Just currently updating/ correcting my summary of my time in Bosnia this Summer. I'll be uploading a greater amout of text later on. But here is some of the shorter stuff I had to write as a summary for the group.
Bio-
My name is Ruaraidh (Rory) Stewart and I am from Chelsea, London. Currently I study at the
University of Leeds reading International Relations. I was educated at Wellington College (Berks)
where my curiosity for learning about different international politics and organisations was first
ignited. This wanderlust, stemming from my high school and university education, lead me firstly
to take part in the excellent GYC ‘12 delegation to Bosnia, but also to take a year out of university
to pursue work in Palestine. As of September 2012, I will be situated in East Jerusalem, where I will
have the fortune for working for an NGO known as the Palestinian-Israeli Journal, which primarily
deals at reconciliation between the two entities. I personally believe that the GYC delegation
has equipped me and educated me in ways that no library or doctorate paper could ever do. For
anybody who enjoys/wants to go out of their comfort zone, and experience the reality behind the
texts books & newspapers, sign up now.
Memorable experience-
The entire trip was an experience, therefore to narrow it down to one distinct thought or memory
is nigh on impossible. Or at least should be attempted by people who can better summarise than I.
However it is possible to look at some of the emotions that were brought to light by some of these
experiences. For me, upon reflection my number one emotion was sorrow. Sorrow for a beautiful
country, with a diverse range of cultures, peoples and history. That has been so marred by the
actions and orders of some of history’s most deluded and insane men. Sorrow for the people whose
country is fraught from within by inept Politian’s whose apparent goals are to intensify the ethnic
tension for their own political and personal goals, who feel the necessity to take a state owned
helicopter to grab a coffee, whilst failing to tackle the countries huge (Officially 40%) unemployment.
And finally sorrow for a country (that in my eyes) has been marred from outside, abandoned by the
international community as a whole, whose chant of “Never Again” is a reflection of their own policy
towards BIH, rather than the guilt ridden acceptance of their inability to act at the hour when the
persecuted masses of a divided country most needed that action.
Organisation Overview-
Atlantic Initiative:
RUARAIDH STEWART
The meeting with the Atlantic Initiative organisation, this year lead by Maida Cehajic, was
thoroughly enjoyable and informative. One of the key areas discussed presented was looking at
precisely how the BIH security sector should be reformed in allowance to possible NATO and EU
integration. Maida pointed out that is required reforms not only within the army and police of the
country, but also on attitudes towards these structures and whilst many within the international
forum recognise the formation of the security sector within BIH as one of the great successes, much
more is needed to be done if the country is going to take the next step in becoming a region asset
for NATO and the European Union.
Ministry of Defence:
The meeting with the BIH Minister of Defence gave the group the much needed insight in to machinations of BIH politics and especially political attitudes
towards NATO and other neighbouring states. On top of this, the Minister demonstrated that
it was possible for a female to succeed in the world of Bosnian politics, which provided further
food for thought for the delegation, and perhaps dispelling some of the groups presupposed
concepts of Bosnian politics/ politicians. Most interesting perhaps was how the Bosnia ministry/
security, was able to educate other states military personal in inter-ethnic violence and post conflict
reconciliation. Whilst BIH contributions to conflicts such as Afghanistan are small, it was hinted that
its present in these regions was along the lines of this work.
Below are some of the photos from the trip. I will be adding more, along with some dialogue about them in the future.
Bio-
My name is Ruaraidh (Rory) Stewart and I am from Chelsea, London. Currently I study at the
University of Leeds reading International Relations. I was educated at Wellington College (Berks)
where my curiosity for learning about different international politics and organisations was first
ignited. This wanderlust, stemming from my high school and university education, lead me firstly
to take part in the excellent GYC ‘12 delegation to Bosnia, but also to take a year out of university
to pursue work in Palestine. As of September 2012, I will be situated in East Jerusalem, where I will
have the fortune for working for an NGO known as the Palestinian-Israeli Journal, which primarily
deals at reconciliation between the two entities. I personally believe that the GYC delegation
has equipped me and educated me in ways that no library or doctorate paper could ever do. For
anybody who enjoys/wants to go out of their comfort zone, and experience the reality behind the
texts books & newspapers, sign up now.
Memorable experience-
The entire trip was an experience, therefore to narrow it down to one distinct thought or memory
is nigh on impossible. Or at least should be attempted by people who can better summarise than I.
However it is possible to look at some of the emotions that were brought to light by some of these
experiences. For me, upon reflection my number one emotion was sorrow. Sorrow for a beautiful
country, with a diverse range of cultures, peoples and history. That has been so marred by the
actions and orders of some of history’s most deluded and insane men. Sorrow for the people whose
country is fraught from within by inept Politian’s whose apparent goals are to intensify the ethnic
tension for their own political and personal goals, who feel the necessity to take a state owned
helicopter to grab a coffee, whilst failing to tackle the countries huge (Officially 40%) unemployment.
And finally sorrow for a country (that in my eyes) has been marred from outside, abandoned by the
international community as a whole, whose chant of “Never Again” is a reflection of their own policy
towards BIH, rather than the guilt ridden acceptance of their inability to act at the hour when the
persecuted masses of a divided country most needed that action.
Organisation Overview-
Atlantic Initiative:
RUARAIDH STEWART
The meeting with the Atlantic Initiative organisation, this year lead by Maida Cehajic, was
thoroughly enjoyable and informative. One of the key areas discussed presented was looking at
precisely how the BIH security sector should be reformed in allowance to possible NATO and EU
integration. Maida pointed out that is required reforms not only within the army and police of the
country, but also on attitudes towards these structures and whilst many within the international
forum recognise the formation of the security sector within BIH as one of the great successes, much
more is needed to be done if the country is going to take the next step in becoming a region asset
for NATO and the European Union.
Ministry of Defence:
The meeting with the BIH Minister of Defence gave the group the much needed insight in to machinations of BIH politics and especially political attitudes
towards NATO and other neighbouring states. On top of this, the Minister demonstrated that
it was possible for a female to succeed in the world of Bosnian politics, which provided further
food for thought for the delegation, and perhaps dispelling some of the groups presupposed
concepts of Bosnian politics/ politicians. Most interesting perhaps was how the Bosnia ministry/
security, was able to educate other states military personal in inter-ethnic violence and post conflict
reconciliation. Whilst BIH contributions to conflicts such as Afghanistan are small, it was hinted that
its present in these regions was along the lines of this work.
Below are some of the photos from the trip. I will be adding more, along with some dialogue about them in the future.
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