Never stop an attempt to communicate. Without communication, there can be no understanding (Joel S. Ferrer, Filipino).

Enhance mutual understanding. We need to believe that everything can be solved in a peaceful way. We should try to talk to each other before doing anything violent (Pooky, Thai).

I would say that the first step to peace is to communicate with each other. We need to know each other; what are the ideas, traditions and religions of different peoples? Then, we can know why people act in the way they act. In this big world, maybe we will never know who is right or wrong. I suggest that we adopt cultural exchange programs and watch documentaries and other programs about other people. In my university, there are lots of Asians who study the religion, language and culture of Arab people. My university has a program called ?anguage partner.?n Arab student makes a friend with a different nationality, shows his/her friend the university and the town, and gives answers to what his/her partner asks. They talk in English, and each teaches the other their language. I think that it is a great way to shorten the distance between people from different cultures. Also, use the Internet and television and all communication devices to better communicate (Diana Siam, Jordanian).

Put yourself in others' shoes

Put yourself in others?shoes. Put yourself behind. Try to take one step closer to each other. Do not hurt others mentally or physically. Nothing peaceful comes out of hatred (Hongo Hiromi, Japanese).

Guarantee the equal right to be heard

Peace is the state of maintaining the equal right for everybody? voice to be heard. We live in a big world, and there are many different kinds of people. Suppose that there are one hundred people in a big hall. Those people have a presentation session today. Twenty people are speakers and eighty people are in the audience. Some of the speakers are celebrities, who have power and wealth. Others are just ordinary people. When the celebrities speak, most people pay attention to their speech. On the other hand, when the ordinary people speak, nobody listens, which makes them frustrated, irritated and even angry. After the session is done, the ordinary people find out that their opinions are simply ignored, while the celebrities' opinions are mostly accepted.

What do you think about this situation? This situation actually happens around us. Look at our world. Who are the audience? Who are the celebrities? Who are the ordinary people? We see that only a few countries dominate the world with their exclusive power and wealth to dominate mass media. To make a peaceful world, we have to recognize that the world does not belong only to a few powerful countries. We cannot achieve peace until we listen to the diverse voices of less powerful and poorer countries. We should be the audience who are ready to listen to the weak as well as the strong (Yoon Ji-young, Korean).

Be responsible for the past

We should be responsible for the past and overcome conflicts over history. The leaders of Japan should admit what the Japanese government did during World War II. They should apologize to the countries Japan invaded during that period. The younger generation of Japan should be taught history that is responsible and not distorted for militaristic purposes. Then the other Asian countries can forgive Japan. It does not mean that they will forget the history, but forgiving is a necessary step toward reconciliation (Tracy Peng, Chinese).

Do not put pressure on others

Develop a system for giving everyone the right to live without any unnecessary pressure imposed by external forces of domination. An attempt to dominate others often triggers off a conflict. In my opinion, this is an important factor for many conflicts in Asia, such as the Jammu and Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, the conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka government, the conflict between Maoists and the Nepal government, and the conflict between North Korea and the United States.

Economic dependency is one of the major causes of unnecessary pressure on countries under the poverty line. The influence of external economic power often restricts political freedom in the poverty-stricken countries. Some rich countries use unnecessary political intervention in the poor countries in return for economic aid. This unequal relationship influences the poor countries' hostility toward the rich countries. Under this condition, people in the poor countries are likely to mobilize and pick up weapons against the rich countries in the name of keeping the freedom of their country. Such resistance groups increase instability in the future. Hezbollah and Hammas are good examples. We need to think about why those groups become popular (Krishna Lamsal, Nepalese).

Educate and promote the culture of peace

The first step to peace is to understand cultural differences and respect the differences. This can be achieved through education and information dissemination as well as building a culture of peace among the youth. We need to understand that most wars are not just religious and cultural, but also political. The biggest obstacle to peace is the stereotype of a certain race or people as being terrorists on the basis of differences in religious and social practices. Such stereotypes can be overcome through education (Cheryl Chua - Dann, Filipina).

Education is one of the most effective instruments of action for peace. Education for peace must make humanity abandon the idea that culture, ideology, or ways of thinking can be imposed on others through violence or by force. It should include the promotion of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people throughout the world. It is important that education take deliberate and conscious steps to dissolve all forms of destructive conflict (Deborah G.C. Tambunan, Indonesian).