Mumbai, Aug 25 : Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG), the Indian chapter of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), held a peace symposium in the city.
The symposium was held yesterday at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on the topic ‘Towards an Era of Human Rights: Building a People’s Movement’.
Rishabh Shah (founder IIMUN), Aarti Wig (co-founder and director Yunus Social Business India), Justice Roshan Dalvi (retd Bombay High Court judge) and Ishaat Hussain (former executive director of Tata Sons) shared their insights on the topic mooted by Dr Daisaku Ikeda, president of SGI.
SGI is an international Buddhist organisation founded in 1975 by Ikeda, which promotes peace, culture and education through personal transformation and social contribution.
Dr Ikeda has been presenting peace proposals to the United Nations since 1983 outlining a broad framework for creating a more harmonious and peaceful world.
Focusing on the 2018 peace proposal, Vishesh Gupta, chairperson of the BSG said, “When we see others suffering, we should empathise and take compassionate action to encourage them out of the wish that they become happy.”
Gupta said broadening the understanding and support for this way of thinking and living is the key to building a solid grassroots movement for peace that can unite people around the world.
Speaking on the message of the peace proposal, Ishaat Hussain said, “I am fascinated by the spectrum of issues to which president Ikeda applies this principle issues that range from the sustainable development goals to climate change and the refugee crises.”
Underlining the importance of inculcating values, Aarti Wig said, “The message of the SGI peace proposal resonates strongly with my own work at the Yunus Social Business, where, inspired by Prof Muhammad Yunus, our mission is to embed the world’s economic engine business with the power of selflessness.”
Rishabh Shah said, “It is not the fact that you reached the top of the mountain that matters, but how you reach the top that matters. In my opinion, the peace proposal 2018 shows not just a way to achieve world peace, but also to maintain it.”
Putting forth Ikeda’s mission for women empowerment, Gupta said, “Towards building such an inclusive society, he (Ikeda) has urged to give prime importance to women empowerment as that will not only be the key to achieving all the sustainable development goals, but also imperative for peaceful resolution of conflicts or improving resilience in disaster preparations.(P.T.I)
