On May 22 and 23, the Toda Peace Institute, an affiliate of the Soka Gakkai, held a meeting in Tokyo themed “Reconstituting or Replacing the Liberal International Order?” The meeting brought together sixteen scholars from twelve countries, including Toda Institute Director Kevin Clements and Senior Research Fellow Ramesh Thakur. The participants exchanged views on issues including security, the economy and the environment, and foregrounded the importance of dialogue among countries and the necessity for leaders to embrace a No First Use of nuclear weapons policy.
On May 7, SGI-Netherlands held Buddhist study exams at the Ikeda Friendship and Peace Center in Amsterdam. The exams were conducted in English and Dutch and were taken by some 110 people. On the same day, SGI-UK held introductory and elementary level Buddhist study exams. Around 500 people took the exams at some 70 venues throughout the country.
On May 3, the “Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality” exhibition, a joint initiative of the Earth Charter International and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International), opened at the Central University of Venezuela in the capital city of Caracas. The opening ceremony was attended by Director of the School of Economics and Sociology Dr. Ángel Reyes and SGI-Venezuela General Director Lydia Salas.