Progress in sub-national reconciliation will require a stable national context if these gains are to be sustainable. To end this civil war in Afghanistan, Canada should commit itself to advancing a diplomacy surge that has the political energy and financial resources of the military surge.
What is true of local and regional reconciliation is also true of creating a national cessation of hostilities in a new political environment and social framework in Afghanistan. It's complex, multi-level, and will take a lot of time. As some have put it, the peace process in Kabul runs through Islamabad and New Delhi. There are other neighbours who must play a role in finding peace, along with the United States and other ISAF members, including Canada.
In our view, the national peace process must be led once again by Afghans, but not necessarily the current Afghan government. It has been drawn into an entrenched civil war along with supporting international forces. The government of Afghanistan must be part of reconciliation efforts, but not necessarily the manager or custodian of this process. Part of the responsibility of the international community, of which Canada is an integral part, is to work with Afghans in and beyond the government to develop a trusted process through which reconciliation and negotiation efforts can take flight.
Current attempts to induce individual insurgents to switch sides have largely failed. The reasons speak to misjudging their primary motivation for fighting under the Taliban or other insurgent groups, and the resulting lack of attraction for what is on offer. The goal of national negotiations ought to be the creation of an inclusive political order in Afghanistan. It must include the Taliban and other insurgents and address the legitimate fears that a new political order will compromise the hard-won expansion of civil and other human rights in Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women.
We recognize that Canada cannot be the sole or primary international actor in this diplomatic surge, but it could play a decisive role in persuading the international community, particularly its close allies, to work for a political settlement. To this end, we would recommend that Canada appoint a special envoy on Afghanistan, with adequate staffing and financial support as well as the trust of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of National Defence.
Finally, we have a comment on Prime Minister Harper's recent announcement, reinforced by other ministers, that Canada will continue to field up to 1,000 Canadian forces in Afghanistan after July 2011 to carry out a training mission through 2014. The member churches have not had a chance to consult internally, and Mike and I do not want to speculate on what the churches might want to say collectively. What we would like to do is take the principles articulated in the December 2009 brief from the Canadian Council of Churches and apply them to this emerging situation.
Let's ask some questions. Will continued training and equipping of the Afghan National Army and police bring us closer to the goal of a negotiated, sustainable, inclusive peace in Afghanistan? The answer isn't immediately apparent. Better trained Afghan military and police personnel could extend the services and legitimacy of the national government to local areas where insurgent fighting is light or non-existent. Elsewhere, to simply substitute Afghan troops for ISAF troops presents no gains for a political resolution of this civil war. With this continuing and expensive military commitment in Afghanistan, will Canada also increase its diplomatic activity to support a negotiation surge, as well as increase development and other forms of assistance to address local governance and development needs? If we do not, then we continue to play a role in sustaining the current military stalemate, while missing the opportunity to support the war's conclusion.
Thank you once again on behalf of the council and on behalf of Mike and me for this opportunity to be here. We look forward to your questions.