Memorial Service held for Daisaku Ikeda in Navoiy City, Uzbekistan
On February 5, 2024, a memorial was held to honor the life of Daisaku Ikeda, Honorary President of Soka Gakkai and President of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), in Navoiy City, the Republic of Uzbekistan.
At the memorial ceremony, attended by
representatives from various sectors of society, a video chronicling Mr.
Ikeda’s lifelong dedication to peace and the advancement of humanity was shown.
Speakers lauded Mr. Ikeda’s collaborative initiatives in fostering culture and
education throughout the world.
Speakers included Mirzaev Sadulla Mirzaevich, deputy governor of the Navoiy Region; Kuziev Tursunali Karimovich, former minister of Culture and Sports and first deputy director of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan; and Navoiy City Mayor Ergashev Dilmurod Bekmuradovich. Bakhriddin Sadriddinov of the Navoiy regional branch of the Union of Writers of Uzbekistan and Atabek Aslanov of the Creative Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan also spoke. Students of Navoi Innovation University recited poems they had written in honor of Mr. Ikeda.
The ceremony was broadcast on local TV and
radio stations, and banners and posters announcing the event were displayed
along the city’s main street.
Prior to the memorial service, attendees viewed a display of photographs taken by Mr. Ikeda. These photographs were selected from the exhibition titled “Dialogue with Nature,” comprising scenic and nature shots captured by Mr. Ikeda. Representatives from the Navoiy regional government were in attendance and the display was viewed by students from various universities in the region. The “Dialogue with Nature” exhibition initially toured locations across Uzbekistan from November 2017, opening in Navoiy City in November 2018.
Navoiy City has a long-standing relationship with Mr. Ikeda. In 2007, the city presented him with an honorary citizenship in appreciation of his efforts to promote the words of Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi (also Ali-Shir Nava’i) (1441–1501) and foster friendly relations between Japan and Uzbekistan.
A commemorative photo taken at the memorial service in Navoiy City
[Adapted from an article in the February 15, 2024, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
