News Headlines

On April 12, the seventh Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting of the seven-year period leading up to the Soka Gakkai’s centennial in 2030 was held at the Tokyo Toda Memorial Auditorium in Sugamo. The meeting commemorated May 3, Soka Gakkai Day, the anniversary of the inauguration of Josei Toda as second Soka Gakkai president in 1951 and the inauguration of Daisaku Ikeda as third president of the organization in 1960. The day is also celebrated as Soka Gakkai Mother’s Day. Those present at the meeting included 156 leaders from 19 countries and territories who were visiting Japan for a training course. Soka Gakkai Singapore (SGS) General Director Goh Kim Hua shared his faith experience and reported on SGS activities. In his speech, Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada stated that challenges and obstacles are opportunities for human revolution—a positive inner transformation.  

On March 15, 16, 22 and 23, SGI-Venezuela (SGIV) youth members participated in environmental awareness activities in collaboration with 14 other organizations. Centered on the theme of the dignity of life, these activities took place across cities including Barquisimeto, Caracas, Maturín, Mérida and Puerto La Cruz. Participants took part in workshops, discussions, tree-planting and cleanups of beaches, parks and watercourses. Additionally, the "Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality" exhibition—a joint initiative of the Earth Charter International and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), was held at 10 locations throughout the country.    

From March 10 to 21, the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69/Beijing+30) was held at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), international guidelines on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (SCR 1325) that calls for the participation of women in peacebuilding.

On March 11, the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) organized a parallel event titled “Activating an Intergenerational Movement for the Culture of Peace.” Former UN Under-Secretary-General Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury and High Representative of the UN, who was instrumental in the adoption of SCR 1325 and is founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, attended the event. During a roundtable discussion, he stated that the culture of peace does not just mean the absence of war but also the eradication of all forms of discrimination and violence. Miyuki Kawaoka, vice chair of the Youth Conference of the Soka Gakkai Women’s Peace Committee (WPC), shared stories of WPC members’ contributions to their communities, highlighting how ordinary individuals foster peace through small, meaningful actions in daily life.

On March 13, the SGI was among organizations that cohosted a side event with ACT Alliance and the governments of Colombia, Finland and Norway. The event was titled “Empowering Change: Advancing Women’s Role in Peace and Security.” A panel discussion focused on the meaningful implementation of the SCR 1325 and the importance of local leadership in peacebuilding processes. Ivy Koek of the SGI Office for UN Affairs, who also serves as cochair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York, called for greater civil society involvement in the establishment of the culture of peace, highlighting the significance of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and SCR 1325.