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The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume II - 2010 Sobha Spielmann 23 all stakeholders. Examples of such dialogue activity may include mutual information, open discussion, coordination of their actions, and exchanges of opinions, consultation and negotiation. Initially, so as to avoid confrontation, issues discussed ought to be less divisive, political or ‘explosive’ and where consensus is inherent, e.g. the issues surrounding public parks, pollution. • Promoting Community Action Non-violence or peace, in some ways, cannot be taught but the conditions and the framework that make it possible and/or sustainable can be transmitted to the people concerned. Non-violence and peace are becoming attractive and worth investing in or defending, when everyone feels they have a stake in the current situation and something to loose should it be disturbed. In order to enhance community spirit and pride as well as to transmit a sense of belonging to something greater, these ideas ought to be shared with a great many others when planning, performing or watching joint activities of mutual interest. Within a great many communities scores of Government agencies, NGOs, companies, and the like are already conducting many such activities. However commonly these are disjointed, uncoordinated efforts, not performed at the same time, and without the participants being aware of being part of a communal, provincial or national effort. This is very much the case with the Father’s, Mother’s or Children’s Day celebrations, which are not repeated throughout the year to highlight more mundane yet positive purposes or local concerns, such as joint projects to clean up a canal, river, or community, planting trees or competitions in sport or entertainment, at a communal or provincial basis – but, preferably, not organized as usual from the top by authorities or commercial sponsors but by ‘the people’ themselves. For example a few schools could come together, and have a brainstorming session to come up with a topic and a plan, as well as a prospective date and location and to then take these up with authorities, NGOs and the private sector. Media should be invited to announce and to cover such events. By jointly taking community action, solidarity and a group spirit and pride is enhanced. The prime purpose – apart from just having fun – is a hope to garner a commitment, at a personal, as well as a group level, to engage and practice a basic yet effective level of solidarity and cohesion in a community. The benefits of raising the communal spirit can be major. In a similar spirit, sports and entertainment games between competing communities or provinces could be arranged and pairings could reflect the diversity of the country bringing together disparate communities and regions. All this could