Social Work Caucus Chair Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) Photo courtesy of Salon.com.

Congressional Social Work Caucus Chair Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said in this Salon interview that the United States should exhaust all diplomatic avenues before resorting to use of armed force to quell a civil war in Syria.

President Obama has asked Congress this week to weigh in on whether the United States should do airstrikes to stop the killing of civilians with  chemicals and other weapons.

“As I’ve always said, I’m not a pacifist,” Lee told Salon. “But the use of force at this point would create more havoc, more violence, more death.”

Social workers are often involved in international affairs, including getting assistance for refugees and providing disaster relief. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ International Social Work webpage.