How has Daisaku Ikeda contributed to peace?
Born in Tokyo in 1928, Daisaku Ikeda experienced firsthand the horror of war. He determined to devote himself to building peace, and particularly to healing relations between Japan and China. For over 50 years, he has also consistently taken action toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, organizing petition drives, issuing proposals and writing articles to that end. Ikeda’s efforts to build peace range from citizen diplomacy during the Cold War, particularly helping to lessen tensions between China and the USSR, to ongoing dialogues aimed at increasing mutual understanding with a wide range of people from around the world–over 50 of his dialogues have been published in book form. As president of SGI, Ikeda has also issued annual peace proposals since 1983 containing ideas grounded in Buddhist humanism for viable responses to global issues. Ikeda has also established several institutions promoting peace, humanistic education and cultural exchange.
