SGI Canada Newsletter, No. 94 - December 15, 2023
SGI Canada Newsletter
Issue no. 94
December 15, 2023
Welcome to the 94th 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.
Encouragement
Please note that messages and articles written by President Ikeda before November 15 will continue to be translated and published as they become available.
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s message: “Let’s Change the Destiny of All Humankind!”
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda sent a message to the 16th Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting toward Centennial 2030, held at the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu on November 1, 2023. As part of the message, he presented three calligraphic works to the audience. In this excerpt, he talks about the first work:
I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all of you, my precious fellow members, for your noble, brave, and unflagging efforts, which have made it possible for us to proudly celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu in this month of the Soka Gakkai’s founding and the anniversary of our first president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s death in prison.
To mark the kickoff toward 2024—the Year of Fresh Departure for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide—and as an expression of my profound appreciation and hopes, I would like to present you with three framed calligraphies.
The first one reads “Fellow Members around the World.”
Over the past decade since the completion of the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu, our movement for peace, culture, and education has made truly remarkable strides. This is thanks to our global citizens of Soka in 192 countries and territories uniting in prayer with a shared vow for kosen-rufu and striving in the spirit of “many in body, one in mind.” Notably, our membership around the world, outside of Japan, has grown from 1.75 million in 2013 to almost 3 million members today.
Looking back, 3 million was also the number of households my mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, entrusted me with achieving as the next grand milestone for our kosen-rufu movement in Japan after we had reached his lifetime dream of 750,000 households [at the end of 1957].
He said to me: “Daisaku, do you think you can accomplish a membership of 3 million households in the next seven years?” I promised him I would, saying: “I feel even more determined. I will definitely realize this goal.”[1] Through the united efforts of all his disciples, we achieved that goal in five, not seven, years.
Now we have created a magnificent forest of treasure towers—“Fellow Members around the World,” close to 3 million strong, who are challenging their human revolution. I would like to report this achievement with great pride today to Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, and to Presidents Makiguchi and Toda, before the Soka Gakkai Joju Gohonzon that bears the inscription “For the Fulfillment of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu through the Compassionate Propagation of the Great Law.”
[1] This exchange took place on February 10, 1958, and is described in “Vanguard” chapter in volume two of The New Human Revolution.
The complete message will be available in the January 2023 New Century.
News
“To My Friends” changing to “Day by Day and Month after Month”
The online guidance subscription series “To My Friends” will be replaced by a new series entitled “Day by Day and Month after Month” starting in the new year. The new series will feature Ikeda Sensei’s guidance from various writings and speeches. The guidance will be available every day in English and French.
Individuals who are already subscribed to "To My Friends" do not need to resubscribe, as they will automatically receive the new daily encouragement.
Those who have not subscribed yet can do so by filling out this form.
SGI Delegation Contributes to Climate Discussions at COP28
Since November 30, an SGI delegation has been participating in the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
On November 30, Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii of the SGI Office for UN Affairs participated as a panelist in the Interfaith Talanoa Dialogue that was organized by the Interfaith Liaison Committee to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She called for the inclusion of a human rights perspective and for youth participation in UN climate processes.
On December 1, the SGI co-organized a side event titled “Faith Matters in Achieving the Global Goal on Adaptation” with LM International, Kenya4Resilience, GreenFaith and SMC-Faith in Development. On December 2, the SGI co-organized the event “Faiths for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.” Nobuyuki Asai, director for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the SGI, spoke at both events.
Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii of the SGI Office for UN Affairs
speaks at the Talanoa Dialogue. © Seikyo Shimbun.
Fake Websites and Social Media
This is a message from the Soka Gakkai International Office of Public Information:
We have noted that there is an increase in fake Soka Gakkai and Daisaku Ikeda websites and social media accounts in circulation. These accounts are illegally using images of members and of President Ikeda. Also note that an official Soka Gakkai account would never ask for your personal and financial details. Kindly be aware and please feel free to report any such fake pages promptly to your area or regional leaders. Your cooperation is highly appreciated.
Below are the only official Soka Gakkai websites and social media:
Soka Gakkai Official Website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly twitter)
Daisaku Ikeda Official Website, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly twitter) and Daisaku Ikeda Children’s Stories - YouTube
For information on local organization or affiliated websites and social media accounts, please see General Inquiries | Soka Gakkai (global)
Upcoming events
Thank you!
On behalf of SGI Canada, thank you so much for all your efforts this year.
We hope that you have a restful holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2024, the “Year of Fresh Departure for a Youthful Soka Gakkai Worldwide”.
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 January 1, 2024. See you then!