The Power of Hope: Thoughts on Peace and Human Rights in the Third Millennium

Description

Human history has been marked by the great number of people born into conditions of war, violence, oppression and social exclusion. But at the same time, this history has been shaped by the long struggle for human rights and the people who have committed themselves to the practices of solidarity and nonviolence. The Power of Hope: Thoughts on Peace and Human Rights in the Third Millennium is a dialogue between two high-profile activists and thinkers who discuss the concrete ways we can shift to a world that prioritises justice and human dignity. Adolfo Pérez Esquivel - Argentinian human rights activist and winner of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize - played a vital role in resisting military dictatorship and was arrested and tortured under the Argentine militarist government. Daisaku Ikeda is a peacebuilder, Buddhist philosopher, educator, author and poet as well as being the founding president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the world’s largest Buddhist lay organisation. Their dialogue intertwines their rich personal experiences in the struggle for human rights with wider reflections on how to make the Third Millennium the millennium of peace. The book combines rich accounts of Latin America under the brutality of the 1970s military regimes; insights from the Buddhist faith on the role of meditation for human rights activists; recognition of the crucial role of women in the practice of nonviolence; thoughts on international geopolitics and the legacies of Hiroshima; and discussion of the perilous role of globalisation in the loss of identities and ethical values. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Foreword Foreword Dialogue with Maestro Daisaku Ikeda To the Youth of the World An Appeal for Resilience and Hope—by Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and Daisaku Ikeda (Rome, June 5, 2018) The Challenge of a New Era Our Message to Youth Appeal to International Society With the Torch Held High ONE The Struggle for Human Rights—A Story of Glorious Triumph Bringing an End to the Suffering of the People The Long Road of the Resistance Movement The Brutality of State Terrorism Violence Is the Law of Brutes, Nonviolence the Law of Humankind Lies as the Instrument of Violence Choosing a Life of Difficult Struggle The Courage of a Woman When Her Husband Was Arrested Struggling against Harsh Prison Conditions The Struggle against Japan’s Military Government Fortified by Imprisonment “Death Flight”—Being Dropped from a Plane Accepting a Grassroots Nobel Peace Prize as a Representative of the People Surviving Life-Threatening Crises Destiny Can Be Changed TWO A World United by the Power of the People The World Seen from Latin America Power Acts to Suppress Popular Movements Urgent Actions or Long-term Structural Reform—Which Is the Priority? The Triumphant Sun of the People’s Victory The Need for Organizations to Fortify Human Solidarity How to Avoid Repeating Tragedy Totalitarianism Emerges from Spiritual Vacuum Life, Not Material Goods, Is the Essential Value The Dream and Challenges of a United Latin America Learning from the Cultural Legacies of Others Ancient Peoples Were True Ecologists Japan and Argentina: Neighbors on Opposite Sides of the Globe The Secret to the Best Corn THREE Transmitting the Legacy of Nonviolence Embracing the Champions of Peace in Our Hearts The Most Significant Figures in Our Lives “Listen to Mother Earth”—A Grandmother’s Teaching The Pioneers of the Nonviolent Movement in Latin America Gandhi Assigns a Young Brahman Disciple to Clean Toilets The Dangerous Gap between Words and Deeds Reaching Peace on the Path to Spirituality FOUR Women: The Driving Force of a Century of Life Building Solidarity in an Individualistic Society Gandhi’s High Hopes for the Role of Women Women Who Have Dedicated Their Lives to the Struggle for Justice Mothers’ Prayers: The Starting Point for Action for Peace Women Illuminating Society with the Light of Compassion Moving beyond Societies Governed by the Forces of Discrimination and Oppression Lady Shrimala and Mother Teresa The Declaration of Women’s Rights in the Lotus Sutra President Makiguchi’s Emphasis on Educating Women Women Civilizing Humanity through the Power of Dialogue The Struggle to Rouse Humanity’s Conscience FIVE Youth—The Key to Building a Culture of Peace Nuclear Weapons Are an Absolute Evil—Thoughts on Hiroshima A Leadership Revolution for the Sake of Peace Making the Spirit of the Antinuclear Declaration a Reality Violence Is Just Another Form of Self-righteousness Prioritizing Human Security Promoting a Global Awareness for a New Century of the Spirit Peace Is Born from the Capacity to See What Cannot Be Seen Driving the Culture of Violence from Our Hearts Youth’s Mission to Build Peace A Life in Which Deeds Match Words Is an Example for the World Notes Index