TED-Talks

TED-Talks: Rory Stewart - Time to end the war in Afghanistan

Looking through the selection of TED-Talk video clips I found it really difficult to choose 'one' speech to review which really inspired me, simply because every one I watched seem to trigger my interest more than the previous one! Before this course started I have to be honest I have never watched any of the TED-Talk speeches. I was, and am now, hooked! I chose Rory Stewart's speech about the war in Afghanistan simply because not only is it a topic which really interests me, but the passion he has for sharing his experiences, beliefs together with the way he delivers his presentation, is quite superb.

British MP Rory Stewart speaks about his journey walking across Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, talking with citizens and warlords alike. Now, a decade later, he asks: 'Why are Western and coalition forces still fighting there?' He shares lessons from past military interventions that worked, like Bosnia for instance, and shows that humility and local expertise are the keys to success. In 2002, his extraordinary walk across post-9/11 Afghanistan resulted in his first book, 'The Places in Between'. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he served as Co-Ordinator in Southern Iraq for the coalition forces, and later founded a charity in Kabul. In 2008, Esquire magazine named him one of the seventy five most influential people of the 21st century.

Stewart's idealistic views on coalition troop deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq and how the politicians planned both offensives really must have raised some eyebrows at home and abroad. He questions the roles of senior Government officials and mocks their repetitive theories which attempt to justify the military occupation of both countries. He says: "The world isn't one way or another. Things can be changed very, very rapidly by someone with sufficient confidence, sufficient knowledge and sufficient authority" (Stewart, R. 2004). This statement I believe is a direct attack on the ability of the commanders of the coalition forces. I was impressed by his knowledge on the subject and the lengths he was willing to go to in his research, he comments that he was nearly shot several times by Afghan warlords during his journey. I was forced to stray away from course related presentations for this task quite simply because it was this TED-Talk that inspired me most. It has actually led me to purchase Rory Stewart's book mentioned below in my reference.

TED-Talks as an educational resource is an excellent tool for the researcher, it has encouraged me to explore further the subjects being discussed. This is a resource I feel sure I will use again in the near future, particularly as an example of how to present a chosen topic.




Reference:

Stewart, R. (2004). The Places in Between. London: MacMillan Publishers Ltd,

pp 22-24