Will UBC students step up to the Kandahar plate?

A former CIMIC officer in Afstan makes a modest proposal (via milnews.ca):

It’s midterm time. While most of us are wishing we could be doing anything but studying, there are people in Kandahar dying to go to university—literally.

Tylere Couture can testify. He served in Kandahar as a civil military cooperation officer from February to August, and worked on a project building a wall around Kandahar University to protect those attending the school. Though Couture is back in Canada now, as an education student at UBC, he still feels a need to aid students back in Afghanistan.

“It’s a matter of life and death for a girl to go to university. Anyone can peer into those dorms. Even if they want to go to school, they’re more afraid of becoming targets for Taliban insurgencies,” he said.

Women are not the only ones craving an education. “A new generation of young Afghans who have not grown up in conflict has emerged,” said Couture. “If we can get them a proper education and basic training for public administration, we can get the momentum rolling for development.”

Proper education is important when most of the municipal staff in Kandahar are uneducated. “The mayor, Ghulam Haider Hamedi, doesn’t trust them,” Couture explained. “There’s so much news of corruption in Kandahar. He’d rather have fresh graduates who have the tools and are sincere about building the city from the ground up.”

Unfortunately, Kandahar University lacks the funding, facilities and infrastructure to grant its students quality education. Though it has over 1200 students, security concerns have prevented faculty and students from improving the university—not to mention aid.

“Dr Hazrat Mir Totakhailai, the chancellor, has a vision for his university,” said Couture. “He wants to establish partnerships with other schools in the world, exchange ideas, staff and students, and provide night schooling for adults. The problem is lack of funds and the perception that Kandahar is unsafe.”

Brian Platt, a history major, believes that UBC can be part of the solution. Inspired by Couture’s work in Kandahar, Platt is frustrated that there hasn’t been more discourse about Canada’s role in Afghanistan except from anti-war groups.

“All we hear about is bringing our troops out,” he said. “There isn’t much talk about what we can do to help them develop.”

If Kandahar is looking for partner universities, Platt thinks UBC should step up. “Kandahar is Canada’s place, and UBC’s got an international focus. We need to take advantage of that. It can be as simple as fundraising for school supplies or to just raise awareness and provide moral support. We need to let students there know they have friends here at UBC. There are many levels where this can happen, but first, we must get the word out.”

Couture and Platt hope to bring together anyone interested in helping a society recover from 30 years of constant warfare. They have already organized an event on November 13, in which Couture, along with Dr Tooryalai Wesa, the first chancellor of Kandahar University, and Lauryn Oates, a volunteer for Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, will speak.

“UBC students will show solidarity in Kandahar,” Platt envisions. “We can form a club, get ideas flowing, get enthusiastic faculty and unions involved. It will happen because activism is what students excel in.”

Brian Platt and Tylere Coutoure’s speaker series will be held on November 13, 7pm at the Liu Institute. Entry is free, but small donations are encouraged. All proceeds will go towards buying school supplies for Kandahar. For more info, contact canada.afghanistan@gmail.com

Update: See bp's comment on what Mr Coutoure actually said.