1. Have excellent childcare: "There is no more elemental value in a community. It is scandalous that in Canada we don't have universal child care here."

2. Early childhood care and development: "At a United Nations level it is considered the most important topic."

3. Dealing with racism: "Feelings need to be discussed openly, in community forums, in schools and in the other centres of our communities. We need to end racist practices that permeate our society; our neighbourhoods and our schools and our places of work must be free from racism."

4. Have a community that treasures books and reading: "This has an extraordinary impact of tolerance and peace. There is nothing more valuable to a child than being read to."

5. No guns.

6. Centres and programs for women: "Usually women face the greater threat in our societal breakdown of social supports. Violence is on the rise in Canada according to StatsCan, and this is unimaginable. We need more supports for women."

7. Confront child poverty: "Food banks are becoming a substitute for strong government interjection."

8. Academic curricula: "Include the virtues of peace and decent human behaviour, woven tightly into the curriculum."

9. The environment: "You sense you are making progress when you fight for the environment, something that is a shared value. A peaceful community is a product of that feeling of accomplishment, that feeling of building and maintaining something together.

10. A political environment that makes it all possible: "It becomes 10 times more tough to achieve a peaceful community if the political environment is hostile. If there is a continued willingness to cut spending to social programs it creates social chaos and social pain."

Compiled from Stephen Lewis speech at the Peaceful Communities forum in Peterborough.

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