Creating peace in a time of war

The recent attacks occurring in various parts of the world have led us to a pivotal point in history. There is an international crisis, a humanitarian crisis. President Barack Obama spoke of the implications of this event, saying, "This is an attack not just on Paris. It's an attack not just on the people of France. But this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share." At this moment, there is no time for discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity or anything previously determined by society. This is the time to band together and recognize that there is evil in this world, but that does not mean we should fight it with evil.

We are humans, superior to anything on Earth so far because of our incredible mind. So then why are we not using it? We continue to believe blowing things up and killing millions of people will solve our problems when our solutions are the real issue. We need diplomacy. We need leadership. We need cooperation, collaboration, teamwork. We need to stop dividing ourselves into categories of social classes, race, and religions and start being tolerant of how others live their lives. You are in this life alone, but all humans are in it together. It does not need to be a competition; we do not need countries overtaking others and exploiting their resources. This gets us nowhere as a human race and incites conflict with no resolution in sight.

The attacks in Paris and Beirut seemed to ignite compassion in people around the world, but this is not enough. We need peace, not war. Many people wanted revenge on Daesh for its action, and they have gotten their wish; France bombed the Syrian city of Raqqa and destroyed two targets. The problem is that Daesh thrives off creating terror and chaos, death and destruction. So tell me how creating even more terror and declaring war on Daesh will do anything but give them what they want? Granted we may be successful in dissolving them, but how many more innocent people will die making that a reality?

Peace is and always will be the best option. It does not make a country look weak, and it does not mean we are surrendering; it simply means we will not kill and create fear for anyone else anymore. This being said, I wholeheartedly believe the next step for the current situation is to not continue to bomb Raqqa or other cities. I understand France is acting out in self-defense, but is that really all it takes for everyone to be OK about harming another human being? Declaring war on Daesh will be beneficial to no one and harmful to everyone.

In order for peace to happen, it needs to be created. Peace cannot be a reality without the effort of everyone coming together and making it happen. If the United States leads by example and attempts to find a peaceful resolution, who knows how many other countries will follow suit? We need to look beyond skin color, religious preference and culture, and look at the bigger picture. We are all one race -- the human race. We have to start acting like it.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FOR THE ODYSSEY