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News Headlines

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

  • MOU with Kazakhstan’s International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue Japan People in formal dress stand for a commemorative photo. With the MoU: Bakhytzhan Suyundikov, chargé d'affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Japan (second left); Gulsana Kozhabay, chair of the board of the ICIID (center left); and Shigeo Hasegawa, general director of Soka Gakkai in Japan (center right) [© Seikyo Shimbun] MOU with Kazakhstan’s International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue Japan:

    On June 30, the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue (ICIID) of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Soka Gakkai signed a memorandum of understanding at a ceremony held at the Josei Toda International Center in Tokyo. In her opening remarks, Gulsana Kozhabay, chair of the board of the ICIID, emphasized that the legacy of nuclear tragedy shared by Kazakhstan and Japan places a special responsibility on both countries to promote a culture of peace. Bakhytzhan Suyundikov, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Japan, and Shigeo Hasegawa, general director of Soka Gakkai in Japan, also spoke. A roundtable was held after the ceremony on topics including AI ethics, the role of religion in addressing climate change and Asian traditions contributing to global harmony.

  • East and Southern Africa General Meetings Held Kenya & South Africa A composite image, left and right, each of a large number of seated people smiling and clapping. The East Africa General meeting in Nairobi, Kenya (left); the Southern Africa General Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa (right) [Both images © Seikyo Shimbun] East and Southern Africa General Meetings Held Kenya & South Africa:

    On June 21, the East Africa General Meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya. Some 220 Soka Gakkai members from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda attended the meeting. On June 28, the Southern Africa General Meeting was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was attended by some 180 members from Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. SGI General Director Yoshiki Tanigawa and other representatives from Japan attended both meetings.

  • SGI Co-Organizes Side Events at Bonn Climate Change Conference Germany Panelists present projects at a climate conference. At the June 15 side event  SGI Co-Organizes Side Events at Bonn Climate Change Conference Germany:

    On June 15 and 17, the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) co-organized side events together with various faith-based organizations and NGOs during the 64th sessions of the subsidiary bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB64) held from June 8 to 18 in Bonn, Germany. On June 15, Flore Ghetti of the SGI Office for UN Affairs participated in a side event on how climate action can advance peace, human well-being and safety. On June 17, during another side event, Lucy Plummer, also of the SGI Office for UN Affairs, highlighted the importance of involving youth in designing environmental education and introduced examples of initiatives carried out by Soka Gakkai organizations around the world aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues.