During the CSW64 Chair Briefing on 2 March, the decision was made by the Commission to scale down its two-week session, which also marked the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It convened on 9 March for a procedural meeting where a political declaration was adopted. Despite the …
43rd Session of the Human Rights Council
The 43rd session of the Human Rights Council which started on 24 February was interrupted on 13 March due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. On 13 March, the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning (NGO WG on HREL), chaired by Elisa Gazzotti of SGI, issued a joint oral statement on the fourth phase of the World …
Second Global Meeting of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots held its second global meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 26 to 28 February. Over 80 campaigners gathered from around the world in the three-day event. Anna Ikeda of SGI participated. The overall goal of the meeting was to come together as the overall Campaign to discuss the urgency of launching multilateral negotiations on …
Human Rights Education Exhibition at UNHCR
On 24 January, the exhibition titled: “Transforming Lives: the Power of Human Rights Education” opened at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) headquarters in Geneva. The event was organized by the UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education & Learning (NGO WG on HREL), …
Workshop on Engagement of Faith-Based Organizations in Beijing+25
At the start of 2020, marking the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25), a full day workshop took place at the Church Center for the United Nations. On 28 January, SGI together with the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, Islamic Relief USA, The United Methodist Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, United Religions Initiative, UN Women, …
SGI’s 2020 peace proposal published on 26 January
On 26 January 2020, the 38th annual peace proposal of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), titled “Toward Our Shared Future: Constructing an Era of Human Solidarity”, authored by its President Daisaku Ikeda, was released, marking the 45th anniversary of the founding of the SGI. Climate action and nuclear weapons abolition are the main themes of SGI’s 2020 peace proposal, with …
Interview with Dr. Betty Reardon, Peace Educator
Dr. Betty Reardon, a peace educator, was interviewed by the Seikyo Shimbun, a Japanese daily newspaper, as part of its monthly Culture of Peace informational series throughout 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (UN General Assembly Resolution A/53/243) this year. Dr. Reardon gives insights into what …
“Transforming Lives: The Power of Human Rights Education” Symposium and Exhibition at UNESCO
A symposium and exhibition titled “Transforming Lives: The Power of Human Rights Education” (on display from 10-18 December) were held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. The event was co-organized by the Permanent Delegation of Slovenia to UNESCO, Soka Cultural Association of France, NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning (NGO WG on HREL), International Organization for …
Interview with Ms. Beatrice Fihn, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Executive Director
Ms. Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was interviewed by the Seikyo Shimbun, a Japanese daily newspaper, as part of its monthly Culture of Peace informational series throughout 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (UN General Assembly Resolution A/53/243) this …
UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 in Madrid
Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii of SGI participated in the UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 held in Madrid, Spain on 2-13 December 2019. She joined ACT Alliance in its efforts to coordinate participation by FBOs and faith communities. She also joined the collaborative work of the Interfaith Liaison Committee of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which released the …