November 18, 2013 marks the 83rd anniversary of the founding of Soka Gakkai in Japan. To commemorate this significant date and its development as a global movement for peace, culture and education; SGINZ will be hosting a special lecture by Professor Peter Lineham. The event aims to jointly celebrate interfaith humanism and Soka Gakkai founding day. The event is opened to invited guests such as the Interfaith Council, the Peace Foundation, United Nations Association (NZ Branch), SGINZ members and the general public.
The Theme of the Meeting is FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATION: SGI Humanism in the 21st Century.
The meeting will be held on Sunday November 17th at the SGI Buddhist Community Centre, 40 Eaglehurst Rd, Ellerslie, Auckland from 10:30am-Midday.
Professor Peter Lineham will speak on “New Religious Leaders and the Challenge of Religion in the 21st Century.” He will talk about Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, Pope Francis and Bishop Justin Duckworth of Wellington using a power point visual display. Following Professor Lineham, we have Rev. George Armstrong who will provide us with his comment on what he deems to be a “True Religion”.
There are Maori performances from the renowned Kapahaka Group of Kowhai Intermediate School, and contemporary musical pieces from SGINZ Brass Band. There will also be the “Seeds of Hope” exhibition which stresses our interconnectedness with the rest of the community of life and the need to broaden our sphere of compassion and concern.
It will be a day of celebration, a day to remember the struggles and challenges our pioneers had endured, and a day to renew our resolve to strive in their footsteps to continue their dream of a better world.