All News
Buddhism | Oct 7 2007
SGI-Portugal Holds Leadership Training Course
On October 7, 2007, SGI-Portugal held a leaders' training session at Independence Palace in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Joana Craveiro was announced as the new national young women's leader. Ms. Craveiro gave a presentation on SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's lectures on "On Attaining Enlightenment in This Lifetime." This was ... read more
Buddhism | Oct 7 2007
University of Madras, India, Hosts Exhibition on the Lotus Sutra
On October 4-7, 2007, "The Lotus Sutra--A Message of Peace and Coexistence" exhibition showed at the University of Madras, Chennai, India. The exhibition, which was cohosted by the University of Madras, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP), St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy ... read more
Buddhism | Oct 7 2007
SGI-Finland Kicks Off with New Leadership
On October 7, 2007, SGI-Finland, made up of three districts in one chapter, held a kick off meeting in Helsinki. Newly appointed leaders announced at the meeting include: Marjatta Valkama, chapter leader and women's division leader; Tatu Kuivalahti, secretary general; Kari Kilpeläinen, men's division leader; Johanna Holopainen, youth division leader; ... read more
Sustainable Development | Oct 7 2007
SGI-Iceland Hosts "Seeds of Change" Exhibition
The "Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and Human Potential" exhibition opened on September 22, 2007, in Hafnarfjördur City, Iceland, at the city's youth center. SGI-Iceland collaborated with Agenda 21, a local committee devoted to the environment; the youth center; and the city's education office. About 100 attended the opening, including ... read more
Education | Oct 7 2007
Soka Gakkai Educators Hold Forum on Humanistic Education
On October 7, 2007, the Soka Gakkai Education Division held its 30th "National Forum on Practical Applications of Humanistic Education" at the Sapporo Convention Center, Sapporo, Japan. Some 2,300 educators and key figures in education from around Japan attended the gathering titled, "Creating a Society for the Sake of Education--Nurturing ... read more
Interfaith | Oct 4 2007
SGI Representative Participates in UN Interfaith Dialogue
A Civil Society Task Force was formed to prepare and organize the hearing and Hiro Sakurai, SGI's UN liaison officer in New York and former president of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN, was invited to serve on it. Members of the task force worked for four months ... read more
Press Releases | Oct 3 2007
SGI Statement on the Situation in Myanmar
We urge the government of Myanmar to use dialogue and non-violent means to resolve the current situation. We deplore the loss of life incurred and are praying for all the victims and for a peaceful and just solution. Hirotsugu Terasaki Executive Director Soka Gakkai International Office of Public Information ... read more
Culture | Oct 3 2007
Soka Gakkai Thailand Commended by Thailand's Ministry of Culture
On October 3, 2007, the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand commended Soka Gakkai Thailand (SGT) in recognition of their longstanding contributions to cultural enhancement. At the conferral ceremony held in Bangkok, Deputy Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat read the citation and Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon presented a ... read more
Culture | Oct 2 2007
Exhibition on Chinese Scholar Jao Tsung-I in Kobe, Japan
On October 2, 2007, "The Paintings and Calligraphy of Jao Tsung-I," an exhibition showcasing the works of Professor Jao Tsung-I, opened at the Soka Gakkai Kansai International Culture Center located in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Professor Jao, professor emeritus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and known as ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 30 2007
SGI Members of Benelux Nations Gather
On September 8, 2007, SGI youth members from Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg (Benelux) gathered at the SGI-Belgium Culture Center in Brussels for their second youth division general meeting. SGI-Belgium Youth Leader Denis LeBlond spoke about the significance of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda's declaration calling for the abolition of ... read more
Education | Sep 29 2007
BRC Hosts "Fourth Annual Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue: Women and the Power of Friendship" in Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Boston Research Center for the 21st Century (BRC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., was filled to capacity on September 29, 2007 as peace activists, scholars, and poets, gathered to engage in the "Fourth Annual Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue: Women and the Power of Friendship." This year's forum explored the ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 27 2007
SGI-Denmark and Pugwash Conference Cosponsor Antinuclear Symposium
