About Us

Nowadays, the phenomenon of globalization leads
us to think critically about many countries around the world. Thus, we come to think deeply about the situation affecting Afghanistan these years, and this led us to create this blog. As young students, we want to get you thinking about Canada's involvement in the war in Afghanistan, while considering all the facets of this controversial topic. We selected different aspects of this war. This way, like us, you'll come to say whether, finally, you are for or against the involvement of Canadian forces in Afghanistan. Feel free to leave comments.

This way, we will be able to exchange our points of view !

The Taliban Regime

The Taliban are
extremist people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They provide from young Afghan men in the Soviet war that has been train in the Madrasas, in the Pakistan
zone.

They are lead by ancient  muslim war chief of the Soviet War that have for objective to create a perfect Muslim Countrie. Between 1994 and 1997, they had support from the Pakistan secret services so they are able to take control of Afghanistan’s Government. They are supported by the population after the war and all is under control. But when Oussama Ben Laden is located on the
Afghan Territory and he claim that he will strike the United States, everything
changes. The regim under the Taliban’s control is very strict. Afghan community can no more go to cinema, listen Television or go to theater. No one had the right to have a camera and
all human representation was prohibitate. The women has no more right and has
to wear the Burqa, always be with a man when they go outside and the windows of
the houses has to be white for blocking the view of the girls in the house.

So, now you can see why the freedom figthers are in Afghanistan, to liberate these guys and girls
of the extremist Taliban Regim.

Reference:
- Wikipedia, (online), March 22nd 2011, http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban

-http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/20108175382313605.html

Félix Gour

Nature of the Canadian Involvement in Afghanistan

Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan are working to rebuild the country. They try to help afghan society recovering from hardships (ex: soviet occupation , civil war, Taliban regime, etc.). The
main reasons why Canadians are in Afghanistan are simple. First, they want to reinforce the security in the country (promote law and order). They also want to introduce better services for the whole population, because right now, the afghan population is really weak. On the other hand, Canadians participate to rebuild the irrigation system, thereby promoting job creation and progresses in agriculture. In addition, they build nearly fifty schools and they help fighting against polio, a severe illness. Obviously, Canada can’t do all this job alone. Therefore, United nations will also help the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Those are the main reasons why canadian forces are in Afghanistan
and why they should stay there.

References :

“Rapport sur l’Afghanistan”, on the website L’engagement du Canada en Afghanistan from Government of Canada. (December 29^th 2010) [online]. [http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/documents/q108/summary-resume.aspx?lang=fra] (March 19^th 2011)

MORGAN, Clara (January 10^th 2008). On the website Afghanistan: La condition de la femme, [online]. [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0734-f.htm#violence] (March 19^th 2011)

“Afghan enrolment claims fail to make grade”, on the website of CTV News. (February 10^th 2011) [online]. [http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Afghanistan/20110210/afghanistan-schools-110210/](March 19^th 2011)



Canada's Role in the Afghanistan War

Many people are questioning whether it is really necessary to send Canadian forces in Afghanistan. But first, it is relevant to know the context in which Canada decided to help this
country and the reasons why, to determine then whether or not Canada does the
right choice by sending forces in Afghanistan.

Dahla Dam water source

First of all, because of its geographical position and its energy production, Canada is one of the most important economic allies of the United States, which appears in their military
relations. In fact, since the First World War, Canada was involved in most American wars, from near or far. So, in 2001, Canada joined a coalition led by the
United States of America to annihilate the Talibans and flush out Al-Qaida, in response of the attacks of september 11^th 2001. At this time, Canada’s priorities in the Afghanistan war were defined as follow:

1. Defend Canada's national interests;
2. Ensure Canadian leadership in world affairs;
3. Help Afghanistan rebuild.

By helping Afghanistan rebuild, we mean to build or repair many schools
and train teachers, so education will be more available. Also, Canada will help eradicate polio in Afghanistan by vaccinating children, and this way there will be less childhood diseases, and reduce the number of children who die. Finally, Canada will repair the Dahla
Dam water source, to create about 10 000 seasonal jobs, to encourage the
agriculture and to provide a secure irrigation water supply to the majority of
the Kandahari population.

In conclusion, Canadian forces should stay in Afghanistan because they help the Afghans, who have not decided to be at war, but who still suffer the negative effects of it. This way, Canada will make Earth a better place to live.

