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WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Sept. 8, the SGI-USA Washington, D.C., Buddhist Center opened its doors to the community as part of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington’s annual Unity Walk. The Unity Walk, which began in 2005, invites participants of all ages and backgrounds to walk to different houses of worship and spiritual centers in the Embassy

WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Aug. 4, 2024, Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment hosted an event in remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as their annual resistance to the presence and use of nuclear weapons. The event was hosted, in part, “to remember that the danger of nuclear war is ever present, and that without a

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—On July 14, 2024, to commemorate the anniversary of the first detonation of an atomic weapon in 1945 at the Trinity Test Site, an interfaith coalition hosted a vigil to pray, reflect and discuss the impact of the Trinity Test on its surrounding communities within a 50-mile radius. Speakers included John C. Wester, archbishop

HAGATNA, Guam—Thousands of residents gathered on July 21, 2024, for the 80th Liberation Day Parade themed “Todu i Tiempo i Pas Para Hita,” a CHamoru phrase that means “Peace for Us Always.” Started in 1945, this longstanding tradition celebrates Guam’s liberation from Japanese occupation by the U.S. military forces during World War II. The celebration

SAN ANTONIO, MAY 9, 2024—San Antonio’s city council invited a local SGI-USA representative to lead the invocation at the start of their regular meeting.  An invocation is a sermon, prayer or moment of reflection to provide wisdom and unite attendees at the start of an event.  The meeting was led by San Antonio Mayor Ron

LAHAINA, Hawai‘i—On the Sunday after the wildfires, 19 members and guests came to the Maui Buddhist Center, many bearing the weight of losing their town and all that went with it. At their weekly Soka 2030 meeting, the gathering took on a deeper meaning as their voices blended together, united in prayer, for the safety

The Atomic Age was born 78 years ago, on July 16, 1945, when the United States government conducted an atomic bomb test in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The first large-scale use of nuclear technology, it became the precursor to the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Eight decades later, we continue to live in this age,

by Sumana Chattopadhyay Special to the Tribune    MILWAUKEE—The sun was shining, the energy infectious, as hundreds of vendors showcased food, crafts and messages of hope at Milwaukee’s 52nd Juneteenth Street Festival. Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last slaves in the South heard about their freedom two-and-a-half

TAMUNING, Guam—After Typhoon Mawar brought hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to Guam on May 24, 2023, an elderly woman who had just undergone knee surgery stayed in her bedroom for days without electricity, subsisting on bottled nutrition shakes. Her roof had blown off during the typhoon, and she was left with nothing but her bed

by David Barol Correspondent TULSA, Okla., May 31, 2021—A century after one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history, representatives of SGI-USA Oklahoma Region joined survivors, descendants and the greater Tulsa community in a dedication ceremony of a “Prayer Wall for Racial Healing.” The interfaith event, which drew members of U.S. Congress,

In a socially distanced, dignified and moving tribute on May 3, Soka Gakkai Day, the Northern California city of Oakland declared that the two-block stretch of Opal Street in front of the SGI-USA Oakland Buddhist Center be given a second name: “Daisaku Ikeda Way.” District 1 Councilmember Dan Kalb, who served as the keynote speaker

SGI-USA member Tricia Elam Walker, of Maryland, won the 2021 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for her children’s book Nana Akua Goes to School, which teaches that differences can be wonderful and celebrated. This is a national literary award that honors early career authors and illustrators for their achievements. Ms. Walker is a district women’s

Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, recited the following original piece, “Believer’s Hymn for the Republic,” at the 35th Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was co-sponsored by the SGI-USA at the World Peace Ikeda Auditorium on Jan. 20, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. 12 score

KTLA 5 News reporter Gene Kang captured the hearts of viewers throughout Los Angeles during his morning news segment on Feb. 7. Mr. Kang, who is also an SGI-USA men’s region leader, was covering the topic of domestic violence and went on to share his own experience of how he used his Buddhist practice to

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Jan. 22—Is it possible to melt the icy walls of distrust between people? “Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.—A Conversation” was a timely and important event that reinforced Dr. King’s bold vision of human harmony and the steps we must take to achieve it. Held in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day,

The new dawn blooms as we free it For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it If only we’re brave enough to be it. Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate, closed her poem “The Hill We Climb” with these words on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. On this same

Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California, began serving as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site on Jan. 23. The campus became Orange County’s second Super Point of Dispensing location, following Disneyland. Orange County residents must register at othena.com and confirm an appointment time for the SUA site. On May 3, 2001, SUA opened its

With a nationwide shortage of essential medical supplies in the fight against COVID-19, the SGI-USA has donated 10,000 masks to U.S. hospitals in dire need. In addition to these material provisions, SGI-USA General Director Adin Strauss has called on all SGI-USA members to deepen their bodhisattva vow in bringing about lasting change amid the tumultuous

by Ellen SotoSpecial to the Tribune MIAMI, Jan. 28—On the heels of the SGI’s 45th anniversary, SGI-USA youth representatives Jenice Maza, Luis Malespin and Pedro “Pepe” Barilari presented SGI President Ikeda’s 2019 Peace Proposal at Miami Dade College. Hosted by Michael Lenaghan, Endowed Chair of Excellence Professor, and Stephen Nesvacil, Coordinator of The Earth Ethics Institute,

Lines from the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech reverberated in every corner of the World Peace Ikeda Auditorium on Jan. 20, when some 500 community members gathered for the 35th Annual Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event’s theme, “Now Is the Time to Make Real the Promises of Democracy,” was explored