2007 FIRST PLACE

THE CREATIVE SOLUTION
Benjamin Amodeo
15 years old, New York

What is peace? Peace is the solution to the age old problem of competition. As long as we will exist, we will compete. There is, however, no mention of war and murder in the definition of competition. Competition must instead be treated creatively, and a creative solution to violent competition is what will bring us peace.

As Deepak Chopra said about the conflict in Iraq, "The question is not 'Can we win?'" Instead, he asks, "Can we find a creative solution?" Fighting the war until we win will make things no more peaceful, nor will it set an appropriate precedent. Peace will come from accepting our differences, learning from history, and finding the creative solutions to our problems. To fight a war is to be ignorant--ignorant of the world around oneself and ignorant of the views of others.

If we must compete, let it be intellectually. Imagine a world in which all war ever amounted to was an argument over which country had more creative engineers, artists or teachers. This world can exist, and it can do so with a simple shift of our paradigm, from an old, violent one to a new, intellectual one. If our militants could look at themselves more critically and realize how primal war fighting really is, they would certainly come around.

Peace comes not with war victories, but with knowledge and intellect. Dominance comes not with the possession of territory but with outsmarting a friendly opponent. To fight wars is to be ignorant and to fail to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. Are the hundreds of wars fought in vain and the millions of people dead not evidence enough that we shall resolve no conflicts with violence? Today, we have the technology, intelligence, and competence to distribute the resources that were once quarreled over.

We must encourage peaceful and intelligent competition, as well as international cooperation if we are ever to have peace. Competition will never end, and it has existed since the beginning of time. Often, it has been the very thing that kept us going through extraordinary hardship. We must find a channel for our competitiveness, which will not only induce peace but a better standard of living for all. If we must be physically competitive, let it be in the Olympic stadium.

To some, war is all they know. It has been going on in their country for centuries. It is apparently impossible for others to notice that these countries also suffer from immense poverty, frequent civil war, and constant instability. Right in front of us are the results of war--in our newspapers, history books, and on our television screens. Why do we keep fighting wars? We love the thrill of the fight, the instinctive hunt for a common enemy, and the synthetic glory. War is easier sold to an angry nation than is being creative. We can stop war and bring peace by making a choice between what is clever and what is convenient.