George Koichi Wong

As a Peace Research Fellow, George is supporting the Center through applied research and thematic analysis of Daisaku Ikeda’s philosophy of peace. His work involves working with the Executive Director and Senior Peace Researcher to review primary texts and scholarly literature to identify key peace concepts and contribution to peace studies. He also engages in professional networking with peace scholars and universities to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange.

George is from San Francisco, CA, and has lived and worked in San Diego, CA; Portland, OR; Washington, DC; and Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He is a graduate of UC San Diego and Georgetown University with a BA in International Relations and a MA in Conflict Resolution, with experience working in multiple human rights nonprofit organizations. Outside of the Ikeda Center, George could most likely be found exploring Boston on foot, cooking restaurant meals at home, or singing karaoke at your local pub.

George’s favorite definition of peace is by Dr. Stuart Rees quoted from page 4 of the book, Peace, Justice and the Poetic Mind; Conversations on the Path of Nonviolence: 

Peace is not the mere absence of war. Even though a situation may look peaceful on the surface, as long as there are people who suffer from injustice, including poverty and lack of opportunities, that situation is not worth of the name of peace in its true sense […] although peace is a worthy goal, peace with justice will be more lasting and more universally beneficial; and that’s a goal for people in all walks of life.

He also resonates with this quote by Johan Galtung from page 186 of the book, Choose Peace; A Dialogue Between Johan Galtung & Daisaku Ikeda: 

We must be realists in our brains while keeping the flame of idealism burning in our hearts. That is what peace research and peace-oriented action are about.