The alarming and tragic events in Afghanistan over the past several decades and recent days deserve our attention and support. As thousands of people flee the country in fear of their safety, we stand firmly on the side of human rights and basic freedoms.
Women of all ages have a right to seek an education and career. Reporters and news organizations have a right to authentically cover and report on events without fear of retribution. People have a right to protest on any grounds at any time, no matter how inconvenient for a government or the international community.
As events continue to evolve in Afghanistan, the context that led to this point cannot be ignored, and the various empires and colonial powers of the world who have played a role in weaving the complex Afghan tapestry must now support the rights of Afghan citizens in any way possible and do all they can to ensure a catastrophic and bloody civil war does not ensue.
As Carleton’s student union, we are pushing Carleton to ensure the safety of Carleton Afghan students and will advocate federally for student visa pathways to remain open into the future, so more Afghan students may enrol.
Education is a right, and a more educated citizenry can question their surroundings, mechanisms of power, and is more driven to strategically pursue a just society.
Our voice may be small on the world stage, but as a watchdog routinely serving as a check on our University and jurisdictional governments, we feel an empathy with the protesters in Afghanistan who are demanding basic human rights regardless of who is in power.
CUSA would like to extend its full hearted support for human rights in Afghanistan and calls on those in positions of power to continue supporting those who are taking steps to gain and safeguard these rights. We know we will be using our positions of power to advocate for strategies supporting human rights in Afghanistan.