From the Director
Recently, I learned about the experience of a preacher from the United States who established a mission in Papua New Guinea. As we enter a new century crying out for tolerance and practices of peace, his story is instructive. This missionary became very frustrated about one thing in particular: he couldn't get the local population to sing in unison during church services. After years of struggle, he finally discovered that these indigenous people knew very well how to sing in unison, but had resisted his entreaties because they thought the sound was so ugly. To them, the overlapping diverse rhythms of the rainforest were beautiful, and that's how they always made their music sound.
During the past seven years of programs and publications at the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, through trial and error we've learned that when we bring people together in a warm educational setting, friendship and trust emerge. When dialogue is conducted in an open atmosphere where people are free to share their multiple perspectives, a “rainforest” harmony is created that has a natural beauty to it. This kind of dialogue— we realized in our spring conference series on cultures of peace—goes deeper, too. It reveals many truths about our common humanity. It begins to uncover an “authentic universality,” a concept described by Center founder Daisaku Ikeda in his millennial message beginning on page one.
Highlighted and excerpted in this newsletter, our latest book—Buddhist Peacework (Wisdom Publications, 2000)—opened the way this past year to new friendships among groups of Buddhists previously not very familiar to us. With the invaluable aid of editor David Chappell, we experienced a joyous communion across intra-religious boundaries. In addition, the Global Citizen Awards program became more diverse and flexible as we bestowed awards on outstanding individuals from Russia, the Philippines, and Colombia at ceremonies in locations far from our home site. We're delighted to be sharing in these pages, too, the various insights we've gained from collaborative events with friends at the Coalition for a Strong United Nations (CSUN), the International Ethics Center at Brandeis University, Women's Action for New Directions (WAND), and local peace studies programs.
In terms of the immediate future, we're working with our “Creating Connections” coalition of Boston-area women's groups to prepare for a gathering this April that will celebrate intergenerational sisterhood. The lively expression of “rainforest melodies” during our planning sessions, which have embraced women ranging from age 16 to 79, promises a remarkable and creative result.
Marking our second year of work on the theme of nonviolence, we look forward to co-hosting with CSUN this June a conference commemorating the U.N. International Year for the Culture of Peace (see details on page 18). Other plans include the launch of a new program this fall—a women's lecture series on the four values the Center seeks to foster: human rights, nonviolence, ecological harmony, and economic justice. With this series, we will honor women in history who have stood for these values.
As I reflect on my own hopes and dreams for the world in this next century, I can't help but think that human networks are THE most powerful force for peace in a fractured, dog-eat-dog world. We are very grateful to the inspired scholars, activists and other friends and neighbors who have helped, through their participation and support, to make the Center an oasis for dialogue—where people are free to express their humanity in all of its dimensions.
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