Heralding an End to the Nuclear Age

A U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons is now international law. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) went into effect on Jan. 22 for the more than 50 member states that had ratified it.

Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada issued a statement, on behalf of SGI members worldwide, welcoming this unprecedented milestone. Nuclear disarmament, he declares, is the surest and most direct path to lasting security for humankind. Based on Ikeda Sensei’s oft-repeated stance found in his annual peace proposals, President Harada emphasizes that the most fundamental approach to security centers on “protecting people’s lives and dignity.”

He called on Japan, as the only country to have faced nuclear attacks, to be at the forefront of uniting the world to advance toward a world completely free of nuclear weapons.

The statement concluded with the Soka Gakkai’s determination to “continue to take action and engage in dialogue toward the goal of constructing ‘the defenses of peace’ in the hearts of individuals everywhere.”

In related news, the Soka Gakkai was among the 160-plus interfaith organizations around the globe that signed a joint statement coordinated by the Faith Communities Concerned About Nuclear Weapons. The document affirms “At a time when the world desperately needs fresh hope, the TPNW inspires us to continue to work to fully eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons, and to create conditions for peace, justice and well-being.”