Middle East expert Trita Parsi to present on relations between Iran and the U.S., Nov. 5

Event: Yoder Public Affairs Lecture – Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council
Date and time: Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Rieth Recital Hall, Goshen College Music Center
Cost: free and open to the public

GOSHEN, Ind. – Are the United States, Israel and Iran entangled in an ideological clash, or a resolvable strategic conflict?

President of the National Iranian American Council Trita Parsi will present a lecture titled, "Iran and the U.S.: Prospects for a Better Future," for the annual Frank and Betty Jo Yoder Public Affairs Lecture (YPAL) on Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Goshen College Music Center's Rieth Recital Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Parsi's most recent book "A Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the United States" (Yale University Press, 2007) won the 2008 Silver Medal Recipient of the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award. For his book, Parsi conducted more than 130 interviews with senior Israeli, Iranian and American decision-makers. Parsi's book is the first since 1987 to deal directly with Israeli-Iranian relations and their impact on the United States, and is the only book based on extensive interviews with decision-makers in all three countries.

"Dr. Parsi's visit adds substantially to the interest of many people here in northern Indiana in developing a positive and fruitful relationship between our country and Iran, both sharing their unique resources for a stable and peaceful future," said John Fisher, professor emeritus of English at Goshen College and a member of the lecture committee.

Parsi has worked for the Swedish Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York where he served in the Security Council handling affairs of Afghanistan, Iraq, Tajikistan and Western Sahara. He also worked for the General Assembly's Third Committee addressing human rights in Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Iraq.

As a Middle East expert, Parsi is a frequent commentator on U.S.-Iranian relations and Middle East affairs, and has appeared on BBC World News, PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CNN, Al Jazeera, C-Span, NPR and MSNBC.

"Trita Parsi is brilliant and articulate," said David Cortright, president of Fourth Freedom Forum in Goshen, a sponsor for the lecture. "He offers an informed and sophisticated analysis of current developments in Iran and the prospects for improved diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran."

Parsi was born in Iran and grew up in Sweden. He received a master's degree in international relations from Uppsala University in Sweden, a second master's degree in economics from Stockholm School of Economics and a doctorate in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Since 1978 the Frank and Betty Jo Yoder endowed lectureship has enabled faculty, students and community members to hear widely known speakers address current issues. This year, YPAL sponsored this lecture in collaboration with Lifelong Learning Institute of Goshen – which offers a course on relations between Iran and the United States – and the Fourth Freedom Forum.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.