TagIkeda Center

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

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

by Mitch Bogen Special to the tribune  In his Harvard lecture of 1993, “Mahayana Buddhism and Twenty-first-Century Civilization,” Daisaku Ikeda urged us to realize that “death should be acknowledged, along with life, as a blessing to be appreciated.” Cynthia B. Dillard embraced this challenge with courage and deep feeling. Dr. Dillard, Dean of the College

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune  Inspired by Daisaku Ikeda’s lifelong commitment to literature as a core aspect of his peacebuilding ethos, the Ikeda Center celebrated its 30th anniversary with a dialogue event devoted to that very topic. Held on Sept. 16, the 19th Annual Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue featured eight scholar-panelists sharing their

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

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 Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune  “We are storied into being,” said Shirley Tang toward the end of the 2022 Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue. These words, first spoken by Vincent Harding in his dialogue with Daisaku Ikeda, America Will Be!, captured the spirit of the event. The forum, called “Our Stories Matter: Dialogue

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune The most crucial element of dialogue, listening, is also the most difficult to practice. This was the focus at the most recent Ikeda Center Dialogue Nights, called “The Courage to Listen: What It Means and Why It Matters.” Held on Friday, Sept. 23, this second Dialogue Nights since

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune On July 29, after two years of virtual Dialogue Nights, nearly 30 Boston-area university students and young professionals returned to the Ikeda Center for an evening of engaging dialogue.  In her introduction to the event, which was called “Revitalizing Our Relationships: What Does That Look Like Now?” Ikeda

The Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue is accepting applications for its Education Fellows Program now through Sept. 1, 2022. Established in 2007, the program honors the educational legacy of Center founder and SGI president, Daisaku Ikeda. It aims to advance research and scholarship on the internationally growing field of Ikeda/Soka studies in education.

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune On Saturday, July 16, the Ikeda Center hosted its first in-person event since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. This event launched the 2022 Global Citizens Seminar in which seven doctoral students are gathering for two discussion sessions and engaging in a collaborative project based on

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune    CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—In the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue’s most recent Indigo Talks, Johnny Lupinacci, of Washington State University, lectured to a virtual crowd of some 130 people from 13 countries on the topic “Envisioning A Better World Together Through Value Creation, Interdependence and Creative Coexistence.” Dr.

The Ikeda Center’s recent release, Hope and Joy in Education: Engaging Daisaku Ikeda Across Curriculum and Context, was awarded the 2022 Outstanding Book Award by the Society of Professors of Education. Founded in 1902, the Society of Professors of Education is one of the oldest and most respected academic associations in the country, with its

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune On March 4, the Ikeda Center hosted its first Dialogue Nights of 2022. Called “Countering Burnout With the Power of Connection,” the gathering, which was held virtually, was the 20th since the inception of the series in 2017.  Welcoming the participants, Ikeda Center Program Manager Lillian I said the

by Mitch BogenSpecial to the Tribune With nearly 250 participants from 27 countries attending via Zoom, the 2021 Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue demonstrated how technology can enhance a sense of global citizenship. The core message of the event, though, was that the essential work of global citizenship begins on a deeper, more personal level.

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune What are the benefits of vulnerability during challenging times such as these? This question was at the heart of the Ikeda Center’s Oct. 28 Dialogue Nights. Called “Embracing Vulnerability: Our Path to Genuine Growth,” the virtual event was attended by 28 participants from many time zones around the

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune On Oct. 14, Gutman Library at the Harvard Graduate School of Education hosted a book talk celebrating the publication of Hope and Joy in Education: Engaging Daisaku Ikeda Across Curriculum and Context, developed by the Ikeda Center and published this year by Teachers College Press. More than 175

by Mitch Bogen Special to the Tribune Responding to a surge of interest among young people over the last year relating to the need for self-love and self-care, the Aug. 13 Ikeda Center Dialogue Nights—called “A Conversation on Self-Love: What We Need Now”—embraced the topic as one worthy of investigation. The joyous response from the

by Mitch Bogen Special to The Tribune On July 22, the Ikeda Center celebrated the launch of its new Indigo Talks lecture series. Named after the Buddhist expression “from the indigo, an even deeper blue,” the series features renowned intellectuals in dialogue with enduring works by Ikeda Center founder Daisaku Ikeda. The inaugural speaker was

by Anri Tanabe Special to the Tribune CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 14, 2021—The Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue hosted its second virtual Dialogue Nights event, “Unpacking COVID-19: What We Learned, What We Lost, and What We Will Carry Forward.” This theme was inspired by Daisaku Ikeda’s 2021 Peace Proposal, “Value Creation in a Time