Exploring Soka Gakkai SGI Buddhist International Network

By Barbara Anderson


When it comes to the history of Buddhism, the practice dates back thousands of years. While this is the case, the Soka Gakkai International sgi buddhist organization was founded at a conference on world peace in 1975. Individuals representing 51 countries were in attendance at the meeting. Sine that time, the organization has added local organizations while the national organization has grown to over 12 million individuals now holding a membership.

The U. S. Headquarters of SGI is located Chicago, Illinois. The organization started as an intentional peace movement which had hoped to take the world by storm. By choosing Guam as the place for the meeting, the area's ties to World War II and the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the group hoped to stress the need for world peace.

The original global expansion of the group began just after the end of World War II. In large part, the expansion was due to the high number of servicemen married to Soka Gakki members, whom once married left Japan. In some cases, the couples also had children whom were coming to a real home for the first time. For, the servicemen with families at that time often lived in large tents.

One country, Uruguay honored the twenty fifth anniversary of SGI with a commemorative stamp. The stamp was initially released in 2000 and has grown in popularity and value since that time. For, it is not just a stamp, it is a stamp celebrating President Ikeda's first international journey in 1960. As such, those in possession of these stamps may want to hold on to them. For, there is a good chance the stamps will only continue to grow in value over time.

In 2015, a director at the Peace Research Institute reported that SGI had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. It was a nomination which was later confirmed by the local Nobel Peace Laureate. While nominated, the prize actually went to the Tunisian Dialogue Quartet for helping to create a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia during the 2011 Jasmine Revolution.

The SGI-Italy was also recognized by the Italian government for the first time in 2015. At that time, the government acknowledged the organization as an official religious organization of Italy which made the organization eligible to receive tax payer funding for social and religious activities and programs. As such, any contributions made to the organization are considered tax-free donations and are tax deductible where applicable.

The SGI is now comprised of a global network of affiliated groups and organizations. As of 2011, the group had over one hundred ninety active organizations in territories and countries with twelve million plus members. While headquarters for two such organizations are located in Tokyo, each are independent of the other. Whereas, all national locations can receive funds from the International Headquarters if selected to do so.

Each of these organizations operate autonomously with the local language of each location being used in all business related affairs. In addition, a number of organizations are coordinated and sponsored by local social groups such as women's and men's groups. As this is the case, each location tends to create, organize and produce fundraisers as a method of raising operating funds for that specific location.




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