"Sufficiency is moderation. If one is moderate in one's desires, one will have less craving. If one has less craving, one will take less advantage of others. If all nations hold to this concept, without being extreme or insatiable in one's desires, the world will be a happier place".

- His Majesty King Bhumibol
in a 1998 statement on the essence of the Sufficiency Economics model

 

This is the declared UNESCO International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence of the World. However, as we look around at today's multi religious and multi ethnic world we see that we are living in difficult times. As the quotation above from His Majesty King Bhumibol indicates, moderation is a key factor for the world to be a happier and thus a safer place. Peace, human dignity, and human security are facing new challenges. This symposium is convened to promote inter-cultural understanding and cooperation, multi- faith dialogue for peace and reconciliation, as well as recognition and respect for all different cultural identities and rights, religious beliefs and practices, and minorities and indigenous cultures. This can serve to promote the concept of “unity in diversity” and thus in this promotion of inter-cultural understanding, we can indeed change the present ‘landscape' and build bridges for peace.

His Majesty King Bhumibol has also been quoted as saying:

“ If we cooperate constructively, it will be good; if we don't cooperate, I am sorry to say that we will reap bad consequences.”

These consequences could continue to manifest themselves as increased terrorism, religious extremism, insurgencies, and war.

And this is why it is imperative that we strive to change the current landscape and build bridges for peace.