Water Matters
July 2008
Banner photo: R.Maro/version-foto.de
Antinuclear Exhibition Shown at Geneva UN Headquarters
Ambassador Yel'chenko speaks at the opening ceremony
From April 28 to May 9, the SGI-sponsored exhibition "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: Transforming the Human Spirit" was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. The exhibition examines the issue of nuclear disarmament from the viewpoint of human security--a concern for the concrete outcomes of policies in the lives of real people. In addition to portraying the horrific effects of nuclear weapons, the exhibition shows the many human needs--from health to education and ecological integrity--that could be met by redirecting even a small portion of the enormous sums currently absorbed globally by military spending. It also highlights the many efforts being undertaken by people and organizations to build a more peaceful world.
The exhibition was held to coincide with a gathering of representatives of the states party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), one of the key international agreements on disarmament. The official opening on April 30 was attended by many diplomats, as well as the representatives of numerous civil society organizations active in the field of disarmament.
Speaking at the opening, the NPT session chair, Ambassador Volodymyr Yel'chenko of Ukraine, noted the importance of collaboration between governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs): "This exhibition is good proof of what NGOs can do to promote the NPT principles." UN High Representative for Disarmament Sergio de Queiroz Duarte praised the SGI's "unfailing commitment" to nuclear disarmament, saying: "Your work has helped inspire younger generations to understand the importance of progress in disarmament, especially in eliminating nuclear weapons, the deadliest of all weapons of mass destruction." Susi Snyder, President of the Geneva NGO Committee on Disarmament and Secretary General of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), reflected on the long history of disarmament efforts in Geneva.
Hirotsugu Terasaki, Soka Gakkai vice president, explained that the exhibition is part of a decade of people's action for nuclear abolition which the SGI launched in 2007 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the declaration made by second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda denouncing nuclear weapons as an absolute evil and calling for their abolition.
In a message to the exhibition, SGI President Ikeda stressed the importance of dialogue. "Dialogue inspires and strengthens human qualities essential to developing and sustaining a culture of peace: the spirit of empathy to embrace the pain and sufferings of others; the spirit of solidarity to work alongside those with whom we share our brief time on Earth and to strive with them toward the resolution of shared challenges."
