CategoryGlobal Efforts for Peace

From June 6 to 16, the 56th sessions of the subsidiary bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB 56) were held in Bonn, Germany. On June 13, Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii of the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) Office for UN Affairs moderated a side event titled “Unpacking the Global Goal on Adaptation: Perspectives from vulnerable

On June 5, the Seikyo Shimbun announced that the NGO Musicians Without Borders (MWB) had published a final report on activities during 2021 as part of the Music Brings Us Together project in Jordan developed in partnership with the Soka Gakkai. The project is aimed at musicians, music teachers and music school graduates, and teaches the necessary

During the month of June, SGI-Dominican Republic held the “Everything You Treasure—For a World Free From Nuclear Weapons” (EYT) exhibition at five schools and the “Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality” (SOHA) exhibition at one school. The SOHA exhibition, created by the Earth Charter International and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), was displayed

MINNEAPOLIS, May 14—The University of Minnesota, one of the world’s leading research institutions, awarded Ikeda Sensei with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the 2022 commencement ceremony for the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, for his enduring role as a global peace advocate and Buddhist philosopher. In a ceremony at the university’s

On May 27, Soka University of America (SUA) held its 18th commencement ceremony at the Soka Performing Arts Center. The ceremony was streamed online and marked the graduation of 105 undergraduate students from 18 countries and four graduate students from three countries. Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi gave the

On May 22, SGI-Nicaragua held a commemorative meeting marking the 47th anniversary of the establishment of its first chapter at the Japan-Nicaragua Friendship Park in the capital, Managua. Several government representatives attended the meeting during which members performed folk songs and dances. The meeting was covered by the local media.

On May 19, Amnesty International, Mines Action Canada, Article 36, and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) supported the launch of the film Immoral Code in London, UK. The 23-minute documentary, created by the Stop Killer Robots coalition, calls for new international law on autonomous weapons systems. After the film was shown, a panel discussion was held. Hayley Ramsay-Jones, director

On May 19, representatives of the SGI-Argentina (SGIAR) Youth Division attended an interfaith dialogue event in Buenos Aires. The event brought together faith representatives from Argentina, Colombia and Peru. SGIAR participants introduced the Soka Gakkai’s commitment to dialogue and the encouragement of others based on the spirit of leaving no one behind.

On May 10, the “SGI Action for Peace” website was launched to share the activities of the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) as an NGO in consultative status with the UN. As well as sharing SGI’s engagement in the areas of peace, disarmament, sustainability and climate change, human rights education, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and humanitarian relief,

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