10,000 Youth

The new, refined goal signals a generational flashpoint—a clear, all-out focus on helping current youth members learn how to live their bodhisattva vow, while exposing many more young people to the life-empowering philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism as a profound cause for creating peace in our communities and country.

Kenichi Hackman, the SGI-USA young men’s leader, said that learning to share Buddhism taught him how to believe in himself and other people. The fact that youth today are struggling to connect with others in society is not a barrier to the new goal. “It’s the precise reason we have to do the most shakubuku right now,” he said. “We have to fight all-out and help other youth believe in themselves.” 

New leadership appointment

SGI-USA General Director Adin Strauss opened the quarterly, daylong conference, held at the New York Culture Center, with the following leadership appointment:

Danny Nagashima
Pacific Zone 4D Leader

Nagashima has moved to Hawaii to take on this new responsibility and will continue in his role as the SGI-USA executive advisor.

Given the tenor of the times, Strauss emphasized the importance of SGI members acting as the “prime purveyors of hope” not only for their fellow members, but for everyone around them. “We are fortunate to practice the leading philosophy of the age and seek the encouragement of Ikeda Sensei, the leading practitioner of the age.”

Strauss then relayed an episode from January 1963, when Sensei was flying from Hong Kong to Tokyo and made an unexpected stopover in Taiwan. The government there, under martial law, had ordered the members to disband their Soka Gakkai activities. In his brief encounter with them, Sensei shared Nichiren Daishonin’s assurance that “Winter always turns to spring” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 536), which the members eventually realized through their steady, persevering efforts to create trust in their communities.

“Those who internalize even a single passage of the Daishonin’s writings are strong; they will never be defeated,” Strauss said. “In the Daishonin’s writings, universal principles are beautifully expressed. Our responsibility is to read and extract those principles, and bring them to life.”

Shakubuku Rooted in Friendship

The CEC, which is composed of national and territory leaders, sets the activity focus for SGI-USA. During their June conference, they focused on further building on the three essential activity focuses: shakubuku rooted in friendship; strengthening our youth; and strengthening our community.

Under the banner of “shakubuku rooted in friendship,” the CEC members unanimously approved the activity focus to introduce 10,000 youth to Buddhism by Jan. 2, 2028, beginning with these first steps:

• holding youth-led district discussion meetings in July (similar to March); 
• reaching the milestone of 750 young people joining the SGI-USA by the Sept. 7 Kosen-rufu Gongyo Meetings, which will take place across the country; and
• celebrating those who have helped one youth join the SGI-USA by featuring their district name in the World Tribune.

Strauss said that, so far this year, more than 8,000 youth guests have attended at least one district meeting. The departure point toward 2028, he said, is to review those lists and invite these guests to district meetings.

Amelia Gonzalez-Tesch, the national young women’s leader, said that whether youth are interested in organized religion, “we’re going to win because of meeting youth one to one. We’ll find out why when we meet one to one.”

Jasmine Lee, the East Territory women’s leader, relayed the story of a pioneer women’s division member who attended a discussion meeting years ago, with no youth. She asked each member about the young people in their family and listened as each named children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren—listing off more than 100 young people in their own families. “That was really eye-opening to me how many youth and future division members are already there,” Lee said.

Strengthening Our Youth

In discussing the key activity focus of “strengthening our youth,” CEC members voted to pause all current youth division graduations into the men’s and women’s divisions until December 2027. This will enable current youth leaders and members to fully engage in our shared goal to introduce 10,000 young people to the practice by Jan. 2, 2028. It would also give local organizations the time to raise successors, especially at the district and chapter levels.

While the pause is for the next two years, the graduation age will remain 32 years old and resume in 2028.

Strengthening Our Community

My young friends, please gather
at our precious discussion meetings
that are a beacon of hope for humanity.
Together let’s celebrate
the joy of life! ^[1]

Regarding the third key activity focus of “strengthening our community,” James Herrmann, the SGI-USA men’s leader, said he was at a recent kosen-rufu gongyo meeting when he recognized a guest sitting in back that he’d met several times before. The guest had been coming to chapter intro meetings at his house and staying afterward to get to know the members.

After the large meeting at the center, however, the guest left immediately. When Herrmann ran after him to see what he thought of it, the guest said: “The meeting was good. I just don’t know anybody here.”

The CEC members discussed the importance of holding discussion meetings at homes versus at centers. Across the country, more than 8% of districts still meet at centers. “These are communities that don’t know we exist because we’re not holding meetings there,” he said.

Gonzalez-Tesch shared how the district she supports meets every Monday. She hosts the district toso and planning meeting at her home.

“The real focus of the district is that every member shares Buddhism,” she said. Most meetings are guest-centered, and the new members also share Buddhism. Two youth received the Gohonzon so far this year, and they’ve been coming out to every meeting.

“Each meeting feels so refreshing because there are guests there,” she said. For instance, a men’s division member recently joined, and now he’s hosting the study meeting. “The discussion meeting is just something people want to go to,” she said.

‘They are waiting to hear your confident voices.’

In closing encouragement, Naoko Leslie, SGI-USA women’s leader, shared how women across the country are sharing Buddhism with their friends. “This network of good friends in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law is a miracle,” she said. “It’s important to expand this network of bodhisattvas who want to make people happy.”

Leslie called the CEC the kickoff toward Sensei’s 100th birthday, and she encouraged everyone to set their sights on enabling many young people to join the SGI leading up to and at the September Kosen-rufu Gongyo meetings. She then relayed this guidance from Sensei:

People with whom you share a profound karmic connection, who are ready to “spring from the earth,” are waiting for you to talk with them. They are waiting to hear your confident voices.^[2]

“Let’s really believe in these words,” she said.

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Study department introduces ‘Learning Lab’ and flashcards, quizzes.

The SGI-USA study department introduced an Advanced Exam, which will take place every other year, starting in December 2026.

The exam will be open to all those who passed the Intermediate Exam or completed all three Essentials Exams (which concluded in 2020). This exam is not a prerequisite for any level of leadership.

Other exciting developments:

•The first “Learning Lab” course, which is about the Gohonzon, is now available to all those with an SGI-USA Member account. The course can be accessed by logging in to your account at portal.sgi-usa.org and selecting the “My Exams” tab under the “Personal” column.
•Flashcards and quizzes to study for the next Introductory Exam, coming in October, will be available in your member account in
August by following the same prompts above.

June 20, 2025 World Tribune, pp. 6–7