Developing Creativity
January 2012
Banner photo: Aboriginal artist Charles Inkamala at work, Alice Springs, Australia [© Marianna Massey/Corbis]
SGI Joins Conference on "Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens"
The discussion following the showing of A Quiet Revolution [SGI-OPI]
The SGI participated in the 64th Annual United Nations Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI/NGO) Conference, held at the Maritim Hotel in Bonn, Germany, from September 3-5. With the theme "Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens," it brought together 1,300 participants and 300 NGOs from 85 countries and served as a significant milestone toward the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012. It also commemorated the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers.
Hiro Sakurai, the SGI's representative to the UN in New York, was invited to share Buddhist perspectives on peace and sustainability at the daily interfaith session on September 5. He introduced the Buddhist concept of the "three poisons," the tendencies toward greed, anger and foolishness shared by all people, and explained that these "poisons" are often the root causes for environmental destruction. On the other hand, Mr. Sakurai stressed, people also possess an inherent urge to care for others, as seen in the aftermath of the devastating March 11 earthquake in Japan.
As an official program of the DPI/NGO Conference, the SGI and Earth Charter joint exhibition "Seeds of Hope: Visions of Sustainability, Steps Toward Change" was on display throughout the conference.
The SGI's environmental education film A Quiet Revolution was also shown. Alide Roerink, cochair of the Earth Charter International Council, and Richard Clugston of the Earth Charter Task Force on Religion, Spirituality, and Ethics participated in a discussion session on the film and education for sustainable development.
