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by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  “This Dialogue Nights might be about anxiety,” said event moderator Preandra Noel, “but the energy that’s already prevalent in this room is certainly the opposite of that.” As the high-spirited crowd of more than 50 gathered for this August 2024 event, Noel explained that the mission of the Ikeda

HAGATNA, Guam—Thousands of residents gathered on July 21, 2024, for the 80th Liberation Day Parade themed “Todu i Tiempo i Pas Para Hita,” a CHamoru phrase that means “Peace for Us Always.” Started in 1945, this longstanding tradition celebrates Guam’s liberation from Japanese occupation by the U.S. military forces during World War II. The celebration

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  The 2024 edition of the annual Indigo Talks featured a longtime friend of the Ikeda Center, Andrea Bartoli, whose talk was called “Opening Pathways to Peace: The Role of Dialogue in Times of Conflict.” Bartoli currently is president of the Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue as well as

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—On July 14, 2024, to commemorate the anniversary of the first detonation of an atomic weapon in 1945 at the Trinity Test Site, an interfaith coalition hosted a vigil to pray, reflect and discuss the impact of the Trinity Test on its surrounding communities within a 50-mile radius. Speakers included John C. Wester, archbishop

WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Aug. 4, 2024, Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment hosted an event in remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as their annual resistance to the presence and use of nuclear weapons. The event was hosted, in part, “to remember that the danger of nuclear war is ever present, and that without a

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  The Ikeda Center’s June 21, 2024, Dialogue Nights on finding connection in a digital age got off to a deeply analog start. To open, the center’s Preandra Noel invited the nearly 60 attendees to engage in a “quick grounding exercise.” For this activity, they closed their eyes and focused

When the San Francisco Giants unveiled a nine-foot bronze statue of Orlando Cepeda at its stadium in September 2008, it showed him standing tall, a dignified bearing, his gaze on the future. That is, perhaps, the best metaphor for the storied life of the National Baseball Hall of Fame honoree and 11-time All Star, affectionately

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  On May 10, the Ikeda Center hosted a multigenerational forum devoted to the cause of education for nuclear disarmament. With speakers and discussants ranging from student activists to veteran figures in the global disarmament movement, the event kindled fresh hope for a future free of nuclear weapons.   The

The Rev. James Lawson, the leading nonviolence theorist and tactician of the American Civil Rights Movement, passed away on June 9 in Los Angeles. He was 95. In the 1950s, he spent three years in India as a Methodist missionary and studied Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence. He returned to the U.S. to attend graduate

SAN ANTONIO, MAY 9, 2024—San Antonio’s city council invited a local SGI-USA representative to lead the invocation at the start of their regular meeting.  An invocation is a sermon, prayer or moment of reflection to provide wisdom and unite attendees at the start of an event.  The meeting was led by San Antonio Mayor Ron

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.—In the fall of 2020, just months into the pandemic, the Soka University of America Class of 2024 began college life in the rarest circumstances, meeting classmates and professors for the first time via Zoom. In his welcome message to the class, SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda said that nothing had ever prevented the

The following excerpts are from Stephen S. Dunham’s keynote address to the 2024 Commencement Ceremony held at Soka University of America (SUA) in Aliso Viejo, Calif., on May 24, 2024. Dunham is the chair of the SUA Board of Trustees, involved in the establishment of SUA since 1992 and a trustee since the university’s opening

VATICAN CITY—On May 10, 2024, Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada met Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace. Their meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, began with warm greetings. President Haradaconveyed his hope that, amid these tumultuous times, religions that seek peace can transcend their differences and work together based on a shared love for humanity. Pope

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  The Ikeda Center hosted a Dialogue Nights event on April 5 that had the highest attendance since the pandemic. Called “Navigating Relationships: Can I Really Be My True Self With Others?,” the event welcomed nearly 70 Boston-area university students and young professionals, the majority of whom were first-time attendees.

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune The first Dialogue Nights of 2024 operated under the assumption that stress is, in the words of event moderator Preandra Noel, a “shared reality” these days. “Given this,” she explained, “we want to explore how we can not only manage our stress but use it as a tool to

On Feb. 22, Soka International School Malaysia (SISM) held its grand opening ceremony at its campus in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan State, welcoming 138 students from nine countries and territories. The ceremony was attended by Ed Feasel, president of Soka University of America, Sethu Kumanan, Chairman of the Soka Ikeda College of Arts and Science for

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune Among the causes closest to the heart of Daisaku Ikeda was that of abolishing nuclear weapons. On Jan. 22, the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue furthered that cause by hosting a seminar that brought together 12 students from Soka University of America (SUA) with representatives from International

On Feb. 20, Pina Picierno, vice president of the European Parliament, hosted an event titled “Promoting Peace Through Dialogue and Human Revolution: The Life of Daisaku Ikeda” at the European Parliament in Brussels. It honored the SGI president’s life and contributions in the areas of peace, culture and education. Scan the QR code to watch

LOS ANGELES—On Feb. 1, his 87th birthday, Garrett Morris, television icon and trailblazer in the entertainment industry, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mr. Morris was one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, and its first Black cast member. He also held starring or recurring roles in the television

The SGI-USA has appointed Emi Gwin to its board of directors. The chief executive officer of Sympo, Inc., a software development and consulting firm, Ms. Gwin has over 25 years of client services and project management experience with sole proprietorship to Fortune 100 companies. She has worked with a wide array of industries including retail,