References :

‘’Rôle du Canada en Afghanistan’’ on the website Wikipedia,  [online]. [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B4le_du_Canada_en_Afghanistan#Changement_de_r.C3.B4le_.282011.29] (March 19^th, 2011)

‘’ Canada's role in the Afghanistan War’’ on the website Wikipedia, [online]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada%27s_role_in_the_Afghanistan_War] (March 19^th, 2011)

‘’ Signature Project: Dahla Dam and Irrigation System ‘’ on the website of the Government of Canada, [online]. [http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/projects-projets/dam-barrage.aspx] (March 19^th, 2011)

Antoine St-Pierre

The Economy of Afghanistan

The economy of Afghanistan is recovering from decades of
conflicts. The economy had improved significantly since the fall the Taliban’s
regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of the international assistance
like the Canadian army who brought a lot to the afghan community. Although they
brought some help, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked and really
dependant on foreign aids. Also, much of the population continues to suffer
from clean water, electricity, medical care and jobs. That’s why the Canadians
in Afghanistan created some jobs and brought fresh water to the Afghans who
don’t had water anymore. It will probably take the rest of the decade to raise
the Afghanistan’s living standards from its current level, among the lowest in
the world. The big of the economy has always been agricultural. Afghanistan is
known for producing some of the finest fruit, especially pomegranates, grapes
and melons. Several provinces in the north of the country are reputed for their
pistachios cultivations. The current trade between Afghanistan and other
countries is at US$5billion a year. Since the collapse or the Taliban’s regime
in 2001, new trade relations emerged with the United States, Pakistan, Iran,
Turkey, the EU (European Union) and Japan.

References :

-Wikipedia, (online), economy of Afghanistan, (March 21^st 2011), http://www.wikipedia.org

- Class Brain,(online), economy of Afghanistan, (March 21^st 2011),http://www.classbrain.com

Félix-Antoine Sirois

Women in Afghanistan

When Taliban were in power, women were treated like animals and even
worse. In Afghanistan,
women had no importance in Taliban eyes. For those extremists, the fair sex’s
only function was to produce children and to satisfy men’s sexual needs. Women
had almost no rights. The rules they had to follow were very strict. For
example, they couldn’t get out of their own houses without a mahram (man in the
family), they had to wear a Burqa, which covers them from head to toe and they
could not look at strangers. There were about a hundred rules of that kind
imposed to the afghan women. If they disobeyed any of those, they were
seriously punished. They could have been beaten or stoned in a public place.
Women’s situation during the Taliban reign was very hard and inhuman. For those reasons, canadian
involvement in Afghanistan
is absolutely necessary. Now that Taliban are not in power anymore, Canadians
must stay in that country to contain those people. In those circumstances, they
will not get back to power and afghan women will be freer. Indeed, since the
fall of the Taliban regime in 2001,
a glimmer of hope has emerged in the afghan women’s eyes.
Some advances have been made since that event. During the winter of 2004,
a new Constitution was entered into force, proclaiming the
equality between men and women of Afghanistan.
This Constitution gives even some political rights to women. Therefore these
women can continue to defend their rights and their individual freedom.
However, because a lot of people still believe in the tradition that men are
superior to women, the equality and right of women remain unchanged in several
areas. For example, many family crimes committed against women are still not
punished, even though the Constitution has been established in 2004.
Unfortunately, because there is no system in place across the country to
enforce the rules of this document, the majority of the rights and freedoms of women
are not respected. Finally, canadian soldiers must be in Afghanistan
to help the country to recover from the harm done by the Taliban, as well as to
advance the position of women in the afghan society.

References :

“ La situation des femmes afghanes”, on the website Le réseau INTERRE-ACTIF, [online]. [http://www.in-terre-actif.com/53/dossier_la_situation_des_femmes_afghanes] (March 19^th 2011)

“Some of the restrictions imposed by Taliban on women in Afghanistan”, on the website RAWA, [online]. [http://www.rawa.org/rules.htm] (March 19^th 2011)

MACKENZIE, Jean. (October 5^th 2010). On the website global post, [online]. [http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/afghanistan/101004/afghan-womens-rights-taliban]

(March 19^th 2011)

Marie-Joëlle Vandal