Friendship--An Introduction
January 2004
Banner photo: Hokkaido, Japan ©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO
BRC Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The Boston Research Center for the 21st Century (BRC) hosted a symposium, "Re-Imagining Self, Other and the Natural World," at its center in Cambridge on September 26-27. Harvard University's Harvard-Yenching Institute and the Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE) cosponsored the event, which celebrated BRC's 10th anniversary.
BRC President Masao Yokota read a message from the Center's founder, Daisaku Ikeda, in which he emphasized the importance of courageous dialogue in uniting people's hearts at a time when the world is mired in chaos. Executive Director Virginia Straus reported on BRC's efforts to create a wide-ranging network for peace and coexistence in U.S. society.
Dr. Steven Rockefeller, professor emeritus of religion at Middlebury College and chair of the Earth Charter drafting process, spoke on "Interconnectedness in Action: Emerging Global Ethics." He expressed his appreciation for the SGI's collaborative efforts to promote the Earth Charter and stated that the symposium's theme concurred with the Charter, which sets forth principles for harmonizing humanity, society and nature.
Harvard-Yenching Institute Director Dr. Tu Weiming spoke about the traditional Chinese worldview of "the oneness of heaven and human beings." He sounded an alarm at the prevailing tendency to relate to nature through "destruction rather than creation."
Speakers on the second day included Dr. Janet Surrey, of the Stone Center of Wellesley College which is dedicated to the enhancement of women's psychological well-being, Harold Gatensby, practitioner and trainer of peacemaking circles, and Dr. Rick Clugston, executive director of CRLE.
