Acclaimed ambassador kicks off Conference on World Affairs

The 2025 St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs began Tuesday evening at the Palladium Theater with a keynote address that embodied the three-day event’s theme – “The Ties That Bind Us.”

Former ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, who served under six presidential administrations, kicked off the conference with a keynote address on the power of diplomacy. He is one of the nation’s leading experts on the subject after negotiating groundbreaking agreements with Germany, Austria, France and several other European countries regarding restitution of property, payment for slave and forced labor, and recovery of looted art and bank accounts.

The conference, launched in 2013, highlights the intersection of global and local issues through nonpartisan, civil discourse. City Councilmember Gina Driscoll noted its prescient theme that will permeate presentations through Thursday at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

“I think now more than ever, we need to be aware of not just what divides us but what brings us together,” Driscoll said. “So, I hope, in the days ahead, you’ll find ways to learn, meet, connect and grow together – because that’s really what moves us forward.”

Eizenstat said he wrote his latest book, The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World, published in 2024 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, amid an era of seemingly insolvable problems. He wanted to show that leaders overcame equally daunting hurdles over the past 50 years – through diplomacy and military force.

Eizenstat noted that presidents have increasingly used the latter and decidedly more deadly approach with “very mixed results.” His book explores whether military force can provide a “constructive vehicle to support diplomacy.”

“I fear we’re entering an isolationist era where we think we can just defend ourselves from our two oceans and not engage with the world,” Eizenstat added. “And that would leave a huge vacuum for the Russias, Chinas and Irans to fill with very different interests … and values.”

He believes engagement can create a better world. However, Eizenstat said successful diplomacy must create “win-win” situations for opposing sides.

He provided historical examples, like Henry Kissinger, of presidents appointing the “right person at the right time to meet the right challenge.” The former Secretary of State wrote the forward to Eizenstat’s book.

While Eizenstat delved into negotiator attributes and diplomatic maneuvering that led to better global relations, in-person attendees and a worldwide live-stream audience could apply much of his advice to local and personal challenges.

“I’ve found in my negotiations that you get so wrapped up in what you think is the brilliance of your own presentation that you forget somebody on the other side may have a different opinion,” Eizenstat explained. “And so, the ability to listen to the other side. Not just hear, but really listen and absorb. Put yourself in their shoes – what do they need to take home?”

He also stressed the importance of creativity and stamina. Eizenstat said he averaged three or four hours of sleep while negotiating the Kyoto Protocol on climate change with 190 countries.

Eizenstat said successful leaders should prepare for unexpected challenges and costs. Using previous global conflicts as examples, he also noted that the stakes are exponentially higher when using force.

Eizenstat explained that consequential decisions require decisiveness. He concluded his address by noting opposing sides can capitalize on polarization, underscoring the need for a unified front when facing problems.

“Diplomacy is critically important to resolving the problems we have today,” Eizenstat said. “And with the right people and right creativity, we can resolve them.”

Willi Rudowsky, board president of St. Petersburg in the World (SPIW), the conference’s organizer, said the nonprofit has joined the World Affairs Councils of America. SPIW will now host at least 12 annual events related to the intersection of global and local issues.

The first event following the conference is March 20 at The Studio@620. James Ketterer, a senior fellow at Bard College’s Center for Civic Engagement, will discuss how jazz has served as a diplomatic tool.

For more information on the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, which runs through 5 p.m. Thursday, visit the website here.