The occasion for this interview with Bernice Lerner was the publication of her book All the Horrors of War: A Jewish Girl, a British Doctor, and the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen. The girl of the title is Lerner's mother, Rachel Genuth, who narrowly survived the trials and atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps. The doctor is Brigadier H. L. Glyn Hughes, who was in charge of medical needs and services for the British Second Army, which liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945. In her book, Lerner skillfully and movingly interweaves the stories of these two...
News & Blog
Because it was conducted on Zoom, our June 11 dialogue event was called a “virtual” one. Yet there was nothing simulated or “less than” about the conversations that took place when 250 participants from 19 countries around the world gathered online for “Asking Questions Together: What Is Our Path Forward?” The panel discussion featured Dr. Ceasar McDowell (Professor of Civic Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Ikeda Center Student Ambassadors Giulia Pellizzato (Postdoctoral Fellow, Brown University) and Anthony Jojola (Masters candidate, Boston College) who shared thoughts...
As a center committed to peace, justice and the dignity of all people, we stand in solidarity with everyone across the United States and the world who is demonstrating to end systemic racism and violence. The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and countless others reflect a disregard for Black lives that has plagued this country for far too long. Enough is enough. Black Lives Matter.
Each of these individuals was a family member, a friend and a loved one. They were all invaluable members of their communities. They did not...
On Thursday, April 16, 2020, the Ikeda Center hosted its first ever virtual dialogue, “A Time To Reflect & Reimagine: Creating A Better Future Now.“ The event featured a youth-led panel discussion centered on Daisaku Ikeda’s three elements of global citizenship and how we can use them as a framework to reimagine a better future, especially during this time when the whole world is grappling with a new way of living. Afterwards, the 133 participants broke out into small group discussions and offered their reflections.
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April 12, 2020
Dear Friends,
Like our fellow global citizens, we staff of the Ikeda Center are doing all we can to avoid spreading the contagion of COVID-19 and are grateful for the brave souls fighting on the front lines against this global pandemic. Also, as we hope and pray for an early end to the outbreak, we are digging deeper within our own hearts to find an even stronger aspiration toward a shared future of respect for the dignity of life.
In a recent article, Center founder Daisaku Ikeda recalled British historian Arnold Toynbee’s conviction that “those living...
There is the courage of superheroes and soldiers at war. Blockbuster courage, let’s call it. Then there is the courage of everyday people living regular lives – lives that are nevertheless heroic in their own way, especially when they are defined by a refusal to be defeated by the inevitable challenges of life, and even more, when they manifest a commitment to the happiness and wellbeing of others. These were the kinds of qualities that were celebrated and explored during the first Dialogue Nights of 2020, held at the Ikeda Center on Friday, January 31. Called “We Can Do It! Challenging...
Millennials are often called “the anxious generation”—and for good reason, said Center Program Manager Lillian I in her welcoming remarks for the fifth and final Dialogue Nights of 2019. There is no shortage of reasons for this generation of young people to be in a “constant state of panic,” observed Lillian: “living paycheck to paycheck, not being able to pay rent, will I ever be able to save enough money to buy a house or have my own family, what is the purpose of my life, and the list goes on.” Held on December 13th, the event was called “Millennial Challenge: Appreciating the Uncertain...
The terms intercultural and intergenerational are usually used to describe distinct forms of dialogue or social interaction. Yet, they really are one and the same, aren’t they? Each generation has their own mores and modes of expression, as well as challenges they face that are unique to them, in other words, a unique culture. Thus, it was more than fitting that the 2019 Ikeda Forum for Intercultural Dialogue—called “Can Dialogue Save the World: Exploring the Power of Human Connections”—featured the dialogic experiences of eight young professionals who, over the last several months,...
On Friday, Oct 25th, more than 110 participants joined us for the 15th Annual Ikeda Forum: "Can Dialogue Save The World? Exploring the Power of Human Connections." Our heartfelt thanks to all who attended! This year's forum featured eight youth presenters who participated in a 5-6 month dialogue experiment with Boston-area scholars seeking to answer the question: "What kind of inner transformation does one experience through sustained dialogue with another informed by Daisaku Ikeda's philosophy?" The eight young professionals shared their findings and experiences at...
The Ikeda Center hosted its second-ever Movie Nights event on Friday, September 27. Participants gathered to watch American Textures, a 2016 documentary produced by Crossing Borders Films. In it, six Black, White, and Latino young people travel together across the United States, in the process learning not only about the history of racial injustice and segregation in the cities they visit, but also how to engage truthfully with one another about matters of race, identity, and community. The producers of the film envisioned it as a creative response to intensifying “interracial...
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Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue
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Phone: (617) 491.1090 Fax: (617) 491.1169