Daisaku Ikeda

What is the People's Decade?

The aim of the People’s Decade is to increase the number of people who reject nuclear weapons. Ordinary citizens and civil society must be the protagonists, creating a groundswell of demand for nuclear abolition that will influence decision makers.

In August 2006, in a proposal for reform of the United Nations, Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda put forward the idea of a UN decade of action by the world’s people for abolition of nuclear weapons. In line with his idea, SGI launched the People’s Decade in September 2007, collaborating with international antinuclear movements such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) initiated by International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). The launch coincided with the 50th anniversary of the 1957 antinuclear declaration made by second president of the Soka Gakkai Josei Toda.

Comprising a wide variety of individuals throughout the world, SGI’s own network can help connect a diverse group of people around the globe. SGI has promoted numerous activities aimed at nuclear abolition, creating a variety of forums in which people of all ages are able to exchange views freely, share ideas and experiences and inspire one another. Each small step helps drive a process of transformation, ultimately changing the course of history.

Why Now?

The world is at increased risk of nuclear terrorism and proliferation, while efforts toward nuclear disarmament have been deadlocked.

Even one nuclear weapon causes appalling devastation, death and lifelong suffering for survivors. And yet today, thousands of nuclear weapons remain on hair-trigger alert, aimed and poised.

Recent advocacy from influential world leaders lays out the steps that must be taken to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. Now is the time to strengthen the grassroots momentum toward this goal. We must seize the moment and raise our voices against these monuments to human hatred and fear. Their time is gone.