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SGI-Bolivia Blossoms Amidst Hardship

by Alex Garnica Cruz

Bolivia is a landlocked country in the heart of the South American continent. Running from north to south, the peaks of the Andes soar to more than 6,000 meters; in the east, rain forests form the headwaters of the Amazon River that flows toward Brazil.

The first seeds of Nichiren Buddhism were sown in Bolivia in 1961. A chapter of 50 households was formed in 1962. In those days, almost all the members were Japanese immigrants; at present, native Bolivians are the majority in an organization that comprises seven headquarters and 17 chapters. Some 1,700 people attended the national General Meeting in Santa Cruz last December.

Bolivia is considered the poorest country in South America. Official statistics indicate that 50 percent of the people in urban areas live below the poverty line, a figure that rises as high as 82 percent for the rural population. In rural areas, the female illiteracy rate is as high as 62 percent, evidence of the extreme dearth of educational opportunities for women and a clear indicator of developmental issues facing the countryside.

SGI-Bolivia members engaged in clean-up activities

To confront these problems, SGI-Bolivia places emphasis on engagement with local communities and on contributing to society in the areas of peace, culture and education based on the humanistic philosophy of Buddhism. The members recognize that education is the key to finding a solution to many of the underlying problems facing the nation, and they have been promoting public exhibitions and seminars which explore ways for Bolivian society to develop and flourish. These activities are designed to highlight the importance of fostering the full potential of each individual.

In 1992, SGI-Bolivia created and launched an exhibition introducing the SGI's peace movement. It stressed the importance of dialogue in overcoming obstacles and fostering respect for diversity. The exhibit was shown in the cities of Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Sucre, and it earned SGI-Bolivia recognition as a unique peace movement in Bolivian society.

Santa Cruz Province Women's Federation confers a special commendation on SGI for efforts to enhance the position of women.

In 2000, the "Nuclear Arms--Threat to Humanity" exhibition opened with the support of the Ministry of Education. A total of 160,000 people viewed the exhibit during its showings in Santa Cruz and La Paz, and at a "Peace Message Corner" in the exhibition, as many as 150,000 people penned personal messages of support. At that time, local SGI members visited every school and educational facility in the two cities to encourage people to view the exhibition. 

Women in Action

SGI-Bolivia's women's division has formed a Women's Peace Committee to promote peace and education through activities such as education seminars in communities throughout the country. They held a peace summit in 2001, bringing together 1,000 women active in various fields to a meeting that will be remembered as the starting point of a great peace movement led by Bolivian women.

City of La Paz

In 2004 they held the first conference of female educators to commemorate Bolivian Women's Day. This conference in Cochabamba celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Adela Zamudio (1854-1928), a poet, writer and educator who dedicated her life to the advancement of women. Some 750 educators from around the country attended. The conference, "Humanistic Education--the Foundation of Bolivia's Development," was the first of a series of meetings in which women educators from all over Bolivia gathered to discuss common concerns and to learn about the educational theories of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, who founded the Soka Gakkai.

Youth Activities

In July 2004, the youth division held a series of seminars on the theme "The Struggles of Youth, Building the Future," in cooperation with local government and education authorities in six locations around the country. The seminars, which focused on SGI President Ikeda's "Conversations with Youth," were attended by some 2,000 high school students. Educators commented that the seminars presented sensible ways to deal with problems confronting youth, and they felt that discussion fostered hope in the students, inspiring them to explore their own potential.

Students learning about the threat of nuclear arms

Another youth project in the field of education presents lectures in partnership with Universidad Nur, a major private university in Santa Cruz, as part of the university's course on the history of the development of civilization led by former education minister Dr. Juan Martinez. The lectures, covering Buddhism's contribution to history and outlining the concept of human revolution, have been held regularly at SGI-Bolivia's culture center. Commenting on one of the lectures, Dr. Martinez stated, "Human revolution is a powerful theme demonstrating how an inner transformation of the individual can redirect our world in a better direction."

In addition, the youth division members of SGI-Bolivia have been involved in reforestation and environmental projects. In March 2000, as part of the relief effort following a catastrophic fire in Ascencion de Guarayos, a farming and forestry town to the east of the capital, La Paz, SGI-Bolivia members planted trees along the town's streets to replace those destroyed in the conflagration. They also planted tajibo trees, which blossom in the spring, to raise the spirits of the citizens whose lives were devastated by the blaze.

The women's education conference commemorating Bolivian Women's Day

One youth division member commented, "Through these activities, we really gained the conviction that it is possible to generate a significant change in society when we determine to take concrete action. It doesn't matter how large or small our actions may be; it's the desire to make a contribution to the community that makes a difference." 

The members of SGI-Bolivia are determined to continue to expand their contributions to Bolivian society as they seek to inspire their countrymen and women to live their lives to the fullest in a spirit of optimism and hope for the future.

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