On September 27, 2007, SGI-Denmark and the Danish Committee of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (Pugwash Denmark) cosponsored a symposium titled "The Current Dangers of Nuclear Weapons" at Christiansborg Castle, Denmark's parliament house in Copenhagen. Some 150 peace scholars, activists and embassy officials participated in the event, ... read more
Human Rights | Sep 27 2007
SGI Representative Makes NGO Statement at UN Human Rights Council
SGI and the World Federation of UN Associations worked together to draft the statement to support the proposal of Costa Rica to extend by two years the first phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE). SGI UN Liaison Officer in Geneva Kazunari Fujii, currently chair of the ... read more
Culture | Sep 27 2007
Annniversary of China-Japan Normalization Commemorated in Beijing
A Soka Gakkai delegation, led by Toshiyuki Mitsugi, senior advisor, attended the festivities, together with some 600 representatives from the two countries. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Lu Yongxiang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Li Guixian, ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 24 2007
Dr. Margarita Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya Lectures in Tokyo on the Lotus Sutra
On September 24, 2007, Dr. Margarita Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya of St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences lectured on "Daisaku Ikeda and the Lotus Sutra" at the Nihon Seinenkan Hall, Tokyo. The Institute of Oriental Philosophy hosted the event. Dr. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya, a world renowned ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 23 2007
10,000 Gather for Soka Gakkai Thailand Men's General Meeting; Men Meet in Costa Rica, New Zealand and U.K.
Soka Gakkai Thailand men gather for their first general meeting SGI-Costa Rica men for their first general meeting On August 19, SGI-Costa Rica MD held their first general meeting at the SGI-Costa Rica Culture Center in San José. On August 25 and 26, SGI-New Zealand MD members gathered in Wellington, for ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 23 2007
Betty Williams Speaks at SGI-USA's Culture of Peace Lecture Series
Betty Williams (center) and her assistant, Rusti Findley (right), with Dr.Nazir Khaja (left), founder of the Islamic Information Service, at an interfaith event (September 23, 2007) "Violence is a choice. Reject it." "Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong, not the weak." Nobel Peace Prize laureate Betty Williams imparted these words ... read more
Education | Sep 23 2007
"Caring for Our Elders" Forums Held in San Francisco, California
On September 23, 2007, SGI-USA members in San Francisco, California met for an informative and inspiring forum on "Caring for Our Elders" at the SGI-USA San Francisco Culture Center. This was the seventh of a series on elderly care that began in January, sponsored by SGI-USA women in San Francisco. ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 22 2007
Soka Gakkai Youth Hold National Leaders' Meeting; SGI President Named Honorary Citizen of Navoiy City, Uzbekistan
On September 22, 2007, Soka Gakkai youth held a national leaders' meeting at the Tokyo Makiguchi Memorial Hall in Hachioji, Tokyo. At the event signifying the launch of the next phase of the SGI's worldwide growth and development spearheaded by youth, the young people presented a declaration on behalf of ... read more
Interfaith | Sep 21 2007
"International Day of Peace" Observed in Singapore
In 2001, the United Nations designated September 21 as the International Day of Peace with an aim of "strengthening the ideals of peace and alleviating tensions and causes of conflicts." On September 21, 2007, the Singapore Soka Association (SSA) cosponsored an event titled, "May Peace Prevail on Earth," to commemorate ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 19 2007
SGI-Korea and SGI-Taiwan Hold Study Sessions on Nichiren Buddhism
From September 17-19, 2007, SGI Study Department Chief Katsuji Saito lectured on a selection of Nichiren's writings at SGI-Korea centers. Some 1,300 representatives from the Seoul metropolitan area studied "The Drum at the Gate of Thunder" on September 17; 96 members of the fifth Youth Study College studied "On the ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 16 2007
SGI-USA Youth Celebrate New Phase of SGI's Worldwide Growth
SGI-USA members and friends participate in "Be Bold! Choose Peace!" in Brooklyn, N.Y. (September 16, 2007) On September 16, 2007, SGI-USA youth of New York and its environs met to commemorate the 50th anniversary of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda's declaration for the abolition of nuclear weapons with a festival, ... read more
Human Rights | Sep 16 2007
Human Rights Exhibition Held in Hiroshima
On September 4, 2007, an exhibition produced by Soka Gakkai youth members, titled, "Hope for Human Rights in the 21st Century," opened at the Hiroshima Industrial Hall. The exhibition, created in 2005 in support of the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education, takes up contemporary human rights issues and ... read more
