GiveDirectly President Rory Stewart talks about "mad" politics, long walks in warzones, and ensuring our charitable donations actually aid people in need.
What We Discuss with Rory Stewart:
What makes the UK's system of government "slightly mad" (even when compared to that of the US)?
How the kind of skills that get someone elected as a politician can get in the way of governing well.
How did Rory survive a walk across post-9/11 Afghanistan — just weeks after the fall of the Taliban, in the middle of winter, during a war, stalked by hungry wolves — despite being "guaranteed" it would mean certain death?
What it was like to be one of the first people to see the ruins of a once-thriving city since Genghis Khan had destroyed it over 800 years before.
How we can ensure that every penny of our charitable donations to developing places like Afghanistan and Kenya helps the people who really need it instead of stuffing the pockets of warlords, corrupt officials, and middlemen.