CategoryGlobal Efforts for Peace

On December 2, Joan Anderson, senior coordinator, Peace and Global Issues of the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), spoke at a two-day hybrid 2022 Earth Charter Conference, held at the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development at the University of Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica. The conference was titled “Putting Planetary Well-Being at the Core: A

On November 28, the Soka Gakkai donated five million yen (US$ 35,993) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) toward humanitarian assistance in Africa. UNHCR Japan Representative Karen Farkas visited the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo to meet with Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada and expressed her gratitude for the donation. Ms. Farkas

On November 28, Soka Gakkai Singapore opened the Punggol Soka Centre in the northeast of the country. The opening ceremony was attended by SGI Vice President Yoshiki Tanigawa. On November 27, he also attended an event marking the reopening of the Soka Peace Centre Malaysia in Penang following renovations. President Daisaku Ikeda sent congratulatory messages to both

On November 24, SGI-Panama held a hybrid lecture at its culture center marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25). One of the speakers, Dr. Rosaria Correa Pulice, a lawyer and member of the 2023 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, stressed the need for early non-violence education to

From November 23 to 25, the Toda Peace Institute, a Soka Gakkai affiliate, and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network cohosted a policy workshop on “Managing Strategic Risks in Asia and the Pacific” in Kathmandu, Nepal. The three-day workshop was attended by academics, diplomats and UN officials from China, India, Pakistan, the US, Austria, Japan, Nepal and other

On November 20, a new Brazil SGI (BSGI) center opened in Arujá, São Paulo. The opening ceremony included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a tree planting ceremony as well as performances by a BSGI chorus group and the Fife and Drum Corps. President Daisaku Ikeda sent a congratulatory message to the opening ceremony.

TOKYO, Nov 17, 2022: At the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) has promoted youth participation and reforestation and amplified the call for climate justice expressed by faith leaders. Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii, SGI representative to the UN, comments, “Although the loss and damage due to climate change

On November 13, together with the Donato Sosa International Environment Foundation, SGI-Dominican Republic carried out a youth-led cleanup activity at a local beach in the town of Haina in San Cristóbal Province. Some 1,700 kilograms of trash were collected. 

On November 12, the 11th Headquarters Leaders Meeting of the decade toward 2030, the Soka Gakkai’s centennial, was held in Tokyo, Japan, commemorating November 18, Soka Gakkai Founding Day. Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada stated that in 2023, under its theme “Year of Youth and Triumph,” the Soka Gakkai is committed to treasuring human connections and

The SGI (Soka Gakkai International) co-organized two official side events during the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6 to 20. On November 15, SGI-UK and the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa co-organized an interfaith event, “Global Interfaith Youth Action on Climate Change:

On November 3 and 4, Soka Gakkai Vice President Hirotsugu Terasaki participated in the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence.” During the third session, titled “The Role of Religious Leaders and Scholars in Addressing Contemporary Challenges: Climate Change and the Global Food Crisis,” Mr. Terasaki joined a panel discussion and shared

On October 29, Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) organized a Peace and Sustainability Conclave at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, India. Some 10,000 BSG members and guests including educators and government officials attended the event either in person or online. Shri Amit Sachdeva, a social entrepreneur, and Dia Mirza, the UN Environment Programme’s

On October 29 and 30, SGI-USA held an introductory level Buddhist study exam at some 100 venues across the US. On October 30, Soka Gakkai Indonesia held an intermediate level Buddhist study exam at 35 venues that was taken by over 150 people from different parts of the country. On November 6, an introductory level

On October 26, the Soka Gakkai’s Seikyo Shimbun newspaper announced that the sixth and final volume of the traditional Chinese edition of The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin has been published by Taiwan Soka Association.

On October 24, the Soka Gakkai affiliated Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue and the SGI Office for UN Affairs co-organized a webinar titled “The Peace Proposals at 40: Creating Vibrant Hope and Advancing the Culture of Peace.” The online event, timed to coincide with United Nations Day, commemorated the publication of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s 40th peace proposal and was

On October 23, SGI-Dominican Republic youth engaged in tree planting activities in La Vega. Sixty-nine volunteers planted 1,700 Mahogany saplings. This initiative has continued since 1998 and is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

On October 22, the Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education at Soka University hosted the inaugural International Symposium on Global Citizenship Education under the theme “Restoring Learning to Daily Living: Global Citizenship and John Dewey.” President Daisaku Ikeda sent a congratulatory message to the event, which was held at the university and attended by some 170 scholars

On October 22, Soka Gakkai Thailand (SGT) inaugurated its Asia Peace Training Center in Nikhom Phatthana, Rayong Province. The opening ceremony was attended by community leaders, guests and SGT members. President Daisaku Ikeda sent a congratulatory message.  

On October 20, SGI-Argentina representatives participated in a forum for interfaith and social dialogue, which was held to coincide with the C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires. The participants engaged in small group discussions on climate change. 

On October 13, former UN Under-Secretary-General Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury met with Soka Gakkai Women’s Peace Committee members at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo. During a Q&A session, he emphasized the importance of fostering global citizenship to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and thanked the Soka Gakkai Women’s Peace Committee for promoting the culture