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			<title>Peace and Disarmament RSS</title>
			<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace-disarmament-rss.html</link>
			<description></description>
			<language>en</language>
			<copyright>Soka Gakkai International (SGI) 2006</copyright>
			<ttl>120</ttl><item>
		<title>New Antinuclear Exhibition and Results of Survey Presented in Geneva</title>
                <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:27:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/new-antinuclear-exhibition-survey-nukes-geneva.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ The antinuclear exhibition&nbsp;"Everything You Treasure&ndash;For a
World Free From Nuclear Weapons,"&nbsp;a
joint initiative by Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), opened on April 23 at the United
Nations Office at Geneva during the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2015
Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons, held from April 22 to May 3.
The exhibition consists of 40 panels
covering nuclear weapons issues from 12 perspectives: humanitarian,
environmental, medical, economic, human rights, energy, scientific, political,
spiritual, gender, generational and security.
Speakers at the opening ceremony were Ambassador of Romania Cornel Feruta, Chair of the 2013 Preparatory Committee; ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-Bolivia Hosts Culture of Peace Seminar</title>
                <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:19:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-bolivia-culture-peace-seminar.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On April 22, SGI-Bolivia
youth hosted a Culture of Peace seminar at their culture center in Santa Cruz
for students majoring in international relations at the Private Technical University of Santa Cruz
(UTEPSA). Thirty-four students from a Culture of Peace course at the university
and their professor, Marcia Padilla, attended the event with the aim of
deepening their understanding of SGI&rsquo;s role as a nongovernmental organization
(NGO) in promoting a culture of peace.
The
seminar began with a brief introduction of SGI by local young men's leader
Rafael Gomez, followed by a film depicting the lives of Mahatma Gandhi,
Martin Luther King Jr. and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda as examples ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI's Anti-nuclear Exhibition Debuts in Iceland</title>
                <pubDate>Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:30:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-anti-nuclear-exhibition-iceland.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ From April 4-14, some
450 people visited the first-ever
showing of SGI's anti-nuclear weapons exhibition "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: Transforming the
Human Spirit" (THS) in Iceland, at Reykjav&iacute;k City Hall. SGI-Iceland organized the showing and
translated the 36-panel exhibition into Icelandic.
Some 120 people
attended the opening, including U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Luis E. Arreaga and Iceland's Minister of Culture and Education Katr&iacute;n Jakobsd&oacute;ttir.
Dialogues at the opening
In her speech, Ms.&nbsp;Jakobsd&oacute;ttir&nbsp;emphasized that during the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war was an everyday part of life. As long as nuclear weapons exist, that threat, she said, remains undiminished today and ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-USA Youth Organize Peace Summit at Columbine High School</title>
                <pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:42:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-usa-youth-peace-summit-columbine-high-school.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On Saturday March 16, SGI-USA Rocky Mountain Zone youth
members organized a "Humanistic Awakening Summit for Peace" at
Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, USA. The peace summit, open to
high school students and members of the public, was attended by some 350 people
and featured various workshops aimed at empowering people to become agents of peace and change in their
local communities. In April 1999, the Littleton community was devastated by shootings
at Columbine High School which cost the lives of 14 students and a teacher.
Reflecting the title and spirit of the summit, SGI's exhibition "Building
a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World" ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-usa-youth-peace-summit-columbine-high-school.html</guid>
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		<title>SGI's Anti-nuclear Exhibition Opens in Bahrain</title>
                <pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:31:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-anti-nuclear-exhibition-bahrain.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On March 12, SGI's anti-nuclear
weapons exhibition "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace:
Toward a World Free From Nuclear Weapons" opened for the first time
in the Middle East at the Bahrain National Museum in Manama. 
This exhibition, shown
for the first time in Arabic, was jointly presented by SGI and the
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). "We hope this showing in Manama will contribute to
the discussion of establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and
all weapons of mass destruction," said ICAN
Campaign Director Arielle Denis.
