TagGlobal Efforts

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

TOKYO, Aug 6, 2020: To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soka Gakkai Buddhist organization has put out a statement calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and the early entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Soka Gakkai pledges to exert all

MANAUS, Brazil, March 16—The Soka Institute for Environmental Studies and Research of the Amazon and the Rede Amazônia Foundation launched a new schoolyard afforestation project aiming to plant some 3,000 saplings at 306 elementary and middle schools in the city of Manaus, which lies on the Amazon River. SGI President Ikeda has called the Amazon

In a historic first, SGI discussion meetings were conducted in the country of Kazakhstan. In this sparsely populated nation, which shares borders with China and Russia, members determined to finally meet despite having to travel long distances. The first gathering was held in celebration of Soka Gakkai Day last May 3 with five SGI members

For the Tokyo-Hakone Ekiden marathon relay race, participants say the difference between 10th and 11th place is as vast as heaven and earth, because only those who finish in the coveted top 10 qualify for next year’s competition. From Jan. 2–3, millions of people in Japan watch this famous race between qualifying university track teams,

The Soka Gakkai-affiliated Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (TFAM) has loaned “Boat Lying at Low Tide” (1881), a painting from one of its permanent collections, for the exhibition “Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature,” held at the Denver Art Museum from Oct. 20, 2019–Feb. 2, 2020. This event bills itself as the “most comprehensive U.S. exhibition

Soka Gakkai president meets with the president of India and discusses the Soka Gakkai’s efforts for peace. Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada and his delegation met with President of India Ram Nath Kovind at the president’s official residence in New Delhi on Sept. 23. President Harada first conveyed a message from SGI President Ikeda to

On Sept. 23, the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates released a statement on the urgent need to prevent nuclear war. In the document, the laureates expressed their support for the campaign Back From the Brink (which the SGI endorsed) and other international efforts to reduce the likelihood of nuclear war, including the Treaty on

This report was adapted from an article by Religious News Service. NEW YORK, Sept. 21–24—SGI youth representatives joined a series of events in New York City as part of Climate Week. In the run-up to the U.N. Climate Action Summit, the Japan Times published the SGI article “Winning the Climate Change Challenge: What One Person

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 26–28—The 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference on Building Inclusive and Sustainable Cities and Communities included the workshop “Amazon Frontline Report—Challenges and Partnerships for Sustainability in Manaus, Brazil’s Amazonas State.” The SGI and the Soka Institute for Environmental Studies and Research of the Amazon were among the organizations that co-sponsored the

SGI representatives join 1,500 leaders for an international conference promoting science, art, culture and peace at the Palace of Conventions in Havana.

SGI President Ikeda stresses urgent action toward disarmament and calls on young people to resist feelings of resignation and “meet the severe challenges of our age as agents of proactive and contagious change.” TOKYO, Jan. 26—Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher and president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), issued his 37th annual peace proposal, “Toward a