Buddhist body to hold symposium on exploring path to peace

In the backdrop of mounting violence worldwide, Buddhist organisation Soka Gakkai International's (SGI) Indian arm Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) is holding a symposium titled 'Universal Respect for Human Dignity: The Great Path to Peace' on August 27 here.
The symposium, to be held at Y B Chavan Auditorium in South Mumbai, is based on SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's 2016 peace proposal to the United Nations, BSG said in a release here today.
Among the eminent speakers at the symposium are: Ambassador Prakash Shah IFS (Retd), India's former representative to the United Nations and former Ambassador to Japan, Dr Ajit Ranade, Chief Economist to Aditya Birla Group and Ms Shaheen Mistri, Founder and CEO, 'Teach for India' and Vishesh Gupta, Chairperson Bharat Soka Gakkai.

Speaking of this initiative, Vishesh Gupta said, "SGI President Ikeda firmly believes that a dialogue is absolutely essential if we are to build a peaceful world. By engaging in open and frank dialogue, we are able to see things that had been hidden from our view, and the world begins to appear in a warmer, more human light."
"Each year President Ikeda sends a peace proposal to the UN that goes beyond diagnosing obstacles to peace and provides solutions that encompass attitudinal change and other concrete suggestions. The emphasis is always on tapping humanism, people-to-people contact and deeply caring for each individual. This is not a spiritual document but one that diagnoses problems at a fundamental level and offers concrete, pragmatic solutions," the release said.

The key focus of all President Ikeda's writings is to examine how to bridge gaps between people across different cultures and nationalities in order to actualise a more peaceful world.

He believes that the power of dialogue as well as the innate ability of humans to respond positively to difficult situations holds the key, the release said.
In his recent proposal there are several areas of focus that resonate with these ideals. For instance, that learning should empower people to effect positive change and that we should develop the "the courage of application" for this provides the impetus to emerge from difficult circumstances and create the future we desire, it said.

Going beyond, President Ikeda looks at three areas that require prompt and coordinated action by governments and civil society: Humanitarian aid and human rights protection, ecological integrity and disaster risk reduction.
There is an emphasis on a humanistic approach in all planning and implementing efforts and the necessity to get young people actively engaged in these moves, it added.