Congress of the Humanities - Afghanistan and Canada: Is There an Alternative to the War?
By Kim Elliott | June 28, 2009

At the 2009 Congress of the Humanities, Carleton University's International Policy Forum presented a panel discussion to promote the launch of "Afghanistan and Canada: Is there an Alternative to the War?".

Speakers:
Lucia Kowaluk - co-editor of the book, grassroots community organizer and former coordinator of Montreal's Urban Ecology Centre
Steve Staples - co-editor of the book, Director of the Rideau Institute, defence and public-policy researcher
Stephen Cornish - contributor to the book, Policy & Advocacy Advisor for CARE Canada

Introduction by Loren Hunter - Director of the International Policy Forum, Carleton University

From Black Rose Books:
For over six years, thousands upon thousands of troops have been in Afghanistan fighting a seemingly endless war. Billions of dollars of foreign aid have been poured into the country. Thousands of military and civilian causalities are the tragic human cost. International observers report that corruption is rampant, and the opium trade flourishes. A new Taliban insurgency is active.

Washington has lined-up its junior partners to hold down Afghanistan, especially since 9/11 while the Americans devote their main energies to keeping Iraq from falling apart.

In Canada, meanwhile, an unprecedented public concern has emerged, shown with every opinion poll which shows a majority of Canadians want to end Canada's currently defined military involvement in Afghanistan. In Quebec, the public demand for immediate withdrawal is highest and very visible.

Afghanistan and Canada brings together some of the most articulate and expert persons on this hot public issue. The contents lucidly review the facts about what is going on in this war-torn country. The changes brought about in both Canadian foreign policy and defense policy by the current Conservative government are critically examined. The impact of a massively increased military budget of billions of dollars and the corporate contracts changing Canada's domestic and international priorities are analyzed. The massively advertised military recruitment campaign and the changed role of the Canadian armed forces are shown to have a distorting effect on society. These and related issues are brought to light in this cogently edited anthology.

Contributors to this major book include these distinguished persons: Michael Neuman, Murray Dobbin, D'Abord Solidaires, John W.Warnock, Tariq Ali, Echec a la Guerre, Stephen Cornish, Linda McQuaig, Ira Basen, Ligue des droits et libertes, Richard Preston, Cheshmak Farhoumand-Sims, Asad Ismi, Rose Marie Whalley, John Foster, A.Walter Dorn, Pierre Beaudet, Claude Castonguay, Richard Preston, Peggy Mason, Lucia Kowaluk and Steven Staples.

Artist: Kim Elliott
Title: Afghanistan and Canada: Is There an Alternative to the War?
Album: Needs No Introduction
Genre: Panel Discussion
Year: 2009
Length: 35:31 minutes (32.55 MB)
Format: Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

You can listen to this here:

http://www.rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/needs-no-introduction/2009/06/congress-humanities-afghanistan-and-canada-there-altern