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The Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee is an association of Canadians from all walks of life who are united in a commitment to the principle that as Canadians, we must honour our obligations to the cause of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.

Those of us who formulated the idea of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee did so with an understanding that a progressive, internationalist, and idealistic Canadian policy must also be realistic and cautious. We saw that there was no short-term solution to Afghanistan's problems.

A commitment to Afghanistan that is consistent with Canada's best traditions, Canada's international reputation, and Canada's values, will require of Canadians a much deeper understanding of and familiarity with and respect for the Afghan people. What's necessary to that purpose is a clear understanding of what it is that ordinary Afghans think, and what ordinary Afghans say, about our role there.

To be uninformed and uninterested in what Afghans say about Canada's presence in their country, in a UN-sanctioned mission, and to rely solely on Canadian public opinion and partisan manipulation as a guide for specific policy options in Afghanistan, is to engage in a fatal narcissism.

The members of this Committee have been deeply concerned with the tone of the debate in Canada surrounding Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan. We believe this debate has excluded Afghans, ignored Afghan public opinion. The debate has been manipulated in the interests of gaining votes, and co-opted by terms such as “anti-war,” for partisan interests. The debate has failed so far to fully explore all of the issues at stake, to look beyond defense at the equally important areas of development and diplomacy, and to consider the consequences for Afghans and for the region should a withdrawal of Canadian forces from Afghanistan take place.

We aim to provide a space where all Canadians can participate in a debate that places the interests and needs of Afghan citizens at the heart of a forward-looking, humanistic dialogue.

The Committee's position on Canada's engagement in Afghanistan, in sum, is this: We must stay. Human rights are universal and are being demanded by Afghan civilians. The United Nations calls for and expects Canada to remain dedicated to Afghanistan's reconstruction and to preventing an extremist, militant, destructive force, the Taliban, from coming to power.

We recognize that a robust military engagement, with the UN's sanction and the consent of the Government of Afghanistan, is vital and necessary.

For fuller details on our position, please read our recent submission to the Manley Panel on the Future Role of Canada in Afghanistan.

We are asking Canadians to pledge their support to this position: sign here.