International Symposium on Global Citizenship Education at Soka University
Symposium participants take a commemorative photo
On October 21, 2022, the 1st International Symposium on Global Citizenship Education was held at Soka University in Hachioji, Tokyo. Titled “Restoring Learning to Daily Living: Global Citizenship and John Dewey,” it explored the intersections between global citizenship and the educational philosophy of John Dewey, a pivotal figure in the development of modern progressive education.
The symposium was part of the final official
events held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Soka University’s founding
in April 2021 and also celebrated the 15th anniversary this year of the opening
of the Center for Dewey Studies at Soka University. Some 170 researchers and scholars from 25
countries participated in the symposium.
In a message for the event, Soka University founder Daisaku Ikeda stated:
“Both Dewey and
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi—who founded value creating Soka education and felt
profound resonance with the educational philosophy of his American
contemporary—placed great faith in the limitless capacity of learning that
draws sustenance from the great earth of daily life. Given the precarious state
of international affairs today, numerous difficulties threaten the domain of
daily life itself. It is through the deliberate responses to such challenges
that I hope to open and expand new vistas through which education for global
citizenship will progress.”
Viewing posters exploring global citizenship education, such as its relationship to literature in developing a broader perspective and gaining deeper insight into various cultures
Drawing inspiration from the writings of Dewey, he went on to propose
three specific responses: promoting the courage to learn, fostering dialogue to forge communities united by the joy of
mutual learning, and defining a philosophy of happiness for resilient global
citizenship—a philosophy he characterized as “a philosophy built on patience,
yet inspiring joy and courage.”
Key speakers at the event were Prof. Jim Garrison, Professor Emeritus of philosophy of education at Virginia Tech University and past president of the John Dewey Society; Shigeru Aoyagi, director of UNESCO Bangkok; Chiharu Fujii, professor of education at Waseda University and President of the John Dewey Society of Japan; and Masumi H. Odari, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Literature at the University of Nairobi. [Adapted from an article in the October 24, 2022, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan] [Adapted from an article in the October 24, 2022, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
[Adapted from an article in the October 24, 2022, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
