June 2009

President Niwano Speaks at Religious Summit
before G8 Summit in Italy

On June 16-17, President Nichiko Niwano visited Rome to attend the "Fourth Summit of Religious Leaders on the occasion of the G8" summit of leading industrialized nations held July 8-10 in L'Aquila, Italy. The religious summit was hosted by the Italian Bishops Conference and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Almost 130 religious leaders of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, and so on from 23 countries attended. The Japanese religious leaders included Rev. Nichiko Niwano, president of the Japanese Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace; Rev. Keishi Miyamoto, leader of Myochi-kai and secretary-general of Religions for Peace Japan; Ven. Gijun Sugitani, supreme advisor to the Tendai Buddhist Denomination and former secretary-general of Religions for Peace Japan; and representatives of Oomotokyo, the Hongwanji subsect of Jodo Shin Buddhism, the Association of Shinto Shrines, Tenrikyo, and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Mrs. Nichiko Niwano and Rev. Takeshi Kawabata, director of Rissho Kosei-kai's General Affairs Bureau, also attended.

The opening ceremony took place June 16 in the guest palace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The welcoming address by Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of the Roman Catholic diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy, was followed by the opening address by Jean-Louis Pierre Cardinal Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Then Professor Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Saint Egidio, delivered the keynote address.

 
Further speeches were given by four other religious leaders: His Beatitude Aram I, catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenians; Rabbi Mordechai Piron, former chief rabbi of the Israeli Defense Forces; Dr. Din Syamsuddin, president and moderator of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace; and President Niwano, who hosted last year's summit of religious leaders in Sapporo, Japan. In his speech, President Niwano stressed that the most fundamental value that all people of faith should share is reverence for all life. He expressed his hope to help build a world in which there is reverence for all life according to the collected wisdom of people of faith worldwide.

On June 17, the summit moved to the international conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After addresses by four religious leaders, including Dr. William F. Vendley, secretary-general of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, and Ms. Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement, all the religious leaders took part in three general assemblies to draft the final statement they would issue to the G8 summit. The statement, among other things, urges fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals, support for African countries whose economies have been harmed by the global financial crisis, and implementation of nuclear reduction and nonproliferation policies leading to the goal of total nuclear disarmament. The statement was delivered to Mr. Vincenzo Scotti, under secretary of state of the Italian Foreign Ministry, by representatives of the religious summit. Mr. Scotti, who also attended the religious summit, said the statement would be conveyed by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini not only to the leaders at the G8 summit but to the leaders at the expanded meeting of 20-odd nations. He emphasized that the world's political leaders can fulfill their roles only with the help of religious leaders.

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