Scholars Discuss Soka Gakkai’s Nuclear Disarmament Efforts

On June 21, during the Fifth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) in Bologna, Italy, a panel discussion titled “Soka Gakkai’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: Origins, Scope, and Future” was held. Dr. Enza Pellecchia of the University of Pisa and Dr. Massimo Introvigne, founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), spoke on Soka Gakkai Italy’s Senzatomica anti-nuclear campaign, and Dr. Rosita Šorytė of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief commented that, because of its solid philosophical foundation, the Soka Gakkai is able to persistently promote peace even in times of crisis. Dr. Kazuhiro Tobisawa, honorary research fellow at the University of Buckingham in the UK, talked about how the Soka Gakkai’s anti-nuclear activities demonstrate the relevance of Nichiren Buddhism to the contemporary peace movement.