Throughout human history, new technologies have revolutionized warfare, often leaving marginalized populations to bear the brunt of their destructive power. But few inventions have led to the kind of faceless slaughter we are witnessing in the era of drone warfare.

It is deeply personal to us, as people who have witnessed the horrors of a war fought from the safety of an office thousands of miles away. Innocent civilians, including children, are mercilessly killed by remote-controlled drones. It is common for these individuals to be unaware of their impending doom until it is too late, denying them even the chance to surrender or escape.

Amnesty International's report in 2013 documented the effects of drone strikes in Pakistan, stating they have resulted in vast numbers of civilian casualties, with the total estimated to be sometimes as high as 900 since 2004. The same report detailed instances of double-strikes, a particularly chilling tactic where a second drone strike targets those attempting to help victims of a first.

Making the use of drones in warfare a war crime will not only protect innocent lives but will also reinstate some measure of justice and humanity in warfare. This is not an impossible task, in 1998, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It's high time this definition expanded to the horrors of drone warfare.

This is a call to take action, to demand international authorities to categorize the use of drones in warfare as a crime against humanity. Please sign this petition to call for an end to impunity for such inhumane acts. Let's put a stop to drone warfare and protect innocent lives from senseless slaughter. Every signature counts toward making a difference.