Under the patronage of
H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Foreign ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-New Zealand Women Walk for Peace on International Women's Day</title>
                <pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:43:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-new-zealand-women-walk-peace.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On International Women's Day, March 8, SGI-New Zealand Aotearoa (SGINZ)
women participated in Wellington Women Walk for Peace (WWW4Peace), a peace walk
through the city from Parliament to Civic Square and an evening Peace
Celebration. The event emphasized the empowerment of women and expressed opposition
to war and to violence against women and children. Along with WWW4Peace
founders, SGINZ representatives were part of the event's organizing committee.
Prior to departure, the 150-strong group of women were addressed by
Barbara Arnold, national president of the National Council of Women of New
Zealand, and Rosemary Barrington of the Sonja Davies Peace Award Trust. Ms.
Arnold paid tribute to Kate Sheppard who ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI Participates in Oslo Conference on Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons</title>
                <pubDate>Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:35:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/oslo-conference-humanitarian-impact-nuclear-weapons.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ From March 4-5, the government of Norway hosted an international
conference to focus on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. The
conference, the first of its kind, was chaired by Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide and attended
by delegates from 127 governments, representatives of UN agencies and a
selection of civil society groups. SGI Executive Director of Peace Affairs
Hirotsugu Terasaki participated in the conference.&nbsp; 
Presentations by experts explored the immediate and long-term human,
developmental, economic and environmental consequences of the detonation of a nuclear
weapon, and the preparedness of states and international organizations for such
an eventuality.
Speakers included Dr. Masao Tomonaga, director of the ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-New Zealand Supports iChoose Anti-bullying Program in Auckland Schools</title>
                <pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:14:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-new-zealand-ichoose-anti-bullying-program-auckland.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ From February 25 to March 1, SGI-New Zealand Aotearoa (SGINZ)
supported the International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP) in bringing
the "iChoose" anti-bullying program, aimed at teenagers, to 10
schools in Auckland for the first time. 
This took place
against the backdrop of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key's 2011 promise of a
nationwide conversation on bullying, an issue brought to light by video footage
of a high school student being beaten unconscious by her peer. 
Directed by SGINZ member Lisa Brickell, the iChoose presentation
comprised of a 20 minute musical and dance performance by an all-Auckland cast.
The musical, developed in a weekend workshop and rehearsed ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-Australia Hosts Lecture by Ela Gandhi</title>
                <pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:59:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-australia-ela-gandhi.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On February 28, Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, delivered a lecture titled "Human Security
and Sustainability" at the SGI-Australia (SGIA) Culture Centre in Sydney. The lecture was based on &nbsp;SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's 2012 Peace
Proposal.
The lecture
was attended by some 300 people, including Auburn
City Councillor Le Lam and Gambhir Watts, president of
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia, an organization dedicated to sharing Indian culture
and promoting nonviolence
in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi. 
In her opening remarks, Ms. Gandhi highlighted
both the rapid depletion of natural resources and the lack of acknowledgement of this
depletion as central
issues exacerbating the problems facing humanity. She also stressed
the importance of ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-Venezuela Holds Peacebuilders Workshop to Counter Rising Violence</title>
                <pubDate>Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:40:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-venezuela-peacebuilders-workshop.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On February 24, SGI members in Valle de La Pascua in Gu&aacute;rico State, central Venezuela,
organized a "Young Peacebuilders" workshop at a local public community center in
an effort to counter the rising violence which has been affecting youth in the
city. Twenty-six young people participated in the event.
The interactive workshop aimed
to provide participants with the skills to enable them to practice active
peacemaking in their daily lives and affect positive change in their environment.
Despite a power outage, the workshop provided the young people with a forum to
reflect upon their day-to-day actions and discuss ways to become peacebuilders
in their city.
Participants enjoy the interactive session
Since ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-USA Hosts Lecture by Scholar of African-American History in New York</title>
                <pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:27:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-new-york-lecture-african-american-history.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On February 6, Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, internationally renowned
historian and scholar on the African-American experience, gave a lecture at the
SGI-USA New York Culture Center as part of its Culture of Peace Distinguished
Speaker Series. More than 350 people attended, and before he spoke, Dr.
