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by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  Now in its sixth year, the Ikeda Center’s Global Citizens seminar series was founded to bring emerging scholars from diverse fields into dialogue across disciplines to reckon with the most pressing issues of our time. This year’s seminar, held on June 20, was called “Becoming Human Together: Hope, Healing,

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  In May, the academic publisher Routledge released Daisaku Ikeda, Transnationalism, and American Literature: Dialogues of the Heart. Edited by Anita Patterson, professor of English at Boston University, and developed in association with the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue, the multiauthor volume features nine scholars exploring how American

NEW YORK—“The world is not healed by cynicism,” said Andrea Bartoli, member of Soka University of America’s (SUA’s)board of trustees, addressing a packed Milbank Chapel at Teachers College, Columbia University, on June 13. “The world is not transformed by resignation. The world changes because people are willing to imagine something better, and they dedicate themselves

by Lillian KoizumiSpecial to the Tribune  The second annual Educating for Peace Conference was held April 25–26, 2026, at the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue. Co-organized with the Soka Institute for Global Solutions at SUA (SIGS), the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Middlebury Institute, and EdEthics at the Harvard

As Soka University of America (SUA) celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Aliso Viejo, Calif., campus on May 2, 2026, Katherine King had witnessed nearly every chapter of the university’s journey firsthand. From helping open the graduate school at the Calabasas, Calif., campus in the early 1990s to now serving as executive vice president for

On May 11, 2026, Soka University of America (SUA), shared exciting news regarding the potential purchase of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) campus. The boards of trustees of SUA and Middlebury have authorized a letter of intent and are currently working toward finalizing the agreement. SUA and Middlebury have already shared a three-year

Scholar and author Sarah Ann Wider delivered the keynote address at the Soka University of America Class of 2026 commencement ceremony. In the following excerpt, Wider encourages graduates to inspire hope through imaginative empathy, heartfelt contribution and the shared work of building a world in which all can thrive. by Sarah Ann Wider I am

Soka University of America graduates the Class of 2026.

A celebration of Lawrence E. Carter Sr.’s legacy inspires a renewed commitment to dialogue, dignity and everyday action for peace. ATLANTA—On April 24, 2026, members and guests gathered at the Atlanta Buddhist Center for a celebration honoring Dr. Lawrence E. Carter Sr., founding dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College,

This spring, students at Soka University of America (SUA) are demonstrating that the path to a meaningful career begins not after graduation but from the moment they step onto campus. Through initiatives like Career Week and the Bridges to Business (B2B) Leadership Circle, SUA students are gaining real-world experience, deepening their sense of purpose and

A quiet bench near the student center at Soka University of America (SUA) bears a powerful reminder of history: a cast bronze plaque commemorating the meeting between civil rights leader Rosa Parks and SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda on Jan. 30, 1993. During that visit to SUA’s former graduate campus in Calabasas, California, Parks and Ikeda

Ikeda Sensei gave the following speech at a general meeting of Toshima, Taito, Sumida and Meguro Wards in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 12, 1987. It can be found in The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, chapter 24, installment 2, pp. 110–13. In Buddhism, functions that direct people toward goodness and Buddhist

by Lillian KoizumiSpecial to the Tribune  On Jan. 30, the Ikeda Center held its first Dialogue Nights of 2026, kicking off the ninth year of this series. The event explored the theme “Leaning Into 2026 With Inner Dialogue!” In light of the current state of the world and how many youth feel about their personal

Santa Monica, Calif., Jan. 19, 2026—Under the theme “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” the Santa Monica community gathered for the 41st Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration—a heartfelt morning of music, reflection and renewed determination to build a more just society. Presented by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Soka University of America alumni Michael Sasaki (Class of 2005) and Miho Saito (Class of 2014) are being recognized internationally for their short film The Brain That Cried Wolf, a work that approaches mental health, identity and fear with honesty, humor and compassion. The film was recently named runner-up for Best LGBTQIA Short Film at

JAN 1 WORLD TRIBUNE New Year’s Message Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada encourages members worldwide to unite in the Year of Soaring Higher Toward a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide, repaying gratitude to Ikeda Sensei through action and actual proof. Highlighting key anniversaries, he stresses spreading the Mystic Law, illuminating a troubled world, deepening unity and

Ikeda Sensei opened the way for global kosen-rufu. Now is the time for genuine disciples to widen and extend that path even further.

by Lillian KoizumiSpecial to the Tribune  At a time when political and social polarization is perceived by many as nearing crisis level in the U.S., a capacity crowd of more than 130 people gathered at the Ikeda Center in late September to consider ways out of this dilemma. The occasion was the 21st Annual Ikeda

Newly appointed SGI-USA Women’s Leader Monica Soto Ouchi gave the following determination at meetings in Los Angeles and Oakland, California, commemorating the 65th anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s first steps in the U.S. to spread Buddhism around the world. by Monica Soto OuchiSGI-USA Women’s Leader I want to first and foremost express my boundless gratitude to

Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada gave the following address at the SoCal Quint Zones representative leaders meeting, held on Oct. 8, 2025, at the World Culture Center in Santa Monica, California. The meeting commemorated the 65th anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s first visit to the U.S. to spread Nichiren Buddhism around the world. Many congratulations on