In the well-known Molson television ad that appeals to certain caricatural aspects of our culture, the Canadian identity is defined exclusively in opposition to the American identity. In contrast to this, the culture of peace, as described in the manifesto, invites us listen to understand and rediscover solidarity . The attainment of a culture of peace does not mean a world in which everyone is nice . As was explained in In Praise of Conflict , conflicts are not harmful in themselves and can, on the contrary, create new and productive positive changes. Humanity would have undergone little or no progress without conflict.
Conflict can also result from an angry reaction to an unjust situation.
In such a case, conflict can help us to surpass the injustice. A society based on a culture of peace is not, therefore, an entirely peaceful society if peaceful means spineless and without conflict. Rather, in such a society, people take negotiating seriously and want to resolve conflict through consensus or compromise instead of through violence. In a society where a culture of peace is well-anchored, being peaceful does not only mean refusing to fight. Indeed, wanting peace is the first step in creating the conditions for it to exist.