Music as a Force for Peace
July 2004
Banner photo: ©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO
SUA Celebrates Third Anniversary
SUA's students chorus at the finale
Soka University of America (SUA) commemorated its third anniversary by hosting the third annual International Festival at its Aliso Viejo campus in Orange County, California, on May 1. Over 3,500 people attended, more than twice the number of participants last year. Aliso Viejo Mayor William Phillips and Hamid Shirvani, Provost of nearby Chapman University, joined local families, SUA and other university students and SGI-USA members for the celebrations.
The event featured over 300 performances on two stages, including international music and dance groups, storytelling and demonstrations of yoga and martial arts. There were also "Dialogue Cafés" for discussions on the Earth Charter and on racial stereotyping, exhibits, booths on environmental and human rights issues sponsored by nonprofit organizations and businesses, as well as sports, games, and two special exhibitions: "Fresh Perspectives: New Art by Soka Students" and "The Quilts of El Pital, Honduras."
