Yes, I do. I'll keep them brief.
Thanks very much, colleagues, for an opportunity to talk to you about some of the progress that I witnessed first-hand in Afghanistan. As we know, Canada is part of an evolving mission, and as they say, Rome was not built in a day. After 30 years of conflict, tyranny, and oppression, societal structures that we enjoy here in Canada are still in the very early stages of development.
That said, the strides made in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban have been immense. Things that we take for granted in Canada, such as a school system, or health care system, or even a banking system, are things that were virtually non-existent under the Taliban.
One of the most striking meetings I had, which clearly demonstrated to me the evolution of institution building, was at the headquarters of our micro-finance facility. I met with Afghanistan's minister of women's affairs, who arranged for me to meet with a number of women who are beneficiaries of our micro-finance programs. As you know, Canada is the lead donor of this amazingly successful program. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been granted small loans to start small businesses or make other investments in their future. They take great pride in owning their own business and having some small control over their own future.
Canada's micro-finance programs are building a lasting legacy of entrepreneurship that sows the seed of individual independence. In another meeting I had with teachers and children at the Aschiana School, I saw the school was teaching children the trades, fine art, history, and Afghan culture. More importantly, girls were going to school, and I presented a girl's gym class with a personal gift of soccer balls.
Canada not only supports education and training, but also meals and medical attention, which is literally turning their lives around.The presence of Canada and our international allies is giving these children and their families a future they otherwise would not have had.
Mr. Chair, beyond the hundreds of millions of dollars that Canada is spending on reconstruction, development, and poverty reduction in Afghanistan, perhaps the most important thing we are doing is making sure that the solutions created withstand the test of time. Institution building is central to this, because these improvements have to be guided by and owned by the Afghan people, both nationally and locally, and they are. We must never forget that we are in Afghanistan at the request of the Afghan government and we must remember that it is not our place to command the pace or the way of Afghan development.
For example, under the national solidarity program, local village councils spend development funds and oversee the projects in their communities. This way of operating is important, because it respects Afghan choices and underlines the fact that the international community is there to help Afghans help themselves, and not to impose someone else's plans.
Let me say in closing that what I experienced there and what I saw gave me greater hope for the future, and I look forward to sharing some of the incredible stories that some incredibly brave women shared with me.