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News Headlines

News Highlights from Seikyo Shimbun
(the Soka Gakkai's daily newspaper)

  • SGI Joins Club of Rome Earth–Humanity Reconciliation Conference Global Five people taking part in a panel discussion with a large screen behind them. The panel (from left to right): Joan Anderson, senior coordinator for Peace and Global Issues of the SGI; Professor Pan Yingji of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Luo Yufeng, UNESCO Chair of Asia-Pacific Water-Food-Environment Nexus at Wuhan University; Professor Fred Dubee of the Beijing Genomics Institute; and Martin Frick, director of WFP Global Office Berlin [© Shanghai University of Engineering Science] SGI Joins Club of Rome Earth–Humanity Reconciliation Conference Global:

    From November 5 to 7, SGI (Soka Gakkai International) representatives participated in the International Conference on Earth-Humanity Reconciliation in Suzhou, China, organized by The Club of Rome. The event, part of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033), explored how humanity can thrive within the ecological limits of the planet and was hosted by the Shanghai University of Engineering Science. 

    On November 7, Joan Anderson, senior coordinator for Peace and Global Issues of the SGI, served as moderator for a parallel session titled “Water-Food-Environment Nexus.” Keynote speakers were Professor Luo Yufeng, UNESCO Chair of Asia-Pacific Water-Food-Environment Nexus at Wuhan University, who presented on sustaining biodiversity in water-saving irrigated rice fields, and Professor Pan Yingji of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Professor Pan spoke on promoting migratory bird conservation and food security from the perspective of the lessons from land sparing versus land sharing. Other speakers were Martin Frick, director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Global Office Berlin, and Professor Fred Dubee of the Beijing Genomics Institute. The panel discussion that followed introduced positive approaches to ecosystem management that benefit both humans and the environment.

  • Youth Festival Held in Lisbon Portugal Young people standing onstage and singing together. Performing at the youth festival Youth Festival Held in Lisbon Portugal:

    On November 2, Soka Gakkai in Portugal held a youth festival in the capital city of Lisbon. Some five hundred members from across the country, including the autonomous regions of Azores and Madeira, participated in the festival. Members from Cabo Verde, off the west coast of Africa, also joined the festival, which was themed “One Person's Courage Opens the Path to Peace.” The festival featured song, dance, and poetry recitations along with an exhibition of art created by children.

  • Buddhist Study Exams Held World People taking an exam in a classroom. Taking the Buddhist study exam in Cambodia Buddhist Study Exams Held World:

    On October 26, SGI-Cambodia held an introductory level Buddhist study exam at six locations across the country. The exam covered the basics of Nichiren Buddhism, and Nichiren’s writings “The Three Kinds of Treasure” and “Great Evil and Great Good.” One participant, who prepared for the exam together with her family, said that one key takeaway from the experience was the value of respecting others’ thoughts and feelings.

    In October and November, the Eighth All-Africa Buddhist Exam was held in 32 countries across Africa. The exam consisted of 37 multiple-choice questions and a free-response question, allowing participants to share their reflections and resolutions. Buddhist study exams were also held in other countries and territories including Austria, Hong Kong, Macau, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.