Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS): Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama Tuesday said the 21st century should be a century of peace and batted for dialogue as the sole route to resolve conflicts.

"We must make 21st century a century of peace. The last century, the 20th century, was a century of violence. Peace doesn't mean absence of conflict. There is always a potential for conflict... human population is increasing.

"There's no other alternative to solve problems other than talks. This should be the century of dialogue to attain peace," he said during a lecture at the Presidency University here.

The Dalai Lama emphasised secular ways of education.

"Use various ways and means to educate to incorporate the concept of oneness and warm heartedness. Then next generation will be different. Plan properly secular ways to educate in moral values," he said, expressing concern on inclination towards materialistic values in modern education.

"I am very much worried about materialistic values (in education).. there is no warm heartedness," he said.

Highlighting the importance of mental peace, he said: "My generation (the 20th century generation) created a lot of problems and the 21st century generation must solve them. I don't think within our generation, it will be possible to achieve that but we must start work. You need vision, will and wisdom."