The prominent Buddhist religious leader and advocate for peace, Daisaku Ikeda, has placed dialogue at the centre of his efforts towards securing global justice and conflict resolution. However, far from constituting abstract plans for the future of the world, Ikeda's dialogues represent very concrete and focused activity. He concentrates on one significant individual (such as Joseph Rotblat, Linus Pauling and Mikhail Gorbachev) at a time, or sometimes small groups, in order to attempt the transformation of thinking and society through intense discussion. This book offers detailed exploration of this crucial aspect of Ikeda's philosophy of peace. Contributors examine topics such as: the background to Ikeda's dialogic thinking as found in the Lotus Sutra; Buddhism as a practical philosophy of dialogue; Ikeda's use of dialogue, specifically in the field of education; and dialogue in relation to the abolition of nuclear weapons. Ikeda's concept of dialogue emerges as a paradoxical movement towards common ground based on respectful difference. This study will appeal to students of peace, politics and modern Buddhism.

Preface Breaking Boundaries and Challenging Conventional Wisdom through Dialogue Stuart ReesMessage to the Conference: "The Power of Dialogue in a Time of Global Crisis"Daisaku IkedaIntroduction Olivier Urbain Part 1. The Lotus Sutra and Citizen Diplomacy 1. Philosophy of Peace in the Lotus Sutra Yoichi Kawada2. People Diplomacy: Daisaku Ikeda in China and the Former Soviet Union Hirotomo Teranishi Part 2. Buddhism as a Practical Philosophy of Dialogue 3. Cosmopolitan Dialogue in an Interconnected, Ever-changing World Gonzalo Obelleiro4. Youth Perspectives: A Case Study of the Application in Australia of Group Dialogues for Peace Liz BowenPart 3. Dialogic Practice in Education5. Daisaku Ikeda and Dialogue on Education, in Education and as Education Jason Goulah6. Daisaku Ikeda and Innovative Education Wayne HudsonPart 4. Dialogue on Global Issues7. Perspectives of Daisaku Ikeda and South-South Network Cristina Atieno8. SGI's Dialogical Movement to Achieve a World without Nuclear Weapons Kimiaki KawaiNotes ReferencesIndex