Canada is spending as much as $174 million per month in Afghanistan.

The mission, who involves 2,500 troops in the Kandahar region, has already cost more than $9.1 billion.

This money could be put to better use. Here are some suggestions:

• It could create 36.000 jobs.
• It could create a national childcare program, with money left over for housing, health care, education etc.
• $2.5-billion will create 30,000 to 50,000 housing units across the country. This would go a long way to ending homeless, and would create a number of jobs.

The Canadian Peace Alliance and the Collectif Échec à la guerre are calling for pan-Canadian demonstrations on April 4 to demand an end to the NATO-led occupation that has already killed thousands of Afghan civilians and threatens to bring war to the entire region. CUPW is supporting this call.

Real security and prosperity will only be possible in Afghanistan when Western governments end their support for NATO’s war. NATO members must be accountable to their own populations, and not to NATO generals.

Information on the demonstrations is available at www.echecalaguerre.org and www.acp-cpa.ca

On April 4^th, Tell Harper to Spend Money on Jobs, Childcare, Housing and Other Services Not War.