Author: Steve

On July 7, 2017, the United Nations adopted a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, marking an important step toward their eventual elimination. The SGI issued the following statement applauding this historical advancement, noting the need to now create broad support for the treaty and for the ongoing global endeavour to realise a world without nuclear weapons.

TUMANAKO! Children’s art works for a peaceful world commemorating Hiroshima Day is an opportunity for 8 to 15-years-old children to create artwork sharing their aspirations for a peaceful world. The artworks will then be displayed at exhibitions around the country.  There will be an opening day events in August.

We are constantly confronted by images of violence but rarely by images of peace. Peace can only come about if we visualise it and make it happen at all levels of society. This essay competition is aimed at eliciting youth’s voices in the creation of a more just and peaceful world. To this end the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (University of Otago) and Soka Gakkai International New Zealand* have launched the Aotearoa/New Zealand Youth Peace Essay Award. We invite young people between the ages of 17-25 to take part in this peace essay award by expressing your thoughts on various peace-related issues at local, national and global levels. Award To Enter the Contest Submission Theme of 2016: “Unity in Diversity” In 2016 we invite participants to respond to the broad theme of Unity in Diversity. Societies that respect people’s different identities while developing a strong sense of community are…

On Sunday July 3rd, the doors of the SGINZ Centre in Auckland will be open to friends and members of the public from 10am to 1pm providing visitors with an opportunity to see the activities that SGINZ undertakes, and meet members. The open day will include an array of engaging activities catering for all ages including information stalls, entertainment, interactive displays as well as plenty of exciting goings-on for the kids.

The 15th anniversary of the Ikeda Hall Peace Garden in Rotorua was celebrated on Sunday 27-September with a ceremony and presentation of over 16,000 signatures for the Marshall Islands Nuclear Zero campaign. The cherry blossoms were in stunning full bloom on a perfect day. Speaking to the close to 300 people in attendance were former Rotorua Mayor Graham Hall, whom the garden is half named after (and who MC’d the event), current Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick (who also attended the opening 15 years ago). [caption id="attachment_244" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The Ikeda Hall Peace Garden September 2015[/caption] Wellington Mayor Celia Wade Brown (attending in her capacity as Executive Leader for Mayors for Peace), Hon Phil Goff Member of Parliament (in his capacity as current Chair of the Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and…

To mark the 70th anniversary Wellington City is hosting events at the Botanical Gardens Peace Flame and City Library, The Library event will be based around an exhibition of artworks by children expressing their hopes and dreams for a peaceful world to thrive in. Information on participating in Tumanako! Children's Art Exhibition is here 

SOKA GAKKAI INTERNATIONAL OF NEW ZEALAND PARTICIPATES IN THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD WAR 1 SGINZ representatives participate in ANZAC Day service SGINZ General Director Ian Gordon at the 100th anniversary wreath laying ceremony. On Saturday 25 April 2015, representatives of Soka Gakkai International of NZ (SGINZ) laid a wreath at the Wellington Cenotaph in front of the New Zealand Parliament in commemoration of the 100thanniversary of the World War 1 Battle of Gallipoli. The wreath laid in front of the Cenotaph The wreath presented by SGINZ carried the following message:They joined the solemn ceremony alongside the mayor of Wellington, Celia Wade Brown and other groups including those from the Wellington City Council, political parties, government and non-governmental organisations, schools and citizens who laid wreaths in remembrance of those who sacrificed their…