CategoryGlobal Efforts for Peace

On May 8, SGI-UK held Grade 1 (introductory level) and Grade 2 (elementary level) Buddhist study exams at 75 venues. Some 400 members took the exams.

On May 6, the provincial government of Corrientes conferred an award upon SGI-Argentina (SGIAR) Youth Division members for the humanitarian assistance they provided to those affected by the 2021 wildfires in the province. The youth volunteers are part of “Acción Solidaria Soka,” the SGIAR Youth Division’s social engagement initiative.

To celebrate May 3, Soka Gakkai Day, meetings were held around the world. Soka Gakkai Day commemorates the inaugurations of Josei Toda as second president of the Soka Gakkai on May 3, 1951, and Daisaku Ikeda as third president on May 3, 1960. It is also Soka Gakkai Mother’s Day. On May 1, members in Kenya gathered in Nairobi, connecting

On May 3, a new Soka Gakkai Indonesia center opened in the City of Tanjung Pinang on Bintan island. A commemorative event was held at the new center on May 15, attended by over 300 community leaders and local residents. Mayor Hj. Rahma, S.Ip, who participated in the event, expressed her expectations that the new

On May 3, Soka University of America (SUA) launched the Soka Institute for Global Solutions, with the mission of developing a network of people upholding the values of global citizenship and to contribute to the solution of global problems. The idea for the establishment of this research institute came from SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda’s 1987 peace

On May 1, new SGI-USA centers opened in the Borough of Queens, New York, and the City of Tucson, Arizona. The opening ceremonies were attended by local members. The buildings will be the main centers for the holding of events and meetings in their regions. 

On April 29, the Soka Institute of the Amazon in Manaus, Brazil, hosted an event to welcome the Regional Labor Court of the 11th Region as a new member of the Amazonas Hub of the UN Global Compact. The Soka Institute is also a member of the hub, which functions to promote sustainability and the SDGs among

On April 28, SGI-Panama (SGIP) held a youth interfaith dialogue at its Panama Culture Center on the theme of value creation amid the climate crisis. A panel brought together representatives of Catholicism, Bahá’í, Judaism and SGIP in a discussion that included the importance of taking action in one’s immediate environment and expanding grassroots solidarity.

On April 23, the Toda Peace Institute, an affiliate of the Soka Gakkai, hosted the first in a series of online peace seminars. Toda Peace Institute Director Kevin Clements gave a talk on the situation in Ukraine. The talk was titled “Peace by Peaceful Means: Dealing with Aggression Creatively and Non-violently.” He introduced case studies of

Since April 21, the exhibition “Everything You Treasure—For a World Free From Nuclear Weapons,” jointly created by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), has been shown at the University of Cologne. The exhibition will run until June 30. From May 16 to 19, the “Seeds of Hope & Action:

On April 16, the Ninth Headquarters Leaders Meeting of the decade leading to the organization’s 2030 centennial was held at the Tokyo Toda Memorial Auditorium in Sugamo. The meeting celebrated May 3, Soka Gakkai Day, which commemorates the inaugurations of Josei Toda as second president of the Soka Gakkai on May 3, 1951, and Daisaku Ikeda as third president on

On April 9, the Soka Gakkai’s Seikyo Shimbun reported that Soka University has decided to offer a learning and research environment for students forced to discontinue their studies at Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics. In 2003, the two universities established a formal academic exchange agreement. 

From March 30 to April 7, the exhibition “Everything You Treasure—For a World Free From Nuclear Weapons,” jointly created by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), was held at the University of La Salle in Madrid, Spain. The exhibition was hosted by the university’s Institute for Studies of Religions

On March 20, SGI-Dominican Republic (SGIRD) held a hybrid general meeting at its culture center in Santo Domingo commemorating the 56th anniversary of the forming of its first chapter and the 50th anniversary of the founding its fife and drum corps. At the meeting, new national-level leadership appointments were made. Eiji Nishio and Victoria Kimura

The City of Aliso Viejo recognizes Soka University of America (SUA) as a “Trusted Partner” supporting the city.   Mayor Ross Chun and Mayor Pro Tem Richard Hurt presented SUA President Edward M. Feasel and Archibald E. Asawa, vice president for finance and administration, with a certificate of recognition in February. President Feasel acknowledged the

On March 17, in response to a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit the northeast coast of Japan, the Soka Gakkai set up an emergency communication center at the Soka Gakkai headquarters in Tokyo and also centers in the affected region. On the same day, an online meeting was held, connecting the headquarters with the Tohoku

On March 10, the Soka Gakkai donated 30 million yen (US$258,617) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), contributing to humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians forced to flee their homes. UNHCR Japan Representative Karen Farkas visited the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo to meet with Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada, and expressed her gratitude

On March 9, a video developed by Amnesty International, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) was screened during the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC49). The video introduced the gender-focused human rights education work of Dejana Stosic from Serbia. On March 16, at

On March 8, Inés Vázquez González of Soka Gakkai Spain represented the Buddhist Union of Spain at an interfaith symposium on women, leadership and religion in Madrid. Commemorating International Women’s Day, the event was organized by the Foundation for Pluralism and Coexistence that is affiliated with the Prime Minister’s Office. Ms. Vázquez joined a panel

Soka Gakkai organizations in Panama and Mexico held events to commemorate March 8, International Women’s Day. On March 8, SGI-Panama organized an online seminar on gender equality featuring three guest speakers that spoke on the importance of women having the freedom to choose their roles at home and in society, and the significance of inner-motivated