Peace through dialogue.

The paper investigates some major steps for achieving peace through a better knowledge of ourselves and of our neighbors. For a positive dialogue with people of other cultures and civilizations, we have to start listening to each other, never speak about past misdeeds, respect others' opinions, tolerate differences without contrasting values unnecessarily. This leads to a better understanding of others, for it is very important to understand cultures without stereotypical misuses of history, and we need attitudes toward real reconciliation through a forgiveness not disconnected from truth and justice.

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Peace is a field of general interest. We all are interested in peace because, as the classics have said, pax optima rerum. But to love peace is not enough. To achieve it we have to know what we people can do to make it possible: to deepen our knowledge of ourselves, of our neighbours, and of other cultures and, consequently, to look for a better dialogue among people of other civilizations. What steps to follow in this dialogue will be the topic of the present article.

To achieve peace and concord there is nothing better than communication and personal contacts. Dialogue is a way of peace, quite suitable for solving interpersonal, national and international tensions. Peace and prosperity depend on increasing interaction with others, building bridges with other civilisations. And for this, dialogue is essential. The main problem is that most of us still do not know how to talk openly about race, culture, religion, and so on with members of other civilisations. We cannot understand each other, nor can we build a more moral, just and secure society, until we learn to talk with and listen to each other. (2) For a true dialogue, as Whaling says, "you have to penetrate within the skin of the other." This means to enter, as...

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