Dialogues to promote peace and harmony - The Leadership of Dr.Daisaku Ikeda

Dialogues to promote peace and harmony - The Leadership of Dr.Daisaku Ikeda

           

Dr.Daisaku Ikeda, the president of Soka Gakkai International and a widely respected philosopher, poet, founder of the Soka education system, and a tireless promoter of a world without war has been employing dialogue as a very effective strategy in promoting awareness among people. Engaging in dialogues with the best brains in different fields in different parts of the world in an attempt to share, analyse, focus and critically examine common concerns and issues with are arising out of contemporary developments in various fields of human endeavours has been found to be extremely useful and rewarding in the sense that these dialogues reveal responses of profound significance and offered in an atmosphere of friendliness and ease and there is no trace of laboured intellectualism which very often characterises what comes out of most of the celebrities when called upon to react to specific issues.

            First in this series was the historic dialogue with Arnold Toynbee. In the dialogue both the leaders agreed with each other expecting and hoping that in the near future mankind will certainly succeed in unifying politically and spiritually. A confirmed optimist that he is, Dr.Ikeda is very hopeful in believing that this great change can be brought about voluntarily on terms of equality between all sections of humanity and without any trace of domination of one over another, an evil which Ikeda condemns unequivocally. It might be of considerable importance for readers to remember the fact that many of the projections made by both Toynbee and Ikeda came true later as situations with almost dramatic intensity and unbelievable speed unfolded in the eighties and nineties, generating tremendous faith in man’s ability of forge ahead though in this process violence and conflicts of unprecedented magnitude have also crept into the very vital areas of human concern. The dialogues when available in print became immensely popular and Ikeda­Toynbee dialogue, “Choose Life” is now available in 17 world languages. Dr.Ikeda held dialogues with leading scientists, thinkers, statesmen, artists, social workers, etc. A regular feature of his efforts to the comprehensive action program for peace. Distinguished personalities like Aurelio Pecci, Bryan Wilson, Joseph Derbolav, Linus Pauling, Henry Kissinger, Dr Karan Singh, Johan Galtung are a few of the long list of scholars with whom Ikeda held dialogues for peace and development.

            One very attractive aspect of every dialogue is the highly creative manner in which Ikeda is able to discuss the various issues from different perspectives without revealing even a trace of repetition-a remarkable aspect of a master-brain. That such an achievement is rare in human history speaks volumes of the great ability with which Ikeda has been able to involve in what he believes paramount importance to humanity’s survival.