A global citizen is someone who identifies with being part of an emerging world community and whose actions contribute to building this community’s values and practices. Are you aware about how many global issues are out there? Anyway, just to mention some here is the list: war and conflicts, terrorism, pollution, diseases, and the list goes on. As an inspired global citizen, anyone can champion the change for some of these global issues. My call and focus of my article would be to champion the end of war and conflicts. Because as we all know, the impacts of war are so unbearable and enormous not only to the parts involved, but also to our lovely globe in general.

War is a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state. One example of war is the one going on between Gaza and Israel. That war all started because of the death of three boys. They were kidnapped and killed. They believe Hamas killed them so they started launching air strikes into Gaza. People from Gaza started launching missiles in response, and that’s how the war started. As with all wars, the war of Gaza is being measured by its dead. Nearly, 1,800 Palestinians have died in this latest war in Gaza. 1,800 is a LOT of people! 400 of them were children (although by now the numbers are a bit higher). War has very brutal effects on people. The injuries from war are not scrapes and bruises! These are serious, life altering injuries, including amputations, the loss of eyes, and brain damage! One injured child was a 14-year-old girl who was crying out in pain from a seriously infected leg. This wouldn’t have happened to the girl if there were no war going on between Gaza and Israel!

My wish is that Gaza and Israel, and any countries in conflict, seek to learn to solve their conflicts without violence. Teachers and parents have always said that violence is never the answer, so these countries should really try to solve their answers in a mature way. I also hope that aids all over the globe will do whatever they can to help those who desperately need help. Hopefully war will end soon and we can have a more peaceful world.

Venus Wambura