Developing Creativity
January 2012
Banner photo: Aboriginal artist Charles Inkamala at work, Alice Springs, Australia [© Marianna Massey/Corbis]
European Members Celebrate 50th Anniversary
SGI President Ikeda in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, in 1961, and European SGI members at the same place 50 years later [© Seikyo Shimbun]
SGI members in Europe have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first visit to the continent by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda in 1961, a date taken to commemorate the start of the movement for the propagation of Nichiren Buddhism in Europe. It was on October 8, 1961, in the midst of the Cold War, that Mr. Ikeda visited Berlin, Germany, where upon seeing the Berlin Wall he shared his vision of an undivided, peaceful, post-Cold War Europe.
Mr. Ikeda, who was, at that time, president of the Soka Gakkai, had determined to travel the world in an effort to encourage members in various countries and to advance peace through the spread of the philosophy of the value and dignity of human life expounded by Buddhism. Over a three-week period, Mr. Ikeda visited nine countries: Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.
To celebrate the anniversary, some 400 SGI members from eight European countries gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on October 9 for a commemorative photograph.
In this shared spirit of a united Europe, an SGI-Europe General Meeting and Culture Festival was held at SGI-UK's Taplow Court culture center on October 1. The occasion brought together youth members from SGI-UK and 16 countries across Europe, including Germany, Greece, Romania and Ireland.
In his message to participants, Mr. Ikeda expressed his joy at hearing of the gathering of European youth and urged them to make the occasion a new departure for working toward creating a harmonious, peaceful world.
On October 13, a monument marking the 50th anniversary of Mr. Ikeda's visit to Europe was officially unveiled at Taplow Court. Etched into the four sides of the monument is the inscription, "A great revolution of character in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind," words taken from Mr. Ikeda's novel The Human Revolution.
In Italy, some 4,000 SGI-Italy members and 500 members from throughout Europe gathered in Rome for the SGI European General Meeting on October 22, where they held 50th anniversary celebrations.
In his speech to participants, Daiki Nakamoto, Chair of the European Youth Committee, said, "When we look at the current situation in European society, there is much hopelessness and resignation about the future of our continent, and it seems like we are far away from the happiness of the people. Yet, through Presidents Makiguchi, Toda and Ikeda, we have inherited the mission of removing misery from this world."
Similar 50th anniversary celebrations have also been held in countries throughout Europe, including Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Spain and Portugal.
