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SGI Canada Newsletter, No. 50 - April 18, 2022

April 15, 2022

SGI Canada Newsletter

Issue no. 50

April 18, 2022

Welcome to the 50th issue of the SGI Canada Newsletter, a bi-weekly summary of news, upcoming events and encouragement. If you are not subscribing to the SGI Canada Newsletter, you may do so by clicking on the button below. Subscriptions are free of charge, and the SGI Canada Newsletter will be emailed directly to you.

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News

President Ikeda and Mrs. Ikeda Visit Soka Gakkai Headquarters

On April 2, President Ikeda and Mrs. Ikeda conducted gongyo at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters to mark the anniversary of the passing of second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda. They also prayed for the peace, safety and tranquility of the world, and the happiness, good fortune, health and victory of all SGI members throughout the world, including those embarking on new endeavors, such as university students or those entering the work force. [In Japan, traditionally April is the month in which students begin the new school year and companies hire new employees.]

 

May 3, 2022 – Soka Gakkai Day and Soka Gakkai Mothers Day

We celebrate Soka Gakkai Day and Soka Gakkai Mothers Day every year at our May 3 Commemorative Meetings to honour the achievements of our mentors with deep emotion and appreciation. To demonstrate the depth of our gratitude as disciples, we renew our vows to achieve the Buddha’s “great wish” for the enlightenment of all people, which will enable humanity to live in peace and mutual prosperity. May 3 is also Soka Gakkai Mothers Day, when we recognize the struggles and victories of women practitioners everywhere.

SGI Canada will hold this year’s May 3 Commemorative Meetings in each area or region across Canada on Sunday, May 1. This will also be an opportunity to contribute to the SGI Canada Special Fund. Contributions can be made before and after May 1.

Thank you so much for your sincere dedication and your support in every way for the advancement of kosen-rufu in Canada!

To contribute to the SGI Canada Special Fund, you may do so by using one of the following two options:

Online donation

You can contribute online through the SGI Canada online portal at https://sgicinfo.org/portal/login .

  1. If you have already set up an online account, simply sign in and click on Donations.
  2. If you have not yet set up an online account, it is very easy to do so:
    1. Go to the SGI Canada website at sgicanada.org and click on the Online Portal button near the top right corner of your screen.
    2. Click on I have not created an online account and then Submit.
    3. Fill out the personal information fields and click on Submit.
    4. You will receive an email from accounting@sgicinfo.org . The email will confirm your username and password (which you can change once you log into the site the first time). For assistance with setting up your account, please contact support@sgicinfo.org .
    5. Once your username and password have been confirmed, you will be able to log into the online portal from the SGI Canada website at any time.

Donation by cheque or money order

You can also contribute by mailing a cheque, money order or bank draft to SGI Canada.

  1. Please make your cheque, money order or bank draft payable to “SGI Canada”.
  2. Please include a completed SGI Canada Special Fund Receipt if you have one (a digital copy is available from your district leader). If you do not have a receipt, you can simply write your information (name, district, chapter, area and region) on a sheet of paper and include it with your cheque.
  3. Please mail all cheques, money orders and bank drafts, with attached forms, to SGI Canada at:

            SGI Canada

            2050 Dufferin Street

            Toronto, ON M6E 3R6

Contributions through the online portal or by cheque, money order or bank draft can be made at any time. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to receive cash donations, or donations by electronic transfer.

We deeply appreciate your courageous efforts to support and encourage your fellow members, families and friends at this very challenging time in the history of humankind. Thank you very much!

Women’s General Meetings in May

Our annual SGI Canada Women’s Group General Meetings will be held throughout the month of May.  In every part of Canada, women will be holding online meetings by group or by district with the theme “Live so that Life Itself is a Joy”, taken from a speech given by SGI President Ikeda in Vancouver in 1993. During that same speech, President Ikeda stated the five points of his “Vancouver Declaration”:

  1. Live with sincerity and diligent striving
  2. Live with latitude and generosity
  3. Live with optimism and good cheer
  4. Get along with others
  5. Live with pride and self-respect

Taking this guidance to heart, the women’s group members are standing up with courage, determined to powerfully advance kosen-rufu in Canada by achieving the goal of 3,500 participants across the country.

Soka Education Research Centre holds first International Educational Symposium

The Soka Education Research Centre on Global Citizenship (SERC-GC) at the University of Guelph-Humber (UofGH) held its very first International Educational Symposium on April 8, 2022.

Titled “Operationalizing Value-Creating Education Across International Milieus”, the conference attracted 131 participants from 18 countries. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, founder of the Soka Schools system, sent a message to the Symposium in which he explained that life itself is at the core of “value” in value-creating education. President Ikeda said that he was confident that the Symposium marked a step forward toward realizing a century of education, life and peace.

Guest speakers at the conference included SERC-GC Director Dr. Paul Sherman, University of Guelph-Humber Interim Vice Provost Dr. George Bragues, Soka University President Masashi Suzuki, and keynote speaker Dr. Olivier Urbain.

The presentations which followed focused on various aspects of applying human education in the classroom and on its benefits for students and teachers.

April study podcast now available

The podcast guide to April’s study material is now available online at https://www.sgicanada.org/buddhism/buddhist-study-podcasts

Every month, SGI Canada’s Study Department prepares a podcast highlighting the major points and guidance from that month’s study article. The podcasts are intended to support the district study meetings as well as individual study, and are available in English, French, Cantonese and Mandarin. Texts of the podcast scripts are also accessible online.

This month’s study is entitled “Achieving Vibrant, Healthy Lives Brimming with Good Fortune”. It can be found in the March issue of New Century and Chinese New Century, and the April issue of Ère nouvelle.

 

We hope you found this newsletter beneficial. Please email your questions or comments to contact@sgicanada.org. Please note that the next SGI Canada Newsletter will appear on April 29, 2022. See you then!

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