Peace Stories
April 2003
Banner photo: Nara, Japan [©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO]
Creating Value in Thailand
Apart from being a land of peace, Thailand, a geographic hub lying between major civilizations, has also achieved remarkable growth and development. Thailand has a population of 62 million, consisting of 75 percent ethnic Thai, 14 percent Chinese and 11 percent others. All Thai people have profound sentiments of veneration for their sovereign, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Thailand is also known as a nation with a profound historical connection to Buddhism, and as a "land of gentle smiles" reflecting the pure and compassionate spirit of the Thai people. Thus Thailand offers a warm welcome to foreigners and encourages the forging of relationships between disparate cultures through international exchange.
The first SGI member, Kiyotaro Nishida, came to work as a chef for the Japanese Embassy in Thailand in 1959. He introduced Nichiren Buddhism to a friend, Yagoro Nakano, another Japanese resident. The growth of Nichiren Buddhism was slow because of the language barrier and the misconception that this was strictly a Japanese religion. Later, when understanding improved, more Thai people were drawn to the humanistic principles of Nichiren Buddhism such as the practice of transforming one's own life; the vast potential of each person; and the development of wisdom, which directs knowledge toward good and toward the creation of value, leading to peace and happiness in one's life, family, society and nation.
A donation of books to Mae Fah Luang University (March 2002)
In 1962, when SGI President Daisaku Ikeda visited Thailand on his way to India, a district was formed consisting of 21 households. At that time, Seiichi Sekiyama was appointed district chief. Today there are 36,500 Soka Gakkai Thailand (SGT) members in the 76 provinces of Thailand. The principle at the heart of the organization is that all living beings are interdependent and that once ordinary people base their actions on humanistic principles, then people, community and environment can interact in a way that brings peace and prosperity.
Education Projects
An annual scholarship presentation to 10 students (May 2002)
SGT members share a profound commitment to the promotion of peace, culture and education, and in 2001, they organized a project called "Value Creation" with a variety of components including introducing Soka Gakkai founding president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's value-creating education system to the public. The aim of the project was the translation and dissemination of President Ikeda's education proposals to educators in Thailand, in order to stress the need for action to reverse society's tendency to treat education as a means rather than an end. A special lecture on "In Building a Society Serving the Essential Needs of Education" was held in June 2001.
Distribution of books and sports items to elementary school students in a remote area (May 2001)
In order to accelerate the expansion of Thailand's lower secondary education system and to solve the problem of a shortage of teachers in certain fields, a distance learning system has been introduced, reaching 695 schools. In March 2002, SGT was among the organizations that contributed funds for necessary equipment for the school networks nationwide.
In 1996 a project of contributing books to 20 needy rural schools was started. In addition, annual scholarships have been granted to 10 students.
An antidrug exhibition aimed at youth was also held in Pattaya, a major resort area where drugs are abundant.
In Support of Peace and Culture
In order to promote peace, SGT held the "World Boys and Girls Art Exhibition" in Bangkok from October-December 2001 in cooperation with the Department of Fine Arts of Thailand and UNESCO. Presenting paintings and drawings by children from 165 countries, the exhibition attracted around 200,000 visitors.
Cleanup campaign at Pattaya Beach (August 2002)
As far back as 1988, SGT organized an exhibition called "Nuclear Arms: Threat to Our World" at Chulalongkorn University to remind the new generations of the cruel and destructive nature of war.
In the field of culture, from 2002, SGT began to cohost cultural shows by handicapped children with the Department of Fine Arts.
In November 2002, a performance by the SGT Chorus Group, consisting of 200 singers and 150 musicians, was broadcast on 13 TV channels in celebration of H.M. the King of Thailand's birthday. A charity concert called "Gitan Chalee" was also held at the same time, raising US$15,000.
Another area where SGT has been active is in environmental education and protection. In January 2000, SGT members held an exhibition entitled "Before It's Too Late" and a symposium on the Earth Charter to enhance and increase awareness of environment protection. The exhibition was shown in three major cities, namely, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya, attracting 180,000 viewers.
In cooperation with the Bangkok Municipal Authority, SGT organizes an annual exhibition on environment protection. In addition, SGT members also participated in the cleanup campaign for the Lumpini National Park in 2002 and regularly take part in tree-planting projects. When serious storms hit the southern and northeastern provinces of Thailand in 2001 and 2002, SGT arranged food and necessary supplies and donated them to the Rajprajanugroh Foundation to help flood victims. Members also donated food, medicine and other emergency supplies for flood victims in the same regions during severe monsoon rains.
An exhibition on environmental protection at the Central Plaza Exhibition Hall (May 2002)
Ongoing activities include visiting homes for the elderly and handicapped centers for children, as well as joining with the Social Development Association of Thailand to contribute food for more than 1,500 jobless persons.
Although the country faces various problems such as the economic situation, drug use, social unrest and environment problems, which affect all of Thai society, Soka Gakkai Thailand and its members realize that the most effective community-building is through gradually building trust and solidarity among ordinary citizens. By promoting a variety of exchanges on a grassroots level, we hope to pave our way to peace and prosperity for Thailand and her people.