Interfaith | Sep 15 2007
SGI-Germany Cohosts Interreligious Symposium on "Life and Death" with European Academy of Sciences and Arts and IOP
On September 15, 2007, an interreligious symposium on the theme of life and death was jointly hosted by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP) and SGI-Germany at the Villa Sachsen Culture Center in Bingen City, Germany. The event commemorated the IOP's publication of ... read more
Human Rights | Sep 14 2007
SGI-Australia Cosponsors Forum on Depression and Its Creative Potential
On September 14, 2007, SGI-Australia hosted a forum on depression at the SGI-Australia Culture Center in Sydney. Jointly sponsored by SGI-Australia and the University of Sydney Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, the forum aimed at fostering a correct understanding of depression, raising awareness about the dignity of life and ... read more
Press Releases | Sep 10 2007
SGI Organizations Renew Call for Nuclear Abolition Commemorating 50th Anniversary of Antinuclear Declaration
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) organizations around the world have held events calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, commemorating the 50th anniversary of second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda's call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Toda (1900-58) made his impassioned declaration, describing nuclear weapons as an absolute evil, in front ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 9 2007
2007 SGI Youth Autumn Training Session in Tokyo
From September 5-9, 2007, 240 SGI youth leaders from 55 countries converged in Tokyo for the 20th annual leadership training course. The SGI youth participated in various sessions, including the monthly leaders' meeting for September at the Tokyo Makiguchi Memorial Hall in Hachioji, Tokyo, on September 6. In a message for ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 9 2007
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's Message to the Civil Society Peace Forum Held at the Cooper Union, New York City
September 8, 2007 On September 8, 1957, Josei Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai and the man I look to as my mentor in life, issued a declaration calling for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons. This was just months before his death; he poured his entire being into ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 9 2007
SGI Events Commemorate Josei Toda's Antinuclear Declaration
SGI organizations around the world have been calling for nuclear abolition in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda's Declaration Calling for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons which was delivered in front of 50,000 young people at the Mitsuzawa stadium in Yokohama, Japan, on September ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 9 2007
Soka Gakkai Women's Peace Committee Sponsors "Culture of Peace Forum for Mothers and Children"
On September 9, 2007, the Soka Gakkai Women's Peace Committee (WPC) hosted a "Culture of Peace Forum for Mothers and Children" at the Soka International Friendship Hall in Sendagaya, Tokyo. Some 1,200 people, including elementary school children and atomic bomb survivors, attended the event which commemorated the 50th anniversary of ... read more
Culture | Sep 9 2007
Soka Renaissance Vanguard Wins Japan Cup Competition
On September 9, 2007, the Soka Renaissance Vanguard won top honors for the fourth time in the Japan Cup Marching Band and Baton Twirling National Competition. The band, with a performance titled "Tribal," also received the Tokyo Governor's Trophy as a reward for winning the senior division of the drum-and-bugle-corps ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 8 2007
SGI-Europe Youth Engage in Dialogue to Promote Nuclear Disarmament and a Culture of Peace
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Mr. Toda's antinuclear declaration in September 2007, the SGI-Europe youth launched in January 2006 a 100,000 dialogue campaign to convey Mr. Toda's ideals throughout Europe and create a current for peace. With the UK, France and Russia among the five nuclear weapons states recognized ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 8 2007
SGI-Russia Commemorates Anniversary of SGI President's Visit
On September 8, 2007, SGI-Russia held a general meeting in Moscow to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's first visit to the former Soviet Union in 1974. Over 80 SGI-Russia members attended, including those who had traveled long distances from St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Voronezh. Representatives ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 8 2007
SGI World Youth Peace Conference Held in Yokohama, Japan
