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| SGI Around the World |
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[Courtesy, January 2004 SGI Quarterly] |
| United Kingdom |
| Trust Through Friendship in the UK |
| By Roy Stone, SGI-UK |
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| Taplow Court |
One of the most memorable events in the U.K. in recent years was the parade to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Millions of people crowded into The Mall in London for the celebration in June 2002.
Marshaling the parade was a big job--but SGI-UK members with "big lives" took it on. One was Kate Pankhurst, who was asked by a woman on the day if she was a professional steward. "No, I'm a designer," Kate replied, going on to explain she was one of the members of our lay Buddhist group who had volunteered to act as stewards. The woman was "amazed and impressed."
Many in the U.K. regard Buddhism as a monastic religion, but forging links with the community is at the heart of SGI-UK's activities and identity. This spirit is reflected in our motto, "Trust through friendship, peace through trust," which appears on the cover of our monthly publication Art of Living.
We believe peace can only be created through life-to-life connections between people.
As editor of the magazine's news section, I regularly receive reports reflecting this spirit--like Kate Pankhurst's article about the Jubilee parade. Kate wrote: "I'm proud as anything that we were in there where it really mattered--with people." |
| Rich Diversity |
It was appropriate that SGI-UK was asked to provide volunteers for the Commonwealth section of the Jubilee parade, since our members come from a diverse cross section of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Organizer Janet Waugh commented: "Everybody here is unbelievably thrilled with the input of the stewards from SGI-UK. There are so many stories to tell of the links forged. The stewards were so giving, and prepared to do whatever was needed. Some were carrying the national flag of the country they were assigned to; others learnt the dance of a particular country. Their spirit was truly amazing."
| Simon Bramley |
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Opening of the SGI-UK South London Centre
in Brixton, May 2003 |
SGI-UK members also act as stewards on the "Walk for Life" held annually by Cruisaid, a fund-raiser for HIV and AIDS charities, and they have been called the "star supporters" of the walk.
SGI in the U.K. has flourished since Dick Causton became our first general director in 1975. We opened our historic grand culture center, Taplow Court, near Maidenhead outside London in 1989. Taplow Court has been the venue for many national and international gatherings cohosted by SGI-UK, such as Peace and Conflict Forums organized jointly with TRANSCEND under the guidance of Prof. Johan Galtung, as well as events focusing on socially responsible businesses and the power of the arts to transform society.
Following Mr. Causton's death in 1995, Ricky Baynes became SGI-UK's second general director, and in 2002 Robert Samuels was appointed general director, with Ricky becoming chief adviser. Our SGI-UK family is now growing rapidly, and we have an estimated 5,000 plus members from the north of Scotland to the southern tip of England. |
| Awareness Campaigns |
We hold monthly meetings, to which guests are invited, in which we explain our Buddhist practice to everyone who is interested. In recent years, SGI-UK members have also held a series of "awareness campaigns"--to explain to people who we are and what we do. All our members have been encouraged to hold meetings, however small, with friends, family and work colleagues. In this way, we are expanding our circle of friends, in many walks of life, all around the country.
| Simon Bramley |
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| SGI-UK stewards at the "Walk for Life" 2003 |
A good example of this took place in Wigan, Lancashire, recently, where Joan Prescott and Dawn Wilkinson ran an SGI-UK stall at the town's largest-ever community conference. "We were warmly received and made lots of contacts," Joan reported. "We are now regularly invited by voluntary community services to interfaith meetings aimed at making a difference in the community."
SGI-UK members aim to become "champions of dialogue," empowering people to believe that we can find a peaceful solution to the world's problems. Dialogue is a major part of the SGI's culture. And we believe that the series of philosophical discussions held between SGI President Daisaku Ikeda and the late British historian Arnold Toynbee in London in 1972 and 1973, published by Oxford University Press as Choose Life and since translated into 24 languages, was highly significant.
| Simon Bramley |
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| Youth Day, March 2003 |
Several events were held to commemorate the dialogue's 30th anniversary, including an exhibition and tree-planting in London's Holland Park in May 2002. At the opening ceremony, Tony Holt, mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said he was proud to have 300 SGI-UK members living in his borough.
Cultural events, like our show Alice!--which was staged at a large London theater in the 1980s and which raised money for UNHCR and CHEC (the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council)--and performing arts festivals at Taplow Court, have also helped build links with the community.
Within SGI-UK there are special groups such as the African and Caribbean heritage group, as well as groups who regularly meet to chant and offer prayers together for peace in different regions such as the Middle East. Since the late 1980s, members throughout the U.K., South Africa and Ireland have been meeting specifically to chant for peace in those areas.
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| Family Fun Day |
SGI-UK also holds many youth activities, including an annual Family Fun Day for children of members and guests, which this year attracted over 1,400 people. Parties of schoolchildren also visit Taplow Court from the surrounding areas. We also hold Open Days at Taplow, and have built up good relationships with our neighbors in South Buckinghamshire. Local artists' clubs are also invited to paint in Taplow's extensive gardens.
In 2002, Dr. John Kennedy, chairman of the South Buckinghamshire Council, wrote to Daisaku Ikeda, offering him the freedom of the district. In his letter, Dr. Kennedy said: "We have greatly valued the friendship and public-spirited support of your representatives in this country and count ourselves fortunate to have the headquarters of SGI-UK here."
| Curtis Radclyffe |
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| Family Fun Day at Taplow Court |
In 2003 we staged an exhibition at Taplow Court based on the award-winning SGI exhibition that attracted 15,000 people at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. This exhibition, "Seeds of Change"--and the SGI's children's art exhibition, "Painting a World of Friendship"--will be displayed from now on at different venues around the U.K.
Robert Samuels explains: "Both will be used to communicate our values and beliefs in secular terms, and to strengthen friendships with organizations and individuals in the community." We mounted the children's art exhibition in Winchester in October 2003, in association with local authorities and UNICEF. At the opening ceremony, Robert said: "This exhibition is an appeal for global peace and friendship from those with the greatest stake in the future, the children of the world." Small children present were heard to whisper: "That's us!"
Coming from diverse backgrounds, and active in a wide range of sectors of U.K. society, SGI-UK members are ideally placed to build bridges between people. Even so, we know that opening up the path to a century of peace will not be easy.
But we're convinced that "Trust through friendship, peace through trust" is a good place to start.
Website URL: http://www.sgi-uk.org
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