Peace Proposal Offers a New Cosmology for a Culture of Peace

"What kind of light can dispel the deep gloom and illumine the expanses of the next thousand years?" In his 1999 Peace Proposal, "Toward a Culture of Peace: A Cosmic View," BRC founder and Soka Gakkai International (SGI) president Daisaku Ikeda advocates that a critical review of the extent to which so-called twentieth-century progress has actually contributed to human happiness is key to pioneering peace in the next century.

"The new isolationism," a phrase coined by former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has been used to describe people's retreat into their own villages and traditions as they grow uneasy with globalism, Mr. Ikeda points out. He notes that, although the Cold War has in large part subsided, the hegemonic struggle still rages, though it has shifted from military to economic hegemony. Yet, in response to rapid economic expansion and homogenization of culture, people have clung to a narrow parochialism. "As long as we look for meaning in our lives, human beings cannot be satisfied to live only in a sterile consumer world," the BRC founder asserts, "whereas parochialism can never keep out worldwide environmental destruction or halt the tide of the global economy. We are therefore virtually fated to endure an identity crisis resulting from our inhabiting a mixture of the two."

Mr. Ikeda then gives a Buddhist perspective on the problem of identity, by calling for citizens to have a global-- even cosmic--awareness. He cites Rutgers University scholar Benjamin R. Barber's suggestion that we need citizens who voluntarily emerge from their private space, into what he calls a "public," and independently participate in public affairs. "The creation of a public is the task of civil society," says Barber. Religion, Mr. Ikeda adds, "provides the meaning, motivation, and a solid framework for developing that action."

Expanding on the role of religion to address the current identity crisis, the Buddhist activist discusses the historical transition of cosmology. As we moved from the Middle Ages to the modern scientific period, he explains, attempts to answer such questions as "Who are we?," "Where did we come from?," and "Why are we here?" have not been re-thought, but abandoned altogether. Mr. Ikeda then offers the SGI movement as an example of a religion developing a new cosmology and addressing the identity crisis head-on. This undertaking began when SGI second president Josei Toda experienced two epiphanies while imprisoned for resisting Japanese military authority during World War II. Based on the 13th century priest Nichiren's reading of the Lotus Sutra, Toda awakened to a profound faith in the infinite worth and potential of human life and determined to awaken all people to this. His realization, suggests Mr. Ikeda, provides a framework for human beings to resolve their identity crisis, transform the world's chaos, and find meaning for their existence.

For people to actualize this type of awakening, he elaborates, it is crucial to understand the mission of a Bodhisattva, who carries on the legacy of Buddhist compassion. A Bodhisattva's two greatest characteristics consist of "being a master of the art of dialogue and a standard-bearer of soft power." According to the Lotus Sutra, a Bodhisattva develops a mind of no fear, transcends all discriminatory barriers, and is ready to engage in dialogue without hesitation, based on a conviction in the fundamental equality of all people. In more contemporary terms, a Bodhisattva uses soft power to focus on cooperation and makes effort to find common ground with people and harmonize different perspectives. Dialogue, Mr. Ikeda emphasizes, is "the most reliable tool with which the Bodhisattvas can lay firm foundations for lasting peace."

Mr. Ikeda goes on to outline a methodology to lay these foundations for peace. United Nations initiatives, he explains, such as designating 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the next decade as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World, offer concrete examples of efforts to encourage peaceful cooperation among member states. In addition, Mr. Ikeda urges immediate ratification of the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which would prohibit military recruitment of anyone under 18. He also supports the international agreement to create an International Criminal Court (ICC), which will replace past international courts that were ad hoc and had limited jurisdiction to deal with specific conflicts.

Resolving international conflicts requires the power of dialogue, Mr. Ikeda strongly emphasizes: "Instead of resorting to hard-power solutions, we must first clarify the nature of the problem and then employ dialogue--the essence of soft power--to remove, one by one, the obstacles to solution."

The peace agreement in Ireland and the U.N. General Assembly resolution designating 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations express the will of people "to enhance understanding through constructive dialogue." In addition, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, another organization the SGI leader established, plans to hold an international conference on "Dialogue of New Civilizations" in 2000. Furthermore, Mr. Ikeda himself continues to conduct dialogues with people from many different backgrounds to build bonds of friendship and bridges of peace.

Another focus of creating cultures of peace, Mr. Ikeda exhorts, lies in de-institutionalizing war. To achieve this, he proposes, first, enhancing and expanding networks of regional forums, such as the European Union, ASEAN, NAFTA, OAU, and MERCOSUR. Secondly, he calls for breaking the vicious circle of international arms trade by (a) reducing demand for arms and (b) blocking the supply of weapons flowing into conflict areas. Third, Mr. Ikeda calls for disarmament, alerting us that little progress has been made to reduce arms and eliminate nuclear weapons. But he offers encouragement by highlighting efforts in Latin America, the South Pacific, Africa and Southeast Asia to create nuclear free zones in their regions. He also mentions the important role of NGOs like the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, which is spearheading Abolition 2000.

The Buddhist leader also mentions SGI's efforts to support the creation of a culture of peace: (1) SGI participation in various activities in cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF; (2) the Boston Research Center's conference series on a culture of peace and its ongoing support of the Earth Charter movement; (3) the Toda Institute's meet ing in West Asia to consider ways of devising a sustainable security structure for the Gulf region; and (4) SGI's support for the Hague Appeal for Peace, a campaign and conference to delegitimize armed conflict and create a culture of peace for the twenty-first century.

Urging us to transform history in the next millennium, Mr. Ikeda says, "The future is something we ourselves must shape and create. We must not passively wait for things to change, but must step forward and throw open the doors to the new century."

--Kali Saposnick

(To receive a complimentary copy of the 1998 Peace Proposal, email pubs@brc21.org.)