CategoryGlobal Efforts for Peace

On June 11, SGI-Argentina (SGIAR) youth held a peace festival at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires. Over 10,000 people attended the event that featured various musical and dance performances including a performance by professional tango dancers. Youth leaders shared the determination of SGIAR youth to promote dialogue, take action against climate change, and work

On June 5, to commemorate World Environment Day, the Earth Charter International (ECI) and the Soka Institute of the Amazon signed a partnership agreement at an event in Manaus, Brazil. An ECI delegation led by ECI Executive Director Mirian Vilela and a Soka Gakkai delegation from Japan led by President Minoru Harada attended the signing ceremony at

From June 5 to 15, SGI (Soka Gakkai International) representatives participated in the 58th meeting (SB58) of the subsidiary bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Bonn, Germany. On June 5, together with the Lutheran World Federation, the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and the World Council of Churches, the SGI Office for

Women’s meetings were held around the world, commemorating the establishment of the Women’s Division by second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda in June 1951. At the meetings the women studied Buddhism, shared their stories and encouraged each other. From June 3 to 11, women in Italy held local district or chapter meetings throughout the country, with a total of

On June 3, an interfaith dialogue, jointly organized by SGI-Venezuela (SGIV), the United Religions Initiative and the Luis Dolan Chair at the Central University of Venezuela, was held at the SGI-Venezuela Peace and Friendship Cultural Center in Caracas. Various religious leaders and scholars, including SGIV Vice General Director Gustavo Cabrera, spoke on topics such as

From May 31 to June 1, Soka Gakkai of Paraguay held the SGI exhibition “From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: Transforming the Human Spirit” in San Juan Bautista, Misiones, Paraguay. Some 300 people viewed the exhibition, including students from local schools and universities. On June 12, the Soka Gakkai of Paraguay’s

On May 30, Kent E. Calder, director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, met with Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada and Vice President Hirotsugu Terasaki at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo. Dr. Calder emphasized the important role of nongovernmental organizations

On May 22 and 23, the Toda Peace Institute, an affiliate of the Soka Gakkai, held a meeting in Tokyo themed “Reconstituting or Replacing the Liberal International Order?” The meeting brought together sixteen scholars from twelve countries, including Toda Institute Director Kevin Clements and Senior Research Fellow Ramesh Thakur. The participants exchanged views on issues including

On May 22, immediate past president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) Dr. Ira Helfand and IPPNW Executive Director Michael Christ met with SGI Vice President Yoshiki Tanigawa and Executive Director of the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue Kevin Maher at the Ikeda Center, an affiliate of the Soka

On May 8, the 188th lecture in the Hiroshima Study Lecture Series for Peace was held at the Hiroshima Ikeda Peace Memorial Hall in Japan. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Head of Delegation in Japan Jordi Raich delivered the lecture, stressing the significant role of the upcoming G7 Hiroshima Summit in promoting nuclear

On May 7, SGI-Netherlands held Buddhist study exams at the Ikeda Friendship and Peace Center in Amsterdam. The exams were conducted in English and Dutch and were taken by some 110 people. On the same day, SGI-UK held introductory and elementary level Buddhist study exams. Around 500 people took the exams at some 70 venues

On May 3, the “Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality” exhibition, a joint initiative of the Earth Charter International and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), opened at the Central University of Venezuela in the capital city of Caracas. The opening ceremony was attended by Director of the School of Economics and Sociology Dr.

The following was originally published in the April 27, 2023, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun. by Daisaku IkedaPresident, Soka Gakkai International The Ukraine crisis, which in addition to bringing devastation to the people of that country has had severe impacts on a global scale—even giving rise to the specter of nuclear

On April 26, Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) organized a second sustainability conclave titled “Goals to Action: Through Sustainable Human Behaviour” in New Delhi, India. Nearly 4,000 people attended the hybrid event. Dr. Vibha Dhawan, director general of the Energy and Resources Institute delivered the keynote address. Participants were introduced to BSG’s Carbon Footprint Calculator, part

On April 2, the SGI-USA Orlando Buddhist Center opened in Orlando, Florida. The opening ceremony was attended by some 300 members and guests. On the same day, SGI-New Zealand also opened a new center in Auckland. President Daisaku Ikeda sent congratulatory messages to both ceremonies.

On March 30, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries President Lin Songtian visited the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo and met with Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada. Mr. Lin thanked the Soka Gakkai and President Daisaku Ikeda for promoting friendship between the people of the two countries. President Harada affirmed that the Soka Gakkai would

On March 27, former president of Ireland Mary Robinson visited the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo. She met with Senior Vice President Yoshiki Tanigawa and the chairs of the Soka Gakkai’s Peace Committee and Women’s Peace Committee. Ms. Robinson was in Tokyo to meet with organizations working on climate issues. As chair of The Elders,

From March 27 to April 1, the Youth Leaders Multilateral Workshop on Global Youth Agenda was held in Beijing, bringing together youth from various international organizations to promote collaboration toward achieving the SDGs. Noriko Komatsu, vice chair of the Youth Peace Conference of the Soka Gakkai, presented on the organization’s peace efforts. On March 28,

On March 25, an interfaith symposium organized by the Madrid Association for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue [tentative translation] was held at the Soka Gakkai of Spain center in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Madrid. Dr. Juan José Tamayo, a theologian and professor emeritus at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, gave the keynote speech on the importance of nurturing

On March 18, Soka Gakkai youth from Tohoku organized a seminar at the Tohoku Culture Center in Sendai, marking 12 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. The seminar was part of the “Soka Global Action 2030” peace initiative. Soka Gakkai Peace Committee Executive Director Nobuyuki Asai introduced relief activities conducted by the