When People Cross Borders
October 2003
Banner photo: ©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO
Peace Ambassadors in New Zealand
The Parihaka community welcomes Dr. Carter, Dr.Gandhi and SGI-NZ representatives
On July 29, the "Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace" exhibition opened at the New Zealand Parliament building in Wellington. The exhibition, which portrays the historic roots and continuity of nonviolent philosophy and action, was expanded for the New Zealand showing to include selected works from a New Zealand exhibition "Parihaka--The Art of Passive Resistance."
The Parihaka community was founded in the mid-19th century, at a time when indigenous Maori peoples were facing large-scale land confiscation by the British colonial government and the destruction of their way of life. The people of Parihaka used methods of nonviolent resistance in meeting these threats. Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr., dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, posthumously honored Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi, the spiritual leaders of Parihaka who led their people in nonviolent protest, by conferring upon them the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award. Dr. Carter praised the spirit of Te Whiti and Tohu as exemplifying "the victory of the human spirit over barbarism, of justice over evil, and of compassion over greed." The awards were accepted by their direct descendants who, along with representatives of the modern-day Parihaka community, attended the exhibition opening. Also among the 300 attendees were the speaker of the New Zealand Parliament, Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt, Dr. Ashraf Choudhary, Mr. Mahara Okeroa and many other members of parliament.
Viewing the exhibition
On July 30, SGI-New Zealand sponsored peace forums at Wellington City Hall. During a forum held for local junior high school students, Dr. Carter, joined by Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and cofounder of the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, exchanged opinions and ideas with the students. Dr. Carter shared his personal experience of prejudice and discrimination and stressed that merely believing in a philosophy isn't enough to effect change in society. In order to do so, one must take action to transform ideals into reality.
