Peace is not a given good. It has to be constantly learned, experienced and created anew. The difficulty in developing non-violent approaches to resolving ethnic, political, religious and social conflicts show us this. Peace is also not a passive state. It is a process which needs time, attention and the participation of all. And peace begins with education. The seeds of peace need to be planted in schools, in universities, in the new generation.

With this in mind, the International Peace Foundation is cooperating with the most prestigious universities and institutions in Malaysia to realize its 2nd ASEAN event entitled "Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace". "Bridges" is a series of gatherings where people from different walks of life meet in multidisciplinary settings to find creative solutions to solve problems and to achieve peace. Peace within themselves, peace within their families, peace within their communities. Peace with nature and the environment, and peace among nations, cultures and religions.

We need a world where we are better able to understand the complexities we face. We need a world where there are broad strategies for change to secure a sustainable future for ourselves and our children. "Bridges" challenges us to cross borders and to build bridges by listening and opening up to other viewpoints, by generating new thoughts and by developing innovative forms of cooperation.

"Bridges" offers us an opportunity to arrive at a more inclusive, interconnected and comprehensive view of the world in which we live. Let us all participate in these dialogues in order to create and renew a culture of peace.

I am pleased to invite you to the 2nd ASEAN event series ”Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace“ which the International Peace Foundation, a non-political and non-religious foundation based in Vienna under the common patronage of 21 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, will host in cooperation with various local partners. Starting in November 2008 ”Bridges“ will be continuously held in Malaysia and Thailand until April 2009 involving the participation of Nobel Laureates for Peace, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Economics.

The pluralistic programs of ”Bridges“ highlight the International Peace Foundation's intercultural and trans-disciplinary approach towards peace. The nonpartisan foundation acts as a mediator by creating an independent platform for dialogue where representatives of science, politics, economy, culture, religion, the media and youth can meet, share their viewpoints, listen to each other and find mutual ways of understanding and cooperation.

Therefore the foundation itself is a bridge and a facilitator between different language groups in our divided societies, where politicians speak another language than artists and business and religious leaders another one than scientists. In a highly interdependent world problems cannot be solved by either one of these language groups only, but by finding ways of working together.

After the success of its ”Bridges“ programs in Thailand and the Philippines the International Peace Foundation has been invited by other ASEAN countries to build further bridges towards peace and international understanding by expanding its program beyond Thailand to stimulate the intellectual, scientific and cultural exchange in the region.

The next ”Bridges“ series will therefore continuously take place in Malaysia and Thailand from November 2008 to April 2009, comprising events with Nobel Laureates from all fields. The Nobel Laureates will visit the region not all at once, but separately to conduct public lectures, seminars, workshops and dialogues hosted by local institutions during a continued period of six months.

To make the series of events a sustainable success, “Bridges” is not designed as a onetime event, but as a continuing process of synergies. I would be delighted if you would take part in this program and if we could welcome you at the events which may help us to facilitate a new culture of peace through dialogue, transcending its definition as merely the absence of war or armed conflict into a new understanding what the basis for peace is: education.