ABOUT US!

Dear followers, we’re a group of four girls who would like to inform you about Afghanistan’s situation. Of course, the main topic of our blog will be the Canadians’ involvement in this country in need. We are for the involvement of our soldiers there because we think that their work in this devastated country is a necessity and we are proud of them and what they’re doing there. We’re doing this blog because we want you guys to know a little more about Afghans’ situation and what’s going on there. This project started by the reading of ̋A Thousand Splendid Suns ˝ which is written by Khaled Hosseini. This book made us realised how bad is the situation in Afghanistan. So, those are the reasons why we’d like to share our knowledge with you. We actually think that you’re misinformed and that you should read our blog to learn more.

Why Canada's in Afghanistan?

A lot of people think that the Canada is involved in Afghanistan only because the United States are there too. Actually, the Canada is there to help to population. The Canadian soldiers have six priorities and three major projects. Indeed, they want to make sure that, when they will return in Canada, the population will be protected from the Taliban. Also, they are there to provide the basic services like education, health, roads and potable water. Actually, their three projects are in link with the basic services. The reparation of the Dahla Dam, the construction of 50 schools and the polio eradication are the three projects. Moreover, they want the government to be able to assist the vulnerable people. They are also trying to facilitate the dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also, the Canadian soldiers want to establish a democratic system without any corruptions. Finally, their sixth priority is to help the population to reconcialiate with each other because there are a lot of discrimination about the people’s origine. So, we think that Canadian soldiers have good reasons to be in Afghanistan.

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA. The website of the Canada’s Engagement in Afghanistan, [Online]. [http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-  afghanistan/priorities-priorites/index.aspx] ( 18 March 2011 )

WEINBERG, Paul. The website of Global Research, [Online]. [http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=891]

( 18 March 2011 )

ALLISON, Lynda. The website of  suite 101, [Online]. [http://www.suite101.com/content/canadas-commitment-to-rebuild-afghanistan-a161709] ( 18 March 2011 )

Afghanistan+Canda = Hope

Canada helps the Government of Afghanistan in many ways. They have many priorities for helping this country. First, Canadians are there to teach the Afghan Police and the Afghan Army how to be able to maintain laws and order in their own country. At the same, the Canadians Army works as support to keep peace. Also, Canada provides jobs, education and essentials things, like water and medical services. After that, Canadians can make adequate assistance to people that need help. Finally, an other prioritys for the Canada is to get more security at Afghanistan-Pakistan border. They are facilitating discussions from the two sides of this border, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. As well, Canada contributes for a political reconciliation to reduce revolts and to bring up peace. To help national institutions, Canadians supplies financial and technical support for the elections process. Also, the Canadian Government helps them to pay for things that are essentials but they can't afford. Before all the help of the Canadians, the country of Afghanistan was more in trouble than now. If Canada had never helped Afghanistan, this country could not get a better quality of life.

 

 GOVERNEMENT OF CANADA. Training and Mentoring the Afghan National Security Forces, [en ligne].[http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/priorities-priorites/secure.aspx] ( March 21^st 2011)

RADIO-CANADA. L’aide au développement réduite de moitié, [en ligne].[http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/International/2010/11/17/002-reduction-aide-afghanistan.shtml] (March 21^st  2011)

NATIONAL POST. Canada joins U.S  call for help in Afghanistan, [en ligne].[http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1326897] (March 21^st 2011)

The Situation of Afghan Women

As you know, Afghan’ women don’t have the same rights as we have in canada. In the last years, girls have been forbidden to go to school and women to have a job. So, a lot of girls didn’t know how to read and write. Canadians are now in Afghanistan to help the women’s situation by improving their status through this war by giving them the right to have a good education and more. Our soldiers have been in this country for approximately ten years. Since the first year, they’ve tried their best to help the women and girls. With all their efforts, they reached their goal by improving their access to services and opportunities such as having a job and being able to go to school which was unthinkable 10 years ago. A lot of the women will be teachers because they are needed a lot to teach the girls.  Also, to complete the fact that women’s situation isn’t good, 60% to 80% of Afghans’ marriages are forced and the wife is only a child. They really need help from all the people they can find because they are not at all respected. Canadians are there, and will help them as long as Afghans will need them.

