On 17 June, during the 44th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Geneva Interfaith Forum on Climate Change, the Environment and Human Rights, of which SGI is a member, issued a written statement on COVID-19 and climate change. The statement recalls that the COVID-19 pandemic and human-induced climate change are rooted in an unjust and ecologically unsustainable economic system …
Side Event on FBOs and the 2030 Agenda at the UN High-Level Political Forum
On 7 July, the Asia Pacific Faith-Based Coalition for Sustainable Development (APFC), which SGI is one of the founding organizations, hosted a side event titled “Faith-Based Organizations Accelerating Action and Delivery in Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Partnership in Action in Asia-Pacific” during the UN High-Level Political Forum. The event served as an opportunity for participants to share best practices and …
SGI Statement on the Ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by 50 States
On the occasion of the ratification of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by the 50th state party, Honduras, on October 24, 2020, Soka Gakkai International made the following statement. The press release announcing the statement is available via Religion News Service. [Photo credit: ICAN/Ralf Schlesener] We wish to wholeheartedly welcome the ratification, on October 24, …
Join the 3-Part Interactive Online Series, Faiths Unite For Climate!
The Interfaith Liaison Committee of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) welcomes friends from around the world to learn, discuss and explore climate action in the run-up to what should have been COP26. We welcome members from different religious communities, alongside scientists and policymakers, to meet and share their visions for faith-based climate action in 2020. Online Event …
Interview with Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, Co-President of the Club of Rome
Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, renowned activist, medical doctor, academic, global public servant, political thinker, and Co-President of the Club of Rome was interviewed by the Seikyo Shimbun as part of its monthly Culture of Peace series. During the interview, Dr. Ramphele stresses that in the face of our unprecedented global crisis, now is a rare moment for us to make fundamental …
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
The Arms Control Association (ACA) and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) co-organized a webinar titled “The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty” on 27 August, as part of their new joint series on “Critical NPT Issues.” Anna Ikeda of SGI joined the panel with George-Wilhelm Gallhofer, Head of Nuclear Disarmament …
Interfaith Perspectives on Nuclear Weapons: A Multigenerational Conversation
The Parliament of the World’s Religions’ Next Generation Task Force hosted a webinar titled “Interfaith Perspectives on Nuclear Weapons: A Multigenerational Conversation” on 15 August, where panelists engaged in a conversation on nuclear weapons, the importance of disarmament, and the critical role of interfaith and multigenerational action in a world free of nuclear weapons. This webinar was hosted in commemoration …
IUCN Virtual Dialogue: Spiritual Perspectives for a New Normal
On 25 June, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) held a virtual dialogue with representatives from various faith and spiritual traditions to share their visions for a “new normal” in a post-2020 world. Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii of SGI was invited to contribute to the first IUCN Virtual Dialogue of the #BuildBackBetter series from a Buddhist perspective, addressing …
Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security UK Chapter Launch Event
On 24 June, Hayley Ramsay-Jones of SGI joined the virtual launch event of WCAPS-UK, the UK branch of the Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, as a panelist. WCAPS was created three years ago in the United States and aims to advance the leadership and professional development of women of color in the fields of international policy-making, disarmament, peace, …
Joint Interfaith Statement on the 75th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 189 groups from around the world endorsed a joint interfaith statement coordinated by Faith Communities Concerned About Nuclear Weapons, to speak in one voice and reject the existential threat to humanity posed by nuclear weapons. The statement reaffirms that the presence of even one nuclear weapon violates the core …