Who is Daisaku Ikeda? At one level; he is the leader of a religious movement--Soka Gakkai--which began in Japan; where it still has its headquarters; but which now claims 12 million adherents around the world. At another level; he is a globetrotting figure whose formal conversations with diverse writers; thinkers and diplomats--including Arnold Toynbee; Joseph Rotblat and Mikhail Gorbachev--have garnered him an international profile; as well as academic recognition. Perhaps above all else; Daisaku Ikeda is viewed as a campaigner for peace. And it is Ikeda's specific contribution to peacebuilding; notably through the central emphasis he has placed on the significance of dialogue; that this book explores: the first to do so in a concerted way. Olivier Urbain shows that while Soka Gakkai (the ""value society"") may stem from the medieval principles of Nichiren Buddhism; under Ikeda's leadership it has taken these classic wisdoms and transformed them. Now essentially classless and secularised; as well as adaptable and sensitive to modern challenges like resource shortages and climate change; this; argues the author; is a pragmatic approach to peace which has proved both popular and eminently transportable.
#2848603 in Books 2009-02-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x .12 x 6.14l; .18 #File Name: 184734844046 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Nice but limitedBy Dan McGrewNice work but for those really into weapons and equipment go somewhere else; the Red Army Hand Book might be a place to start.
