Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), issued his 40th annual peace proposal on January 26, 2022, marking the anniversary of the SGI’s founding in 1975. Titled “Transforming Human History: The Light of Peace and Dignity,” it offers concrete ideas for tackling the climate crisis and achieving inclusive education.
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative and founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, comments: “I know of no one who has highlighted the role and responsibility of the United Nations so consistently, relentlessly and substantively for such a long period of time as President Ikeda. For the last 40 years, his annual peace proposals have contained brilliant ideas and suggestions for the good of humanity. I am encouraged he has highlighted empowerment of people as a major element in building the Culture of Peace.”
Concerning humanity’s response to the pandemic, President Ikeda calls for solidarity built on awareness of our interconnectedness and states: “I believe firmly that the key factor determining the direction of history will prove not to have been the virus, but we humans ourselves.”
He emphasizes the need to address the inequalities the pandemic has exposed, and that gender equality and women’s empowerment are key to overcoming the crisis and building a global society that sustains human dignity.
On environmental issues, he calls for more coordinated efforts in implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention to Combat Desertification, stating: “Climate change, biodiversity and desertification are deeply intertwined, and solutions are likewise interconnected”
President Ikeda highlights the power of human rights education in overcoming social divides, stating that its real significance lies in reviving our desire to perceive the common humanity of those different from us. He proposes that youth be the focus for the fourth phase of the UN’s World Programme for Human Rights Education, beginning in 2020.
President Ikeda also proposes creating a youth council to advise the UN on the comprehensive protection of the “global commons,” the environmental resources essential to all humanity.
Concerned about the impact of disruptions to education, the SGI president suggests that the UN Transforming Education Summit planned for September focus on education in emergencies, inclusive education and learning for global citizenship.
To download the full text of the 2022 Peace Proposal, “Transforming Human History: The Light of Peace and Dignity,” in pdf format go to: https://www.daisakuikeda.org/assets/files/peaceproposal2022.pdf