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On October 26, in New Delhi, India, Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada met with Professor Lokesh Chandra, director of the International Academy of Indian Culture, and Professor Nirmala Sharma, deputy director of the academy. Prof. Chandra is a renowned Buddhist scholar who had a long-standing friendship with President Daisaku Ikeda. The two co-authored the dialogue Buddhism―A Way of Values: A Dialogue on Valorisation Across Time and Space published in Japanese in 2002.

President Harada expressed deep gratitude for Prof. Chandra's many years of dedication to cultural and academic exchange and his research on the Lotus Sutra. Prof. Chandra commended the Soka Gakkai for its contribution to preserving Buddhist culture in an era dominated by science and technology. 

Read The Guiding Light of the Lotus Sutra: A Conversation with Lokesh Chandra.

On October 18, Soka Gakkai Indonesia held a youth culture festival at its headquarters in Jakarta. The event brought together young people of different faiths, scholars and other guests to discuss the significance of interfaith unity and the role of young people in fostering unity. Yenny Wahid, director of the Wahid Foundation and daughter of the late Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, also attended. The event featured musical and dance performances.

On October 8, as part of the Bangkok Climate Action Week, a symposium titled “Grounding the Care Economy: Climate Philanthropy, Grassroots Resilience, and Faith Led Action” was held at Lumpini Park in Bangkok. The SGI (Soka Gakkai International) was among several organizations that cosponsored the event, which looked at strategies for building a resilient care economy. Discussions included how to ensure that aid and assistance reaches those most affected by climate-related disasters and the role of faith-based organizations in such efforts. Nobuyuki Asai of the SGI Peace Center shared examples of the Soka Gakkai’s relief activities, including the Bonds of Hope concert initiative in Japan that uses music to provide psychosocial support following disaster. 

On October 3, the Soka Gakkai Côte d'Ivoire Peace Center opened in Abidjan. The new center is one of the largest Soka Gakkai facilities in Africa. Members from 12 African countries, including Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Togo attended the opening ceremony. General Director Pierre Veh called on participants to engage in dialogue to foster friendship with others.