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It is possible to construct a template that can be used to assess the extent to which there is a culture of peace in different societies. The template could contain (a) a brief introduction to the unique situation facing a society, (b) a listing of those aspects of a society most relevant to a culture of peace, (c) a subjective discussion as well as a listing of objective indicators of each of these aspects, and (d) a concluding section suggesting what needs to be done to achieve a more peaceful culture in the particular society. Such a format could provide a thought-provoking overall organization that allows comparison of societies although leaving sufficient room for particularities. This article discusses the concept of a culture of peace and then proposes such a format, together with a set of objective measures. The template is illustrated by its application to an assessment of the United States.

The first Millennium issue of Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology (Boulding, Adams, Curle, de la Rey, Lamwaka, Oswald Spring, et al., 2000) suggested that we could envision cultures of peace. Having such a vision, imagining the possibility of a culture of peace, is the first step toward creating such a culture. The next step is to relate this ideal to reality. If our imagination is to inspire action, we must provide a bridge between the ideal and our present reality. To begin building this bridge, we must devise ways to assess where we currently stand. Such assessment may help us establish clear subgoals and concrete ways in which a culture of peace can be developed. This special issue is devoted to exploring how such assessment might be designed.