Community Spirit in New Zealand
By Anne Heynes and Camilla Browne
The SGI movement in New Zealand began in the late 1960s when Mrs. Yuki Johnston married a New Zealander in Japan and then moved to New Zealand. Yuki had joined the Soka Gakkai as a young woman in Hiroshima. Through her faith she overcame being physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair and she was finally able to discard her walking sticks after settling in New Zealand. In 1975, at the time of the establishment of the Soka Gakkai International in Guam, a district was formed in New Zealand, with seven members.
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Today there are 1,000 SGI members practicing all over New Zealand, with activity centers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. One of our strengths is the diversity of our membership. We are very multicultural, with members from the Pacific, Thailand, Japan, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Denmark. Members born in New Zealand also represent a variety of cultures including Maori, Pacific, pakeha (European) and Chinese. Our rich diversity enables us to have many cultural exchanges as we learn to respect and treasure our differences and deepen our understanding of each other's cultures. We believe that peace begins with our interactions with those around us, and through our activities we learn how to transcend boundaries of ethnicity, culture, nationality, sexuality and tradition.
Despite the fact that New Zealand is a small and young country, throughout our history, ordinary people have taken a stand for what they believe in, and as a result, New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote (in 1893), to declare itself nuclear-free (in 1984), and was one of the first countries to introduce a comprehensive social welfare system. Our history is something we have great pride in, along with a pioneering ingenuity that makes great things happen, despite our geographic isolation.
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An
SGINZ meeting in Auckland |
New Zealanders in general are becoming more interested in Buddhist thought and philosophy, and are encouraged by the humanistic principles of Buddhism, such as the interdependence of all living beings, the vast potential of each person and the idea that the efforts of one person can create great change. Many Buddhist principles also echo the beliefs of New Zealand's indigenous Maori people.
In this generally receptive environment, SGI-New Zealand (SGINZ) has held several public exhibitions that have proved very popular. SGI President Ikeda's photo exhibition titled "Dialogue with Nature" was held in Auckland in 1996 and in Wellington in 1998 with the support of UNICEF and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, aiming to inspire ordinary people to appreciate the inherent beauty of the world we live in.
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Book
donation to MacKenzie Community Library (August 2002) |
In the mid-1990s, SGINZ also designed and produced two art exhibitions which brought together the artworks of both recognized artists and ordinary people who wanted to express their dreams for peace. Entries were selected by established artists on the basis of what the artworks conveyed, rather than on artistic skill alone, which produced a very heartfelt show.
The World Boys and Girls Art Exhibition, comprising paintings and drawings by children from 165 countries, was held in Wellington in 1999 with the support of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. More than 1,000 New Zealand children had originally submitted paintings and drawings for the exhibition, which was compiled in Japan before touring the world. Five paintings from New Zealand children were selected. The exhibition was held in a specialized children's exhibition space, and attracted many adult viewers, who were very moved by the purehearted images of peace created by the world's children. One of our biggest activities for peace was collecting signatures on the Abolition 2000 petition for the abolition of all nuclear weapons, in 1998. We took to the streets and succeeded in collecting 60,000 signatures.
We have found that holding seminars is a way we can gather together with a wide range of people to have sincere dialogue on topical issues, such as the Earth Charter, living with teenagers, peace and so on. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many of our meetings looked at the causes of violence, and how we could break the cycle of reprisal, in our own lives as well as our communities. We invited a young woman from the Muslim community to share her faith and culture and beliefs with us. This meeting promoted a profound sense of understanding and acceptance amongst the participants.
Peace-Builders
More recently, in November 2002, SGI-New Zealand held the "Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace" exhibition in Rotorua. The exhibition panels featured photographs, inspiring quotes and factual information about Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Daisaku Ikeda.
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The
opening of the "Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of
Building Peace" exhibit in Rotorua |
The exhibition, which will tour other venues in New Zealand, portrayed the lives of these three peace-builders as they relate to key themes including the importance of having a mentor in life, the innate dignity of human beings, dynamic action, nonviolence and triumphing over adversity.
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The
"Peacing It Together" celebration held at
Tihiotonga Centennial Park |
"Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace" was held in conjunction with Rotorua SGI Peace Day on Sunday, November 17, at Tihiotonga Centennial Park, the site of a peace monument donated by the SGI. Almost 1,000 people joined the "Peacing It Together" celebrations, coorganized by SGINZ and the Rotorua District Council, where a 1.8-km-long peace banner created from cards in the shape of peace doves was displayed. The 7,500 doves with individual peace messages were collected from people all over New Zealand.
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The
1.8 km-long peace banner |
Local community groups also created peace banners that were displayed in the park. With dances and performances to honor peacemakers such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela as well as local Maori and Pacific Island peacemakers, the emphasis was on the power of one individual to create peace. Rotorua Mayor Grahame Hall welcomed the guests, stating his belief that "Peace begins with individuals, flows into our communities, and extends across international borders into the global community." Prime Minister Helen Clark and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda both sent messages that stressed the key role that New Zealand and the city of Rotorua have played in the promotion of a world without nuclear weapons.
It was a fantastic day where people found their hearts firmly united, convinced of the power that we all have to make a difference. This community activity stands as a symbol of SGINZ's wish to work together with other groups to celebrate New Zealand's diversity and promote local-level action for peace.
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