Muhammad joined a discussion session with representative SGI-USA youth. 
Dr. Muhammad is the director of the New York Public Library's Schomburg
Center for Research in Black Culture, located in Harlem. As a national research
library devoted to the preservation of materials related to the global African
diaspora, the Schomburg Center sponsors programs and events that illuminate the
richness of black history and ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-new-york-lecture-african-american-history.html</guid>
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		<title>Peace Education Videoconference Linking Spain and Japan</title>
                <pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:27:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/peace-education-videoconference-spain-japan.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On January 30,
in an effort to directly expose youth to the tragedies of nuclear weapons use, SGI-Spain
helped organize a live videoconference between some 150 high school students
and local citizens in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain, and atomic bomb survivors in
Nagasaki, Japan.
The exchange was
held as a part of the Peace-Net program, an initiative of the Nagasaki Peace
Memorial Hall and Nagasaki
Foundation for the Promotion of Peace, which uses online technology to
promote peace education for those unable
to physically visit the atomic bomb sites in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
The teleconference opened with a
video message by Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, welcome remarks by Rivas-Vaciamadrid Deputy Mayor Marcos Sanz Salas ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/peace-education-videoconference-spain-japan.html</guid>
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		<title>Toda Institute Holds Conflict Resolution Workshops in Thailand and U.S.</title>
                <pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:14:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/toda-institute-conflict-resolution-workshops-thailand-us.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ The Toda
Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research held workshops on nonviolent
conflict resolution in Thailand from January 19-20 and in the U.S. on February
4.
The first workshop,
held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was cosponsored by Payap University in Chiang Mai
and the Peace Information Center of Thamassat University in Bangkok. It opened
with remarks by Toda Institute Secretary General Dr. Kevin Clements. 
Focusing
on nonviolent conflict resolution and reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific region,
discussion centered around case studies of political, religious and ethnic
conflict in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, the
Philippines and Indonesia. The discussions highlighted how, even in the midst
of the most ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-USA Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Promotes Nonviolence</title>
                <pubDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:07:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-usa-martin-luther-king-jr.-day-nonviolence.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ From January 19-21, people across America gathered to celebrate Martin Luther
King Jr. Day, commemorating the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his
nonviolent activism for racial equality that spearheaded the US Civil Rights
movement.&nbsp;This year, MLK Day was observed on January 21.
Together with the City of Santa Monica and the West Side Coalition, SGI-USA
cosponsored two MLK Day events at the
World Peace Ikeda Auditorium in Santa
Monica, California.
The first event, titled "Redeem the Dream," marked the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's landmark "I Have a Dream" speech in which he made an impassioned call for an end to racism and equal ]]></description>		
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		<title>SGI-USA Cosponsors Guam's Latte Peace Festival</title>
                <pubDate>Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:59:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-usa-guams-latte-peace-festival.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On January 12, Guam
launched its first annual Latte Peace Festival at Tamuning Park in the village
of Tamuning. The festival--named after the latte stone, a symbol of strength in
the island's native Chamorro culture--was held to celebrate peace, promote
cultural exchange between neighboring islands and to commemorate Louise Rivera's
inauguration as the new Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon mayor.
The event also coincided
with the 38th anniversary of SGI's founding on the island (on January 26,
1975). It was cosponsored by SGI-USA, the International Committee of Artists
for Peace (ICAP), the Mayor's Council of Guam and other community partners.
The festival was open to
the public and featured cultural displays, entertainment--including dance
groups representing Polynesian, ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2013/sgi-usa-guams-latte-peace-festival.html</guid>
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		<title>"Choose Life" Peace Symposiums Held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata</title>
                <pubDate>Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:37:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/choose-life-symposiums-new-delhi-mumbai-chennai-kolkata.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) organized a series of peace symposiums celebrating the 40th anniversary of the dialogue between SGI President Daisaku Ikeda and British historian Dr. Arnold J. Toynbee, which was subsequently published as Choose Life.&nbsp;The events were held throughout India from October to December.
