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by Sumana Chattopadhyay Special to the Tribune    MILWAUKEE—The sun was shining, the energy infectious, as hundreds of vendors showcased food, crafts and messages of hope at Milwaukee’s 52nd Juneteenth Street Festival. Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last slaves in the South heard about their freedom two-and-a-half

by Daisaku Ikeda The Ukraine crisis, which in addition to bringing devastation to the people of that country has had severe impacts on a global scale—even giving rise to the specter of nuclear weapons use—has entered its second year. Against this backdrop and amid urgent calls for resolution, the G7 Summit of leading industrial nations

TAMUNING, Guam—After Typhoon Mawar brought hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to Guam on May 24, 2023, an elderly woman who had just undergone knee surgery stayed in her bedroom for days without electricity, subsisting on bottled nutrition shakes. Her roof had blown off during the typhoon, and she was left with nothing but her bed

Soka University of America graduates the Class of 2023.

The following is Soka University of America Founder Daisaku Ikeda’s message to SUA’s Class of 2023, which was read at its commencement ceremony on May 26, 2023.  To be young is to sow the seeds for the future. The seeds sown by youth can overcome any and all hardship; they are able to flower and

The following keynote address was presented by Wanjira Mathai at Soka University of America’s 2023 commencement ceremony, held in Aliso Viejo, Calif., on May 26, 2023. Mathai is a renowned Kenyan environmentalist and activist, currently serving as the vice president and regional director for Africa and global partnerships at the World Resources Institute. She is

by Mitch Bogen  Special to the Tribune    The Ikeda Center hosted “Voices of Hope in a Critical Time: What Role Can We Play to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons?” The event, held on April 20, 2023, was co-sponsored by Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility. The featured speaker was Dr. Ira Helfand, co-founder and  past president

Reflecting on the Buddhist life journey of Tina Turner.

All positions are based in Santa Monica, California, at the SGI-USA Headquarters. Active participation in SGI-USA activities is required. Please send resumes to jobs@sgi-usa.org. Full-Time Researcher and Writer The SGI-USA Design and Exhibits Center is looking for a full-time writer/copy editor to research and write for exhibits and related projects. Candidates should have a minimum

BROOKLINE, Mass., April 17, 2023—More than 70 members and guests gathered at the New England Buddhist Center in Brookline, Massachusetts, for a Culture of Peace Distinguished Speaker Series lecture entitled “Applying Daisaku Ikeda’s Philosophy of Peace: Inner Transformation, Dialogue, and Global Citizenship.” Alexander Harang, co-president of International Peace and Understanding and Soka University of America

Ira Helfand was awarded the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builder’s Prize on April 13, 2023, at a ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia. The following excerpts are from his acceptance address. Dr. Helfand is the co-president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.  When the Cold

The following was adapted from sokaglobal.org  TOKYO, April 27, 2023—Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder and president of the Soka Gakkai International, issued a statement calling on the leaders of the G7 countries meeting in Hiroshima from May 19 to 21 to take bold steps toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine and guarantee the security of

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune  It was fitting that the first public event of the Ikeda Center’s 30th anniversary year was a Dialogue Nights gathering. After all, there is no activity or ethos more central to the life and body of work of the center’s founder, Daisaku Ikeda, than dialogue, in all its

by World Tribune staff LOS ANGELES—Wayne Shorter, the legendary American jazz saxophonist and composer, and a devoted SGI-USA member for five decades, died on March 2, 2023, at 89. Mr. Shorter earned worldwide recognition for his mastery of the saxophone, including 12 Grammy Awards, culminating in a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 for his

Asle Toje, deputy leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the council tasked with selecting the annual Nobel Peace Prize recipient, visited Soka University of America (SUA) in late January to tour the campus, speak with faculty and work closely with students. After several days, he sat down for an open dialogue with Alexander Harang, an

On Jan. 20, 2023, the day before the grand opening of the SGI Guam Ikeda Peace and Culture Center, the Soka Gakkai delegation attended a series of public events congratulating the SGI on its new departure. At the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña, the territory’s capital village, the Guam Legislature recognized the Soka Gakkai International

TOKYO—On Jan. 11, 2023, peace builder and Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), issued a statement decrying the cruelty and misery of war, calling for action aimed at restoring peace in Ukraine and steps to lessen the risk of the use of nuclear weapons. Mr. Ikeda, 95, calls for the

by Daisaku IkedaPresident, Soka Gakkai International The Ukraine crisis that erupted in February last year continues with no prospect for cessation. The intensified hostilities have inflicted great suffering in population centers and destroyed infrastructure facilities, compelling large numbers of civilians, including many children and women, to live in a state of constant peril. More than 7.9

On Jan. 2, Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher, peace builder, educator, author and poet, celebrates his 95th birthday.  He was born on Jan. 2, 1928, in Ota Ward, Tokyo, as the fifth of eight children. Beginning in 1937, his four elder brothers were drafted into the Japanese military. Though as a teenager he suffered from tuberculosis

Jan. 1 World Tribune Hearts Ever Youthful and Filled With Limitless Hope Ikeda Sensei opens 2022 in his New Year’s message by praising SGI members as “treasured friends” who chant and take action for the happiness and well-being of others amid the serious challenges facing humanity. He also encourages us to “make dynamic strides in