I 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 Stewart

Categorized in : Character Writing Motivation

Democracy is not simply a question of structures. It is a state of mind. It is an activity.

Rory Stewart

structure democracy mind

The question shouldn't be what we ought to do, but what we can do.

Rory Stewart

interventionism international-relations humanitarian

I do a lot of work with policymakers, but how much effect am I having? It’s like they’re coming in and saying to you, ‘I’m going to drive my car off a cliff. Should I or should I not wear a seatbelt?’ And you say, ‘I don’t think you should drive your car off the cliff.’ And they say, ‘No, no, that bit’s already been decided—the question is whether to wear a seatbelt.’ And you say, ‘Well, you might as well wear a seatbelt.’ And then they say, ‘We’ve consulted with policy expert Rory Stewart and he says . . . .’

Rory Stewart

car experts thinking

I 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 Stewart

kindness appreciation country

I have never met a villager who does not want a vote.

Rory Stewart

poverty doe want

I had been walking one afternoon in Scotland and thought: Why don't I just keep going? There was, I said, a magic in leaving a line of footprints stretching across Asia.

Rory Stewart

scotland magic leaving

The point about democracy is not that it delivers legitimate, effective, prosperous rule of law. It's not that it guarantees peace with itself or with its neighbors. ... Democracy matters because it reflects an idea of equality.

Rory Stewart

motivation inspiration law

I'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 Stewart

stranger culture people

In the mountains, travelers were reduced to the speed of men on foot. Here, the ancient English sense of journey, 'a day's travel' (French journee), meant the same as the Old Persian word farsang, 'the distance a man could travel on foot in a day,' and the territory was in effect ungovernable.

Rory Stewart

distance journey men

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 Stewart

authority way world

Despite the dubious statistics … democracy is a thing of value for which we should be fighting.

Rory Stewart

dubious democracy fighting

This idea that failure is not an option: It makes failure invisible, inconceivable and inevitable.

Rory Stewart

motivation inspiration ideas

If democracy is to be rebuilt … it is necessary not just for the public to learn to trust their politicians, but for the politicians to learn to trust the public.

Rory Stewart

democracy politician ifs

Religions . . . seem to avoid mountain passes.

Rory Stewart

mountain seems

The Afghan government is much better informed, much more intrusive and ambitious than I had guessed. There are amazing craftsmen in Kabul but few designers and wage rates are astonishingly high - which is a problem when trying to support and promote Afghan craft exports. The community in Murad Khani in the old city - who we are helping to restore their area - have been the best part so far - eccentric, led by a champion wrestler, determined, proud and courageous.

Rory Stewart

champion support community

Change can only come from local citizens and politicians - it cannot be imposed by well-meaning foreigners - not least because a society like Afghanistan or Iraq is suspicious of outsiders and often resistant to change. I am not going to get drawn into the ethics of intervening in other countries. My concern is the practical question. Can you actually achieve change in this way? My guess is we can stop wars sometimes as in the Balkans and topple regimes - but that the other stuff - such as corruption is not within our power to effect and alter.

Rory Stewart

outsiders war country

I'm getting away from that gothic shouting chamber of Westminster, I'm getting away from politics which makes me feel sometimes as though (U.S. President Donald) Trump has never left London, this is a city that is now in real danger, danger from Brexit, from technological change, but I think above all from what has happened in British politics, to the kind of extremism that is taking over our country.

Rory Stewart

world

It's been a great privilege to serve Penrith and The Border for the last ten years, so it is with sadness that I am announcing that I will be standing down at the next election, and that I have also resigned from the Conservative Party.

Rory Stewart

world

I'm not a supporter of Boris and I wouldn't serve in his cabinet, so I'm supporting Jeremy Hunt.

Rory Stewart

world

They are not scared of it because it is not a credible threat. The European Union knows no deal cannot get through parliament, how is Boris going to deliver Brexit, how? ... I don't even know what he believes. He won't talk to me, he won't talk to you, he won't talk to the public. We want to know what he believes.

Rory Stewart

world