On September 8, 2007, SGI youth members from 56 countries gathered for a peace conference at the Soka Gakkai Kanagawa Culture Center, Yokohama, Japan. The SGI youth unanimously adopted the "SGI Youth Declaration for World Peace," which included a vow to work for nuclear and conventional disarmament and to create ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 8 2007
SGI Denmark Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Josei Toda's Antinuclear Declaration
On September 8, 2007, around 100 SGI members and their guests gathered at SGI Denmark's Nordic Culture Center to commemorate the 50th anniversary of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda's historic declaration in 1957 condemning nuclear weapons, which threaten the collective right of humanity to exist, as an absolute evil ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 8 2007
Civil Society Peace Forum at New York's Cooper Union Focuses on Abolishing Nuclear Weapons
On September 8, 2007, a Civil Society Peace Forum titled "Abolishing Nuclear Weapons: What Can Each of Us Do?" was held at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, USA. A new SGI exhibition, "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 8 2007
Kansai Youth Peace Conference Hosts Antinuclear Seminar
On September 8, 2007, the Kansai Youth Peace Conference hosted a seminar--the seventh in a series--at the Soka Gakkai Kansai Culture Center in Osaka, Japan. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda's Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, keynote speaker Professor Osamu Ono of Doshisha ... read more
Human Rights | Sep 8 2007
SGI-South Africa Celebrates Life of Steve Biko
On September 8, 2007, SGI-South Africa paid tribute to Steve Biko (1946-1977), a hero of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, with a combined dance, music, song, storytelling and poetry recital titled, "My Revolution--Revealing the Jewel Within," at its center in Johannesburg. The event was held on the 50th anniversary ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 4 2007
SGI-New Zealand Young Women's VOV Aotearoa Wins the 2007 Sonja Davies Award
On September 4, 2007, the SGI-New Zealand young women's division (YWD) won that country's 2007 Sonja Davies Peace Award in recognition of their achievements and efforts in promoting Victory Over Violence (VOV), a grassroots effort to help teenagers identify the causes of violence in their lives and communities and foster ... read more
Buddhism | Sep 3 2007
SGI-Nepal Makes Fresh Start with New Youth Leaders
New SGI youth leaders were recently appointed In Nepal, the birthplace of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. Navin Manandhar, Urika Shakya and Laxman Dangol have been appointed SGI-Nepal youth division (YD) leader, young women's division (YWD) Leader and young men's division (YMD) leader, respectively. Navin Manandhar SGI-Nepal YD leader Urika Shakya ... read more
Peace and Disarmament | Sep 1 2007
SGI-Brazil Sponsors Student Conference on Nuclear Abolition
On September 1, 2007, SGI-Brazil sponsored a student conference titled, "Nuclear Arms: The Evolving Challenge," at the SGI-Brazil Rio de Janeiro Culture Center. The event, attended by 320 members and guests, commemorated the 50th anniversary of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda's call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In ... read more
Culture | Aug 31 2007
Soka Gakkai Malaysia Joins in Celebrations for Malaysia's Golden Jubilee
On August 31, 2007, Malaysia commemorated its 50th anniversary of independence. Golden jubilee celebrations were held throughout the country leading up to the anniversary. Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) members participated in an event at Stadium Merdeka (Independence) in Kuala Lumpur. The national gala, highlighting the different eras of Malaysia's ... read more
Buddhism | Aug 28 2007
5,000 Gather for SGI-Italy General Meeting in Florence, Italy
On August 28, 2007, over 5.000 SGI-Italy members gathered from throughout the nation for a general meeting at the Nelson Mandela Forum, an indoor sports arena in Florence, Tuscany Province. Florence Mayor Leonardo Domenici sent a congratulatory message in which he referred to the conferral of the Florentine Republic Seal of ... read more
Buddhism | Aug 26 2007
SGI-Spain and SGI-Portugal Attend Summer Study Session
On August 26, 2007, some 700 SGI members from the Iberian Peninsula attended a combined SGI-Spain and SGI-Portugal summer study session in Madrid, Spain. SGI Study Department Chief Katsuji Saito lectured on one of Nichiren's letters of encouragement to Shijo Kingo, a samurai retainer versed in medicine and a devout ... read more
Buddhism | Aug 26 2007
SGI Men and Young Men in Latin America Strengthen Friendships
In Ecuador, MD members gathered in their local districts. The participants strengthened their shared commitment to work for humanity's happiness in the spirit of mentor and disciple, manifest their inherent potential and stand up with courage to prevail against all adversity. Javier Silva, leader of Sin Fronteras District, joyfully reported ... read more
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