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| SGI Around the World |
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[Courtesy, January 1999 SGI Quarterly] |
| Canada |
| Development of SGI-Canada |
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| SGI-Canada's Caledon Centre for Culture and Education |
The seed of Nichiren Buddhism was planted in Canada when then Soka Gakkai president Daisaku Ikeda made his first overseas trip in October 1960. He was met at Toronto's Malton Airport by Elizabeth Akiko Izumi. She was not a member, but her mother, a member of the Soka Gakkai in Japan, had asked her to welcome the Soka Gakkai leader since there weren't any members in Canada at the time. This encounter changed the direction of Mrs. Izumi's life and became the starting point of SGI-Canada.
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| Dr. Rapoport and Mrs. Izumi at a tree-planting ceremony to commemorate the international conference held at the center |
Mrs. Izumi, who was troubled by poor health, began practicing Nichiren Buddhism two years after she met Mr. Ikeda in an attempt to recover from her ailments as quickly as possible. Other pioneer members in such places as Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa also started practicing Buddhism actively around the same time. One of these early pioneers, Hiroko Wanner, had moved from Japan to Calgary in 1964, and two other Japanese women later joined her in holding the first discussion meeting there in 1968. In 1974, Françoise Labbé, who had already been practicing Buddhism for 10 years in France, moved back to her hometown of Baie St. Paul in Quebec. Ms. Labbéjoined the Soka Gakkai after being impressed by the warm and friendly personality of a Japanese member who was studying fine arts at the same studio in Paris. Her initial attempts to introduce Buddhism to people in Quebec met little interest, but eventually some people were inspired to begin practicing after seeing her strong conviction. From 1977, discussion meetings were held there on a regular basis.
SGI-Canada was officially registered as a religious corporation in 1976, and Mrs. Izumi was appointed chairperson in 1978. SGI-Canada Vice Chairperson Tony Meers points out that Canada is a multiethnic country. People from all parts of the world have immigrated to Canada, bringing a rich mosaic to the cultural landscape. At times this diversity can lead to conflicting visions of the country's future, such as the ongoing political debate about the place in Canada of the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec.
Through their practice of Buddhism, the members of SGI-Canada feel they can give full expression to their individuality and potential. Mrs. Izumi feels the diverse membership of SGI-Canada has been able to unite despite various obstacles by always basing activities on the encouragement given by President Ikeda in 1977 when he asked the members to strive to become "the brightest and most harmonious family in the world."
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| A Scholar's Evaluation |
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| A friendship exchange meeting held in the center |
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SGI-Canada's contribution to society through its activities for peace, culture and education has been the subject of research by Dr. Daniel A. Metraux, professor and dean of Asian Studies at Mary Baldwin College in Maryland, U.S.A. Dr. Metraux explains in his book The Lotus and the Maple Leaf--The Soka Gakkai Buddhist Movement in Canada why the SGI, based on Nichiren Buddhism, is highly regarded: "Canada in the late 1990s is a nation beset by confusion and doubt. Traditional values are changing and unresolved political questions such as the status of Quebec leave many Canadians bitter and unsure of the future. Nichiren Buddhism gives its adherents a feeling of confidence and self-control. They feel empowered to manage their own lives in a more creative manner and to participate actively in the endeavor to create a world where peace, prosperity, happiness and creative spontaneity are to be enjoyed by all.... The fact that the Soka Gakkai is a lay movement makes it more welcome in an increasingly secular society."
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| Action in Society |
Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto played host to the Interdisciplinary Conference on the Evolution of World Order in June 1997. Jointly sponsored by Science for Peace, the SGI and other organizations, the conference was attended by academics from around the world.
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| A chamber music concert |
Science for Peace includes among its membership such prominent Canadian scholars as Dr. Anatol Rapoport, one of the world's pioneers of peace studies, as well as three Nobel chemistry laureates, Dr. Gerhard Herzberg, Dr. John Polanyi and Dr. Michael Smith. Canada's top educational institutions, including the University of Toronto, McGill University and the University of Montreal, participated in the conference, along with about 130 scholars from the U.S.A., Europe, Russia and Japan. Such widespread participation was evidence of a growing interest in the search for a new world order and in finding the means to eradicate war and misery in the new millennium.
The last meeting of the three-day conference was held at SGI-Canada's Caledon Centre for Culture and Education, about 80 kilometers northwest of Toronto. This center has been used for SGI seminars since its opening in 1996, and since June 1997 it has regularly hosted the "Caledon Food of Love" chamber music concerts, featuring renowned younger musicians.
SGI-Canada has long maintained a favorable relationship with both the City of York, in Toronto, where the headquarters of SGI-Canada is located, and Metro Toronto, the metropolitan administrative body. The City of York has invited SGI-Canada's brass band, fife-and-drum corps and chorus to participate in the Canada Day celebration held every July. Metro Toronto has cosponsored various exhibitions with SGI-Canada, including "Nuclear Arms--Threat to Our World" and the "World Boys and Girls Art Exhibition," in an effort to enhance public awareness of peace, human rights and environmental issues.
The SGI has also sponsored exhibitions in other parts of Canada, such as Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa, which have been warmly received by local people.
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| The Niagra Falls |
Website URL: http://www.sgicanada.org/
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