ABOUT A POSSIBLE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA “This is the problem we are facing: clear, terrible and inevitable. Should we put an end to the human race or mankind should instead renounce war?” (Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein, 1955). Almost 60 years have passed but mankind has still not renounced war. As a matter of fact, once again, war is presented as the only option to end a conflict. It is not. We saw with our own eyes in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Libya that wars “for peace” only trigger more violence and in these war torn countries countless civilians die as a result of war. The number of victims of the civil war in Syria will inevitably increase: in today’s military conflicts 90% of victims are always children, women and harmless men. Hundreds of thousands of people have already abandoned Syria and are looking for shelter in nearby countries. Some of them have gone to Sicily, where Emergency’s doctors are guaranteeing first aid care to the refugees who are landing on our coasts. Through the years, we have consistently seen war is the most inhumane and useless option. We ask that Italy rejects the military intervention in Syria and instead demands a diplomatic intervention, the only acceptable option according to international conventions. This is the only solution aimed at starting a peace process that will protect the Syrian population, already victimized by a civil war. Mankind can still decide to renounce war: defending and practicing human rights is the only way to build a peaceful coexistence among populations.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 09:40:05 +0000