Media Release: We Believe God Desires Peace in their Land as in Ours

We Believe God Desires Peace in their Land as in Ours

The Manley Report, sadly, has missed the opportunity to guide Canada towards a truly constructive role in securing a long term sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

The Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan, known as the Manley Panel, accepts the premise that Canada’s role in counter-insurgency combat is key to global and Canadian security. They recommend that this approach be sustained in Kandahar by, initially, supplementing Canadian Forces with another battle group (1,000 troops) from a NATO/ISAF ally, and ultimately transferring that counter-insurgency fighting to the Afghan National Army once adequately trained.

While mentioning the need for diplomacy and reconciliation in the body of the Report, the Panel members fail to recommend that Canadian diplomatic support be focused on assisting Afghans and the international community in building a comprehensive peace negotiation that includes those elements of Afghan society that were excluded from the Bonn Compact. Canada, with its NATO/ISAF partners, is a party to a civil war in supporting one side in an internal conflict that precedes 9/11. A way must be found for the largely excluded Pashtun from the south and east of the country to join the political process. We believe that a comprehensive peace building, reconciliation and diplomatic approach offers the best hope for peace in Afghanistan, including the Kandahar region.

The Canadian Council of Churches is the largest ecumenical body in Canada, now representing 21 churches of Anglican, Evangelical, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions.