The Possibilities of Dialogue
January 2007
Banner photo: Herby Sachs/version-foto.de
Greeting the Dawn--SGI South Africa
When people started chanting in South Africa, it was, perhaps, during the very darkest period in the country's history. The 1980s saw the struggle between the racist government and those struggling for democracy reach new levels of violence and bitterness. In townships across the country, where most black people were compelled to live under the apartheid system of forced segregation, political violence was rife. Students and ordinary people fighting for change faced a brutally repressive police force and army, as well as shadowy assassination squads.
At the time, it was difficult to imagine that freedom, peace, democracy and justice might ever be possible. Nonetheless, a small group began to consolidate around 1985, after experienced SGI members had moved here from the U.K., and locals like current national men's and women's leaders, Jonny Blundell and Jane Roach, were introduced to the practice in the United States.
The first national meeting was held on May 3, 1987, in Johannesburg, and soon small groups started up in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastal cities of Cape Town and Durban.
The membership of SGI-South Africa reflects the spanersity of the society
At first, most of those chanting were white and middle class. But with the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990, change accelerated. A wave of members from among Taiwanese immigrants was quickly followed by increasing numbers of black members. In recent years, as South Africa's position as the continent's dominant economy has grown, yet another wave of new members has been apparent: people from a wide range of other countries in Africa. SGI-South Africa has become as diverse as Africa itself, with meetings hosted in homes ranging from suburban mansions to corrugated iron shacks.
A Sense of Mission
The organization was supported from early on by SGI-UK, led by its then general director, Richard Causton, and he and his successor Ricky Baynes visited on a number of occasions to support study courses and offer guidance and encouragement to members new in faith.
Discussion meetings are core SGI activities around the world
Key to building our sense of mission for peace in South Africa were simultaneous monthly chanting for peace meetings in the U.K., Ireland and South Africa, initiated by Mr. Causton in 1989 and which continued for nearly 15 years. Throughout this time, SGI President Ikeda encouraged the handful of members in South Africa with messages of inspiration and support. Shortly after Nelson Mandela's release from prison, he and the SGI president met in Tokyo and shared a dialogue. Mr. Mandela had read about President Ikeda whilst in prison and had expressed a desire to meet him. The two met again in July 1995.
Currently, the organization has around 400 members, spread between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Recently, a number of people have also begun to practice in Mpumalanga Province in the northeast.
The Struggle Continues
South Africa has achieved democracy and stability, but not necessarily peace. Crime rates are high, and so scheduling Buddhist meetings at night is often avoided for reasons of security. More than 5 million people (the total population is 45 million) are infected with HIV/AIDS, and close to 2 million have already died from the illness; xenophobia toward African immigrants is another problem. Though many jobs have been created by a strong but unequal economy in the last few years, unemployment remains desperately high, at 26 percent, and the country continues to straddle extremes of wealth and poverty. All these problems affect our members, who work with great courage to win in their own communities.
South Africa is a vast country: flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town takes two hours. Public transport is frequently unreliable or dangerous. Getting to and from meetings presents great difficulties for many members.
We are also a diverse nation, with no fewer than 11 official languages. Different languages, and widely varying standards of education, often make it difficult to accurately convey the essence of Nichiren's Buddhism. We are making tentative progress in translating some key texts into African languages such as Xhosa and Afrikaans.
In 2001, SGI-South Africa became a full-fledged, registered organization under the leadership of current general director Loren Braithwaite. Not long afterwards, we opened our first community center in a former lawn bowling club nestled amidst the leafy suburbs of northern Johannesburg.
SGI-South Africa has worked very hard in the last few years to develop public understanding of Nichiren Buddhism and SGI President Ikeda's dialogues and work for peace.
In 2002, the World Summit for Sustainable Development was held in Johannesburg, and SGI-South Africa mounted an exhibit on the Earth Charter, coupled with screenings of the environmental film, A Quiet RevolutionM. The 15,000 visitors to the exhibit included South African President Thabo Mbeki and then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The exhibition was cohosted by the Earth Charter Initiative and included nature photography by SGI President Ikeda. From a total of 600 exhibits, it won third prize in the Independent Exhibits category from the summit organizers.
At the World Summit for Sustainable Development in 2002
In 2004, the Gandhi, King, Ikeda exhibition was mounted in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the exhibition's initiator, Dr. Lawrence Carter of Morehouse College in the U.S., visited to join in associated events. These included workshops on nonviolence for school children, jointly organized with other peacebuilding civil society groups.
A remarkable page in South Africa's history was written by Mohandas ("Mahatma") Gandhi and his comrades. Gandhi lived in South Africa from 1893 to 1914, during which time he developed the principles of nonviolent resistance that were later deployed in the struggle for independence in India. September 2006 marked the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of the satyagraha movement in Johannesburg. SGI-South Africa, in conjunction with the Gandhi Development Trust, held commemorative events in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
SGI-South Africa is developing steadily, seeing increasing self-reliance amongst members and vibrant gatherings from which rise music and the voices of true South African bodhisattvas.