Over 100 dignitaries attended the first symposium, which was held
at BSG's Soka
Bodhi Tree Garden near New Delhi, India, on October 28. Discussions
based on Choose Life were led by Mark
Tully, renowned journalist and writer; Dr. Kavita Sharma, director of the India
International Centre; Professor Mushirul Hasan, director general of the National
Archives of India; and Naveena Reddi, director general ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/choose-life-symposiums-new-delhi-mumbai-chennai-kolkata.html</guid>
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		<title>Dialogue and Education Highlighted at BSGI Peace Seminar</title>
                <pubDate>Sat, 08 Dec 2012 23:37:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/brazil-sgi-peace-seminar.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On December 8, Brazil SGI (BSGI) student members held a
peace seminar themed "Peace Begins in the Mind of the Individual" based on principles laid out in SGI President Daisaku
Ikeda's 2012 peace proposal, "Human Security and Sustainability: Sharing Reverence for the Dignity of
Life." The seminar, held at the Uirapuru Unified Educational
Center (CEU) in a suburb of S&atilde;o Paulo, was part of BSGI's student-led Academic Movement for
Peace that promotes building a culture of peace through dialogue and education
at the grassroots level.
In his opening speech, Professor Luiz
Antonio Farias, CEU Uirapuru manager, commented on how dialogue sparked by educational
initiatives, such as SGI's exhibition "Seeds ]]></description>		
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		<title>Toda Institute Co-organizes Seminar: Challenges of a Nuke-Free World</title>
                <pubDate>Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:08:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/toda-institute-a-nuke-free-world-vienna.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ Seminar participants with keynote speaker Dr. Schelling (center)
On November 19, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy
Research and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) co-organized
an international seminar in Vienna, Austria, on the strengths and weaknesses of a nuclear-weapon-free world titled "Stable Zero: Feasible, Realistic?" The seminar was
held at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) and
brought together experts in nuclear disarmament, UN representatives and diplomats.
Keynote speaker Dr. Thomas C. Schelling reiterated his 2009 challenge
of the wisdom of totally abolishing nuclear weapons and posed the question of
what might happen in the event of war in a nuclear-weapon-free world. ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/toda-institute-a-nuke-free-world-vienna.html</guid>
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		<title>Victory Over Violence Essay Contest Held in Albuquerque</title>
                <pubDate>Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:54:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/victory-over-violence-essay-contest-albuquerque.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ In conjunction with the
showing of the "Transforming the Human Spirit" anti-nuclear weapons
exhibition from September 29 to October 28 at the National Museum of Nuclear Science &amp;
History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the local SGI-USA group
cosponsored its second Victory Over Violence essay contest, in partnership
with the local UN Association (UNA) and the Albuquerque Center for Peace and
Justice.
The contest was open to
all students from grades 1 to 12, with prizes awarded to two people in each of
five categories including adult high school students. The adult students are
enrolled at the Gordon Bernell Charter School, a high school created to cater for
adults, including those in ]]></description>		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/victory-over-violence-essay-contest-albuquerque.html</guid>
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		<title>Peace Through Music: SGI-USA Hosts "Daniel Pearl World Music Days" Concert</title>
                <pubDate>Sun, 28 Oct 2012 18:54:00 +0900</pubDate>
		<link>http://www.sgi.org/news/peace/peace2012/sgi-usa-daniel-pearl-world-music-days-concert.html</link>
	        <description><![CDATA[ On October 28, SGI-USA and the International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP) cosponsored a "Daniel Pearl Music Days" concert at SGI-USA's World Peace Ikeda Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. Daniel Pearl was the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal&nbsp;correspondent killed by extremists while on assignment in Pakistan in 2002.
Several hundred people attended the concert, which was one
of more than&nbsp;1,900 performances in 77 countries that took place in
October to honor&nbsp;Mr. Pearl's life and celebrate the power of music to
reaffirm humanity's commitment to tolerance and peace.
Classical pieces by composers such as Vivaldi and Brahms and a piece from the musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews ]]></description>		
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