CategoryInterview

With the SGI-USA’s focus on friendship, community and raising successors, the World Tribune sat down with Renee Benson, the Louisiana-Mississippi Region women’s leader, to hear about their united effort as a Soka community to support youth. World Tribune: Thank you for speaking with us, Renee, on behalf of the members of Louisiana-Mississippi Region. To start,

Starting this year, the student division is now a stand-alone division that encompasses youth between the ages of 18–25 attending college. Alongside this change, the SGI-USA appointed new student division leaders, Dee Gopi and Koichi Onogi. The World Tribune spoke with the two to hear about the significance of the student division and their vision

An interview with Lawrence E. Carter Sr., dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel

Toward the Active Duty and Military Veterans / First Responders Conference at the SGI-USA Florida Nature and Culture Center (FNCC), the World Tribune sat down with the group’s national leaders, Carla Colton and Mark Woods, to learn about their mission. The group includes veterans, active duty military, national guard or reserve, Department of Defense personnel,

The World Tribune spoke with two nuclear physicists who are also SGI-USA members, Samuel Kim, of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Shelley Boon, of Berkeley, California, on how Buddhism impacts their work. World Tribune: Thank you for speaking with us. Could you share a bit about your background? Samuel Kim: I’m currently a post-doctoral nuclear

Toward the culture department conference at the Florida Nature and Culture Center (FNCC), the World Tribune sat down with Paige Asawa and Bora Colak, the SGI-USA Culture Department leaders, to learn about the group’s mission. World Tribune: Thank you for meeting with us. For our readers who may be unfamiliar with the SGI-USA Culture Department,

Toward the student division conference on July 26–29, 2024, at the Florida Nature and Culture Center (FNCC), the World Tribune sat down with two youth leaders Manami Koizumi and Jiwoo Kim to hear about the impact that attending this conference had on their lives. World Tribune: Thank you for speaking with us today. What was

Since 2020, the SGI-USA has hosted quarterly American Sign Language (ASL) study meetings for members in the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities and their family and friends interested in learning about Buddhism. The World Tribune met with two SGI-USA members who help coordinate these activities, Katy Saini, of Centreville, Virginia, who is deaf, and Jason Aliberto,

Kicking off the Summer of Shakubuku, the SGI-USA will focus on propagating the Mystic Law in our local communities. The World Tribune met with leaders of Buffalo Chapter in upstate New York to hear about the heart behind their efforts to welcome 12 new members this year.  World Tribune: Thank you all for speaking with

On March 24, 2024, the Soka Gakkai youth together with 28 partner and supporting organizations held the Future Action Festival. Some 70,000 young people gathered at the Japan National Stadium and another 500,000 via livestream, with a shared commitment to create a peaceful and sustainable future. The World Tribune spoke with Soka Gakkai Youth Leader

World Tribune: Thank you, Wayne, for speaking with us. We heard of your wonderful efforts to introduce and support young people over the decades. To start, could you share a bit about your background? Wayne Sparks: In my life, I’ve had problems with family, addiction and health. As a young single parent, I worked at

Toward the May Commemorative Contribution this year, the SGI-USA features the video experiences of Randy Pfannenstiel, of Denver, and Chika O’Berry, of Ashburn, Virginia. In a brief conversation with the World Tribune, Randy shared the following. World Tribune: What does May Commemorative Contribution mean to you? Randy Pfannenstiel: As a family, we reflect on how

What the Many Treasures Group has to say about friendship.

The World Tribune sat down with Joshua Thomas and Clark Harrell, young men who practice Buddhism in Portland and Seattle, respectively, to speak about a recent dialogue they had that is creating ripples in their community. World Tribune: Thank you, Joshua and Clark, for speaking with us. We heard about a wonderful dialogue you had.

World Tribune: Thank you, Brenda, for sharing your story with us. Can you start with a bit about your journey in faith? Brenda Mettle: My husband was the one who taught me how to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in 1983. We had a young son and a baby on the way. While I was struggling with depression

The Redwood Coast Region men’s and women’s division leaders, Gary Arkoff and Mina Rhoden, tell the World Tribune how they supported the growth of the youth division in their region and reopened their Buddhist center. World Tribune: Thank you both for telling us about your journey to foster the youth in Redwood Coast and reopen

Valeriya DubrovskayaKyiv, Ukraine Living Buddhism: Hi, Valeriya! It’s an honor meeting you, and we are so appreciative of your beautiful work on the 2023 Living Buddhism covers! When did you begin creating art? Valeriya Dubrovskaya: Drawing has been with me for most of my life. In school I studied interior design and architecture, and loved

SGI-USA member Bethany Phoenix is a professor at the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Nursing. In October 2023, she received the Psychiatric Nurse of the Year Award from the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) in recognition of her career advancing psychiatric-mental health nursing and advocating for the role of nurses in America’s

The World Tribune interviewed Orlando Cepeda about his nearly two-decade major league baseball career and how his Buddhist practice enabled him to become a spirtual champion. At 17, Mr. Cepeda moved to the U.S. from Ponce, Puerto Rico, to play baseball and, in 1958, was called to be in the majors. In his first season

The World Tribune sat down with Dr. Ira Helfand at the Florida Nature Culture Center in Weston, Florida, where he lectured in late July on nuclear abolition at the SGI-USA Student Division Conference. Dr. Helfand is a member of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and is a