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The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume II - 2010 Sobha Spielmann bloodshed. Essential also in their eventual success was that their own side did not overreach and that they relied on the fact that the state did not over-react either. Conditions for a Culture of Peace The road to non-violence and peace is arduous, even uphill, and one must strike all that engages in this topic. Conflict and war are rife in our modern world; in all too many countries and continents violence and terrorism persist. The fact that promotion of peace and non-violence is not a simple task is probably best illustrated by the fact that the much invoked Culture of Peace at the focus of the UNESCO’s International Decade for the Culture of Peace propagated at the global scale was in fact witness to many a major conflict. Of those several persisted until well into the Decade’s final year (2010) and though the World March for Peace and Non-violence reached its destination early in 2010, it did not accomplish its goals, not by a far cry. Neither did it achieve its lofty targets hoped for during the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001 to 2010). We must then contemplate limitations of such a global approach and accept: non-violence and peace actually must start at much less grandiose dimensions and take off from a more modest level, at home, with the individual and their respective families. These must be provided with clear values and virtues as well as with suitable ‘tools’ capable of fostering communication, cooperation and compromise to develop on their own a spirit of consensus and solidarity with their fellow man and citizen. Only on such a firm foundation can non-violence and peace eventually thrive in the entire country. On such a firm basis could we then dare thinking about building a non-violent and peaceful world? Whilst reviewing the Thai world view and family values and gauging its relative strengths and weaknesses, its resilience in the face of the new challenges that lie ahead, we ought to observe how Thai individuals socialize and how they mature, in addition to examining the formation of their specific personalities. Additionally, in the midst of a rapid transformation, pertinent recent socio-economic and cultural changes, and their impact on Thai individuals (and society) need to be assessed as well. A great many such challenges, overwhelming influences and vital catalysts generate and/or affect such change. To arrive at a culture of peace and non-violence, however, loyalty to their community and solidarity with others on the part of individuals must not be limited to family members or include just a few close friends and associates. For communal spirit to thrive, the vast majority needs to be included in order that society enjoy