Take Action on Afghanistan. Write Your MP. Engage the Media

Hello CASC Members

 
We have good news to report, but we need your help.

There are seeds of hope in Ottawa regarding the future of our commitment to democracy in Afghanistan. And as you may notice, it sounds remarkably similar to what we called for in our report, Keeping Our Promises.

 
Bob Rae is the Liberal Party's foreign affairs critic and a member of the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. After the Special Committee made a five-day trip to Afghanistan, Rae generated headlines across the country with his comments:
 
"We have an obligation to see this thing through," Rae said. "The door is open to serious discussion in Canada — and between Canada and NATO — about what the future looks like."
 
A few days later, on Tuesday, June 8, the Hon. Hugh Segal addressed the Senate with these words:
 
There is now an opportunity for a full parliamentary debate in both chambers — not a narrow partisan debate, but a broad, multi-partisan, national interest debate — where proposals for the mix of forces and civilians deployed to Afghanistan can be openly and frankly discussed.
 
Support is even coming from places you might not expect, such as the Toronto Star editorial page:
 
While many Canadians will welcome the end of our primary fighting role, there’s solid support for providing expertise and aid to help Afghans rebuild after decades of misrule, invasion and civil war. If we can train troops and police without being directly embroiled in combat, that too is worth considering.
 
How you can help at this critical time:

Write to your MP if you haven't already. When politicians such as Bob Rae have the courage to take leadership on this issue, it is incumbent on us to show them our support and urge our government to decide on a responsible policy for the future. Pasted below this main message is a template you can adapt as a letter, if you wish. You can also look at our usual tips for writing MPs at http://afghanistan-canada-solidarity.org/write-your-mp

Engage the Media with letters to the editor and Op Eds. Get the word out any way you can in your local newspaper or on your social networking sites. For tips, go to http://afghanistan-canada-solidarity.org/engage-media

 
Please make your voices heard.

Sincerely,

Jonathon Narvey
CASC Secretary of the Board

-------
TEMPLATE LETTER CONTENT

For too long, our politicians in Ottawa have been scandalously quiet on the question of what our country will be doing after 2011 in Afghanistan. We know that the 2008 motion passed by parliament calls for an end to the combat mission in Kandahar in 2011, but there are many other ways that Canada can continue to help build a stable Afghan democracy.

But instead of initiating a debate about this, the Prime Minister and his cabinet have been hiding behind the 2008 motion, acting as if it rules out any future Canadian mission. Furthermore, in the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, opposition MPs have consistently refused to adopt a motion put forward by Laurie Hawn to consider the future of our commitment to Afghanistan, preferring to use all of their time on the detainee issue.

Thus, I was extremely grateful to hear Bob Rae’s comments as he returned from Afghanistan, calling for a serious, mature discussion on how Canada can continue to partner with NATO, the UN, and the Afghan government. Finally a politician has shown the courage and leadership necessary to break this deadlock.

So as a Canadian citizen and a proud member of the Canada Afghanistan Solidarity Committee, I urge all of our MPs and Senators to take Bob Rae’s lead and initiate this discussion that is so badly needed. This is a defining issue for our country; this is about who we are. And Afghans desperately need our help.