The world isnt one way or another. Things can be changed very, very rapidly by someone with sufficient confidence, sufficient knowledge and sufficient authority.
Rory StewartI found incredible kindness, dignity and hospitality in both Iraq and Afghanistan - am only alive because of it - the most worthwhile lesson of a twenty month walk to these countries was a deepening appreciation of the kindness of strangers.
Rory StewartI left things out - my motivations, my history, my emotional responses - because I am not good at understanding them or writing about them. I tried and it was generally boring and always unconvincing. Most importantly I wanted to try to place Afghans and Afghanistan in the foreground rather than my own character.
Rory StewartI'd like to come back to the West eventually. In the end abroad I am always a stranger, active politics in particular is not accessible to me and although people are generous, I can never be on the inside of a culture that relies a great deal on the private space and the family.
Rory StewartI do a lot of work with policymakers, but how much effect am I having? Itโs like theyโre coming in and saying to you, โIโm going to drive my car off a cliff. Should I or should I not wear a seatbelt?โ And you say, โI donโt think you should drive your car off the cliff.โ And they say, โNo, no, that bitโs already been decidedโthe question is whether to wear a seatbelt.โ And you say, โWell, you might as well wear a seatbelt.โ And then they say, โWeโve consulted with policy expert Rory Stewart and he says . . . .โ
Rory Stewart