At the heart of Soka humanism lies the ideal of the sanctity of life and the empowerment of the individual. War, environmental degradation, poverty and nuclear armament strip away the rights and dignity of the individual.

Daisaku Ikeda’s commitment to peace grows from his experience as a young teenager of World War II. His interactions with second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda in the aftermath of the war helped shape his anti war sentiments into a philosophy that supports a multifaceted peace movement. What sustains Ikeda’s energetic engagement is his belief in the sanctity of life and the creative potential of individual human beings, and his faith in the power of dialogue to bridge the distances between people.

For Ikeda, peace is far more than the mere absence of war. Rather, it points to a set of conditions in which cultural differences are embraced and appreciated and in which dialogue is firmly established as the means of choice for resolving conflict. In recent years, the idea of a “culture of peace” has gained widespread currency in the world. From his writings and actions, it is clear that Ikeda has been a pioneering practitioner of this concept.

Since 1983, every year, Ikeda authors a peace proposal which explores the interrelation between core humanistic concepts and the diverse challenges global society faces in the effort to realize peace and human security. In addition, he has also made proposals touching on issues such as education reform, the environment, and the United Nations.

A unique feature of the Peace Proposals is that they emphasize the importance and role of individual action in resolving global issues.

A central and consistent focus of these proposals has been on ways of revitalizing and strengthening the role of the UN.

“Humanity faces a range of complex issues that show no regard for national borders–threats such as terrorism, armed conflict, poverty, environmental degradation, hunger and disease. A reformed and strengthened UN is essential to mustering effective responses to the global challenges of the new era.”
Daisaku Ikeda

UN Under-Secretary-General, Yasushi Akashi awarded Ikeda the United Nations Peace Award. August 1983

Source : Photo Album – In pursuit of peace, p.114

Ikeda himself has held dialogues with Secretary Generals Kurt Waldheim, Javier Peréz de Cuellar and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and is recipient of the United Nations Peace Medal and the UNHCR Humanitarian Award.

In August 2006, the SGI President met with UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul K. Chowdhury and presented a proposal entitled “Fulfilling the Mission: Empowering the UN to live up to the world’s expectations.”

Annual Peace Proposals