Despite our diverse perspectives on societal, ethical, philosophical, and geographical issues, we recognize the freedom, value, and respect to which all of the world’s individuals are entitled. The pursuit of peaceful and non-violent strategies to resolve the world’s most dire conflicts, which often result in genocide, war, and autocracy, is paramount for human coexistence and progress. Preemptive war, unilateral conflict, arms proliferation, terrorism, and indiscriminate use of force all threaten the common bonds of humanity that we share.

While humanists generally do not take a “peace at any cost” view, we do recognize that just wars have been extraordinarily rare in human history.  And for every victory won by violent acts, many more failures exist. Humanists recognize that peaceful solutions are almost always the only lasting positive solutions open to us as we address societal problems.

The AHA believes that cultural exchange, cooperation, peaceful conflict resolution, and diplomacy through multilateral institutions, such as the United Nations, are the most appropriate ways to respect human rights and make the world a safer place for all of its inhabitants. Accordingly, the United States should abide by and help enforce international law and push other countries to strengthen the rule of law in their own societies. Furthermore, peace — not war — and respect for international law are the best forces in international and national policy to positively impact humanity.