Interdependence
Introducing the Ikeda Center theme for 2012
 During 2012 we will explore the theme of interdependence, making connections and discovering resonances between Buddhist philosophy and other global wisdom traditions, past and present. As always, our investigation will culminate in the fall with the Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue.
In his 1993 Harvard lecture, "Mahayana Buddhism and 21st Century Civilization," Daisaku Ikeda said this of interdependence: "Each living thing manifests the enlightenment of which it is capable. Each contributes to the harmony of the grand concert of symbiosis.... Nothing and nobody exists in isolation. Each individual existence functions to create the environment that sustains all others." Please join us as we discover how embracing the truth of interdependence will lead to a flourishing, more peaceful world.
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Positive Changes
New resources explore the nature of creativity in school leadership and learning.
 Newly posted to our website is an interview with Lesley University's Stephen Gould (r) called "The Music of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership." In this conversation, Gould reflects on his twin careers as a musician and school leader and draws connections between music composition and performance and community building, both in school settings and in society at large.
And just posted to the Ikeda Center YouTube site are three video clips featuring charter school founder and educator Monte Joffee. Topics include ways our narratives shape our actions and expectations and how our best learning emerges from imperfect experience. Gould and Joffee both participated in this education leadership seminar held at the Center last summer.
>> Read the Gould interview here
>> View the Joffee videos at our YouTube channel
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2012 Peace Proposal
"Human Security and Sustainability: Sharing Reverence for the Dignity of Life"
 Early each year Center founder Daisaku Ikeda submits a detailed peace proposal to the United Nations. This year's is called "Human Security and Sustainability: Sharing Reverence for the Dignity of Life." In it, Ikeda focuses on what Amartya Sen has called "the dangers of sudden deprivation" that follow natural disasters, armed conflict, economic crises, and rapid environmental degradation.
The philosophical foundation for Ikeda's policy recommendations is composed of three core themes from the Lotus Sutra: 1) the stance that the highest priority of the state must be the well-being and security of ordinary people; 2) a call for the establishment of a worldview rooted in a vital sense of our interconnectedness; and 3) the insight that the greatest empowerment is realized when, through dialogue, we advance from a shared concern to a shared action-oriented pledge or vow.
>> Read the peace proposal
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