We, members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA), stand in solidarity with colleagues working in schools, academia, cultural organizations, archives, and the libraries in Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned about the threats to the safety and security of our colleagues, with particular concern for girls, women, and ethnic, religious, and sectarian minorities.
Teachers/instructors/professors, cultural workers, artists, librarians, and archivists in Afghanistan are leaders and role models who facilitate knowledge building and mobilization and engaged citizenship—both locally and globally, and who are integral to the wellbeing of society.
We call on Canadian and world leaders to collaborate globally to promote the professional and human rights of teachers/instructors/professors, cultural workers, artists, librarians, and archivists in Afghanistan. They offer trusted expertise and knowledge and preserve the history and culture of a people. Access to knowledge and information should be a fundamental human right.