Soka Gakkai International of New Zealand joins Wellington Mayor’s Peace network
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown addresses the peace hui
On 17 May 2015, around 60 people representing local organisations and individuals involved in peace activities in Wellington City, including the United Nations Association, the Peace Foundation and SGINZ, attended the Wellington Council’s Inaugural Peace Hui hosted by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown at council offices. Among the guests was the Ambassador of Brazil and parliamentarian, Hon. Phil Goff who is the current Chair of theParliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.
Selected panels from SGINZ’s “Everything You Treasure and “Seeds of Hope” exhibitions were shown at the Hui and invited speaker, Dr Rod Alley, presented an update from the recent disarmament conference in New York. SGINZ representative, Joycelyn Foo spoke about SGI’s activities towards nuclear abolition saying that “Being part of the Wellington Mayor’s peace network is a great privilege for us. It recognises our history of being actively involved in promoting nuclear abolition and a culture of peace and non-violence in Wellington city and NZ for almost 20 years”.
Earlier this year, the mayor established the ‘Peace Partners’, a team of individuals to provide advice and support her in her role. The Peace Partners are Joycelyn Raffills (SGINZ), Graham Hassall (United Nations Association of NZ) and Dr Rod Alley of the Peace Foundation.
Wellington City became an Executive City for Peace of the Mayors for Peace organisation in 2014 after a meeting between Mayor Wade-Brown and Mayor Matsui in Hiroshima, Japan and further cements Wellington’s history as a nuclear free capital.
The Hui provided an opportunity to learn more about the Mayor’s for Peace action plan and to share information across the sector.