AsiaNet 94228
TOKYO, Jan. 26, 2022 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/--
Buddhist philosopher and peacebuilder Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka
Gakkai International (SGI), issued his 40th annual peace proposal on January
26, 2022. Titled "Transforming Human History: The Light of Peace and Dignity,"
it offers concrete ideas for tackling the climate crisis and achieving
inclusive education and nuclear disarmament.
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former UN Under-Secretary-General and High
Representative and founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace,
comments: "I know of no one who has highlighted the role and responsibility of
the United Nations so consistently, relentlessly and substantively for such a
long period of time as President Ikeda. For the last 40 years, his annual peace
proposals have contained brilliant ideas and suggestions for the good of
humanity. I am encouraged he has highlighted empowerment of people as a major
element in building the Culture of Peace."
Concerning humanity's response to the pandemic, Ikeda calls for solidarity
built on awareness of our interconnectedness and states: "I believe firmly that
the key factor determining the direction of history will prove not to have been
the virus, but we humans ourselves."
He emphasizes the need to address the inequalities the pandemic has exposed,
and that gender equality and women's empowerment are key to overcoming the
crisis and building a global society that sustains human dignity.
On environmental issues, Ikeda calls for more coordinated efforts in
implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on
Biological Diversity and Convention to Combat Desertification, stating:
"Climate change, biodiversity and desertification are deeply intertwined, and
solutions are likewise interconnected."
He also proposes creating a youth council to advise the UN on the comprehensive
protection of the "global commons," the environmental resources essential to
all humanity.
Concerned about the impact of disruptions to education, Ikeda suggests that the
UN Transforming Education Summit planned for September focus on education in
emergencies, inclusive education and learning for global citizenship.
Toward the first meeting of States Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition
of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) slated for March, Ikeda stresses the urgency of
"detoxifying" ourselves from nuclear-dependent security doctrines and strongly
calls for Japan, other nuclear-dependent states and the nuclear-weapon states
to participate as observers, stating: "As more countries that presently feel
they cannot sign or ratify the TPNW begin to positively acknowledge its true
value and significance, I am confident that this will catalyze the energy and
political will needed to put an end to the era of nuclear weapons."
The Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that promotes
peace, culture and education based on respect for the dignity of life. The Soka
Gakkai International (SGI) is an NGO in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.
Every year, SGI President Ikeda issues a peace proposal on January 26 to
commemorate the SGI's founding in 1975.
Source: Soka Gakkai
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