The Century of Africa
January 2005
Banner photo: ©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO
"Why Religion?"
Tony Meers speaking at the conference
[©Seikyo Shimbun]
On October 2, the 24th World Religions Conference took place at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam organized the event. Attendees included religious scholars, representatives of diverse faiths and some 700 local residents. The theme was "Why Religion?" and representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Aboriginal Spirituality, Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam, Atheism and Buddhism discussed the need for religion in today's world. Representing Buddhism, SGI-Canada General Director Tony Meers introduced the Soka Gakkai's first three presidents' humanistic ideals and activism for peace. He also emphasized that Buddhism is a life philosophy that empowers each individual and enables people to overcome the four basic sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death.
On October 8, SGI-Australia hosted a conference entitled "Race, Religion and Rhetoric" at its Sydney center which was coorganized by FAIR (Forum on Australia's Islamic Relations), Islamic Realm, the SGI and the Uniting Church of Australia. Speakers included representatives of the media, human rights activists and politicians, and roundtable workshops on themes from addressing violence in society to media inaccuracy generated lively discussion among the more than 80 participants. Hans Van Der Bent of SGI-Australia introduced the humanistic principles of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Buddhism. Participants agreed that further forums are needed in order to break down barriers and address misconceptions.
