TagGlobal Efforts

Youth pledge breakthroughs toward nuclear abolition and climate change.

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

NEW YORK—The “Automated by Design” exhibition was launched on Oct. 13 to deepen understanding around autonomous weapons systems and the wider issue of digital dehumanization stemming from artificial intelligence (AI). The event—co-organized by Stop Killer Robots (SKR), Amnesty International and the SGI—brought together diplomats, U.N. officials and representatives of civil society organizations  and took place

The Atomic Age was born 78 years ago, on July 16, 1945, when the United States government conducted an atomic bomb test in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The first large-scale use of nuclear technology, it became the precursor to the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Eight decades later, we continue to live in this age,

SANTA FE, New Mexico—Emerging from the sweltering heat, hundreds gathered under the roof of the Santa Maria de la Paz Community Hall on July 16, 2023, for “A World Without Nuclear Weapons: From Reflection to Action,” an interfaith remembrance of the Trinity nuclear test. On the same day in 1945, the first atomic bomb was

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

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 Alexander Harang Alexander Harang is the co-president of International Peace and Understanding, an organization that brings together various parties to strengthen public support and the political will needed to fundamentally change the role of nuclear weapons in security policy and prevent nuclear war. The potential for nuclear confrontation (be it by design or accident)

The Soka Gakkai recently launched “Transforming Human History,” a campaign to encourage engagement and inspire confidence that change is possible. It covers three areas that will determine the future of life on our planet: nuclear weapons abolition, education for all and climate action. These issues are the focus of Ikeda Sensei’s 2022 peace proposal. The

As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, Soka Gakkai representatives visited the U.N. World Food Programme branch office in Shibuya, Tokyo, on March 24, 2022, making a donation to help fund emergency humanitarian aid.

“A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” These words can be found in the joint statement released by the White House on Jan. 3, 2022, in which five of the most powerful countries of the world pledged to avoid nuclear war. The countries that signed the joint statement are the U.S.,

From Nov. 1 to 7, the first week of COP26, the 26th annual U.N. Climate Change Conference, held in Glasgow, Scotland, the SGI, SGI-U.K. and the Centre for Applied Buddhism provided a platform for dialogue among key stakeholders—from faith leaders to youth activists—under the theme “Sowing Seeds of Hope— Action for Climate Justice.” “We are

Soka International School Malaysia is a nonsectarian international school set to open next year to local and international students. Find them at https://sism.edu.my/. Fill out the “Contact Us” form for more information.

The combined junior high and senior high school will welcome students from around the world.

March 4—The Back from the Brink national grassroots campaign and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, convened a virtual policy briefing with interactive workshops, themed “Ending Nuclear Weapons Before They End Us: Opportunities Under the Biden Administration to Take Action.” The SGI-USA is a member of the

A U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons is now international law. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) went into effect on Jan. 22 for the more than 50 member states that had ratified it. Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada issued a statement, on behalf of SGI members worldwide, welcoming this unprecedented milestone. Nuclear

Hiroshima Atomic bomb survivor Setsuko Thurlow cried tears of joy when she learned that, on Oct. 24, the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons had reached the 50th member state required for its entry into force. The treaty, the first international instrument to comprehensively ban nuclear weapons, will have legal force and effect

10/8 Tokyo Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada met with Ambassador of Russia to Japan Mikhail Galuzin at the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Japan. The ambassador, who was an exchange student at Soka University in Japan from 1982–83, expressed his gratitude to Ikeda Sensei for his contributions to Japan-Russia relations. 10/11 Tokyo Beatrice Fihn—the

On Sept. 21, Arbor Day in Brazil, the Soka Institute for Environmental Studies and Research of the Amazon launched an initiative to honor COVID-19 victims in Brazil by planting one tree for every person who passed away. More than 100,000 trees will be planted over a four-year period. President of the Soka Institute Edison Akira

Australia In recognition of 75 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, SGI-Australia hosted an online peace event calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Over 300 participants joined, including keynote speaker Gem Romuld, the Australian director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Kenya SGI members in Kenya are holding meetings online to