from someone who was inside the diplomatic arena,” said Claudia Viloira, IU senior and student of Istrabadi’s. “Many believe that gauging the hectic actions is the hardest thing to do, but diplomacy is actually the hardest.”