MORGAN, Clara.  ̋Afghanistan: the statues of women ˝, Library of Parliament. [Online].  [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0734-e.htm] (March 20^th, 2011)

GOUVERNMENT OF CANADA.  ̋ Canada’s support to Afghan women and girls ˝, Canada’s Engagement in Afghanistan. [Online]. [http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/news-nouvelles/2009/2009_04_04.aspx] (March 20^th, 2011)

Dignity, Education and Children

During the Taliban’s reign, education in Afghanistan has been greatly affected. For this period of time where the sharia (sacred Islamic law) was at its strongest, the percentage of girls of the one million students was 0%. The percentage of female teachers was also of 0%. Now 38% of the students and 30% of the teachers are females. Despite this, Afghanistan has one of the highest rate of illiteracy and the lowest rates of education. In Kandahar, where Canadians soldiers are operating, only 5% of women and 22% of men are literate. Half schools of the south of the country are closed due to security issues and a lack of teachers. After a request from the Afghan government, Canadians took the leadership of the education in Afghanistan. They first had to make the city of Kandahar a safe place for students and teachers. Now, Canada supports teacher’s training through a program called EQUIP who trains future teachers and builds schools. Their main project is to build and rehabilitate 50 schools in strategic districts of Kandahar. Once this is done, over 47,000 will enjoy these schools, over 16,000 of whom are girls. Besides, the program doesn’t just involve children. There are also measures so increase teacher’s salaries. Moreover, Canada is also supporting programmes for adult illiteracy and vocational training across the country. Also, Canadians soldiers working with Afghans forces are teaching them to read, write and perform basic medicine in anticipation of the Afghan soldiers training mission. This shows how Canada is not just educating children and teens, but they try to restore the people’s dignity by giving them resources to take the lead of their own country. After all the fear and the horrors they lived, it’s the least we can do.

AZAMI, Dawood. Afghan Taliban ‘end’ opposition to educating girls, [Online]. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12188517] (March 19^th, 2011)

ROBINSON, Lucas. Education in Afghanistan, [Online]. [http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/multimedia/trans_2009_01_29.aspx?lang=eng] (March 19^th, 2011)

GEREIN, Keith. New role includes teaching literacy, MacKay reveals details on Afghan training,  [Online]. [http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/role+includes+teaching+literacy/4461350/story.html] (March 20^th, 2011)

The Health Before Anything

In Afghanistan, when the Taliban controled the country, the health system was one of the worst in the world. Indeed, the Afghans had to deal with a lot of acute respiratory illnesses, diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition that were killing and weakening the children and the adults. This is why only 75% of the children reached their fifth birthday. The services for women were so bad that, when they needed a caesarian to  deliver a baby, they had to do it without anesthetic because they did not have any. Moreover, another problem in their health was the mental diseases. A lot of the people there suffered of this kind of disease because they were always exposed to some violent conflicts. By example, the families’nang (honor) was so important for the men that it pushed them to be violent to their wives. These problems were due to the lack of services, the inadequate equipment and to the Taliban’s horrible system. Now, since the Canada and others countries are involved, a lot of things changed. The Canada and the World Health Organization ,launched an immunization campaign in which more than 15,000 vaccinators, health workers and volunteers went to Afghanistan to help the population. A lot of vaccines were given, especially to eradicate the polio virus, because a lot of children are touched by this. Also, the Canada helped to deliver basic services like health in the country. Now, 66 percent of the population can receive health-care services within 2 hours which is 9 percent more than in 2000. Moreover, the mortality’s number, especially for children, has been reduced since his arrival. Finally, the Canada trained more than 1450 health workers. So, we can say that the Canada really helped the Afghanistan and we are sure that he will continue if he stays there.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. The website of the world health Organization, [Online]. [www.who.int/disasters/repo/7543.doc] ( 18 March 2011)

BLOOD, Peter. The website of Country studies, [Online]. [http://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/79.htm] ( 18 March 2011)

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA. The website of the Canada’s Engagement in Afghanistan, [Online]. [http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/news-nouvelles/2010/2010_11_16d.aspx?lang=eng] (18 March 2011)