"What is it we are doing in Afghanistan?"

This article nicely complements this post of Damian's (via Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs).

After writing last month on why Canada is in Afghanistan, now I'd like to write about what it is we are doing there.

The short answer to why we're there -- in the spirit of Canada's legacy of conflict interventions for altruistic reasons -- is to create a safe and secure environment, restore law and order, develop good governance and assist the Afghan people in rebuilding their state [and, in our national interest--this should have been mentioned, primarily to prevent the Taliban from returning to power and allowing al Qaeda types to re-establish an operational base; and now also to prevent a major defeat of the West by Islamic extremism - MC].

Conflict has devolved to the point that classical peacekeeping is no longer applicable, that classical keeping-the-peace operations have morphed into combat operations to make peace as a necessary adjunct to nation-building and reconstruction.

In Afghanistan, the situation is such that non-governmental organizations such as CARE, the International Red Cross, UNHCR and other aid and humanitarian agencies are not present and the humanitarian work by necessity has to be done by the military.

In the past few months during and since Operation Medusa, the first land combat in NATO's history, Canadians and the Canadian media have been focused on combat by virtue of casualties sustained. In all of this, little coverage has been given to "What are we doing in Afghanistan?" with respect to nation-building and reconstruction.

This little-covered story is quite remarkable. In addition to Canada making an incredible contribution to the security environment, according to the Canadian International Development Agency (www.cida.gc.ca), the federal agency for overseas development, Canada is making an equal contribution to rebuilding Afghanistan through two programs.

The National Solidarity Program (NSP) is "the program for community development, aimed at strengthening community-level governance and reconstruction. The program has enabled rural communities to take charge of meeting their own needs by building roads, wells and schools. It establishes community development councils, elected by the local community, to define needs, make decisions and solve problems on behalf of their communities. It funds projects, selected by the councils, to build infrastructure, provide access to services and otherwise promote community well-being. It promotes accountability and the wise use of public and private resources."

The Canadian International Development Agency, in concert with the Department of National Defence, manages the Canadian contribution of $44 million, a significant portion of the overall $372 million provided by all donors.

The National Solidarity Program has reached more than 11.5 million Afghans; 3,000 schools have been built with a further 4,000 to be built; 18,000 villages have been connected by roads and as a result the Afghan government for the first time ever can now reach out to these areas of the countryside and provide governance.

As well, more than 15,000 villages have elected community development councils that in turn have approved more than 21,000 projects with 8,400 projects completed to date, projects such as rural transportation, safe drinking water and irrigation, schools and rural energy, livelihood skills training and education.

CIDA also reports on the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA).

"(It) is a national microcredit program. This program provides investment funds to a wide range of microfinance institutions that, in turn, provide loans and financial services to the poor and vulnerable of Afghanistan. Poor Afghans face barriers in access to credit and extortionate interest rates. Microfinance overcomes these barriers, by offering loans to those often excluded by the traditional financial sector. Afghanistan's poorest people -- mostly women -- are seizing opportunities previously denied them, through these loans. This program has enabled thousands of people to start new businesses, and buy land, tools and farm animals." Canada is the largest donor in this program, contributing more than $50 million.

MISFA, by enabling Afghans to help themselves, has helped more than 200,000 people, 75 per cent of whom are women, and has had an incredible success rate with more than 98 per cent of the loans being repaid with interest.

What is Canada doing in Afghani stan? Those are but a few examples.

One of the greatest indicators that the situation in Afghanistan is improving concerns those displaced due to the fighting and how Afghans are helping Afghans. In the past, those who became refugees due to Taliban actions, fled to neighbouring Pakistan.

In the past year this has changed. In the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, where the Taliban are killing the most, those who are displaced move into the city of Kandahar and are taken in by fellow Afghans rather than leaving their country -- so sure are they that the situation is improving.

Canada is making a difference in Afghanistan. Through the outstanding selfless and dedicated efforts of our soldiers to restore peace, and through our development aid and assistance, Canada is enabling hundreds of thousands of Afghans to help themselves. Our mission in Afghanistan could not be nobler.

Colonel (retired) Chris Corrigan lives in Carlisle. He is the executive-director of the Royal Canadian Military Institute (www.rcmi.org), was contingent commander of Canadian Forces in Bosnia in 2001, and last week was part of a group of defence analysts and academics who met with Mohammad Ehsan Zia, minister of rural rehabilitation and development for the government of Afghanistan.