Comments on Soka Educators International Network (SEIN): 2nd General Meeting, Monday - October 27 through S...

I've really enjoyed this dialogue and the collecti...

2008-11-03T07:31:00.000-05:00

I've really enjoyed this dialogue and the collective wisdom I've heard. As to Stephanie's question: Relationship between SGI and SEIN...

* President Ikeda says in his Oct 24 WT "We should advance with dynamism and good cheer." He preffesed this with: "When times are dark and gloomy..." As a teacher struggling now and not receiving much encouragement from my local area, this forum

Hi everyoneI apologize to participate so late in t...

2008-11-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone
I apologize to participate so late in the week ; I apreciate a lot the SEIN since I began to be incorporated more or less two years ago.
As I take a new determination to finish my PhD (I haven't finished yet), I try to concentrate me on this when I have free time.
In fact, as another members of the SEIN, I really apreciate this initiative and I'll really do all my best to

FINAL DAY OF GENERAL MEETING:Hello everyone! I wil...

2008-11-02T02:43:00.000-05:00

FINAL DAY OF GENERAL MEETING:

Hello everyone!

I will be sending out a summary in the next few days. Thanks for helping out SEIN and giving us concrete and purposeful direction.

During this last day, let's talk about the upcoming forum. during the forum we are going to take time to develop ways to help members better use Sensei's peace proposals? Should we break

Hi everyone: It looks like we have really develope...

2008-11-01T03:21:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone:

It looks like we have really developed fresh ideas about disarmament, the buddy system and the website so thanks a lot for your thoughts.

We have been discussing the final topic - What is the best relationship between SGI and SEIN? throughout the General Meeting.

We said that SEIN was like a garden door. We said that SEIN was a place where educators

I agree with everything Dave says, and the experie...

2008-10-31T08:53:00.000-04:00

I agree with everything Dave says, and the experience with buddies is interesting. I think we're nearly there and it's just a question of how to link person with buddy, perhaps good if they could choose their buddy if possible I guess, just as we choose who to go to for guidance in SGI, it isn't imposed.

This AGM does seem to be at a rather odd time of year, not usual for AGMs which

Hi Stephanie - I sincerely recommend General Meeti...

2008-10-31T08:36:00.000-04:00

Hi Stephanie - I sincerely recommend General Meetings be held in Jan. or perhaps August.

But never at the same time as newsletters. Difficult for me to keep up with posting, monitoring and what will become other website tasks for two functions posting at the same time. Later on we should be able to do it.

Thanks, Constance

Posted for David K. -hellore the buddy system, it ...

2008-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Posted for David K. -

hello
re the buddy system, it makes sense to have one or two people to
communicate with
particularly when 'buddies' are from different countries. i have used
a system of pairing
exchange students with american students in classes for years. they
both benefit tremendously.

i suspect it would work by either selecting a buddy from

Terry - this says we must transcend the framework ...

2008-10-31T05:45:00.000-04:00

Terry - this says we must transcend the framework of the state -- to go from national to human. how we can transform to the sovereignty of humanity would be an important discussion to have with students.

Perhaps your exhibition could have points for discussion -- like this one.

With the invention of nuclear arms, war as a nation’s sovereign right became an act that could lead

One more thing --From Constance's last comment, an...

2008-10-31T03:25:00.000-04:00

One more thing --

From Constance's last comment, and previous suggestions, I think we can say that the website will be interactive enough for Constance to manage it without too much effort. So that is what we want. Thanks everyone,

Stephanie

Hello everyone,Thanks for your thoughts on the bud...

2008-10-31T03:23:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

Thanks for your thoughts on the buddy system Dave. With what I hear from the other inputs about not straining too much what do you think about this:

As the forum approaches and people sign up for it, the Planning Group will have an e-group meeting and decide who wants to support which newcomers. Either because of the language barriers or technical barriers.

Very interesting too reading Terry and Susan, many...

2008-10-30T16:51:00.000-04:00

Very interesting too reading Terry and Susan, many thanks for all your ideas.

Princess Diana once said, when she was campaigning against land mines, that there would be no wars if everyone gave their children lots of cuddles.

I was in a country recently which shall remain nameless, where most people are lovely but underneath you could sense anger and frustration. There was a

Could I just make a respectful request for people ...

2008-10-30T16:39:00.000-04:00

Could I just make a respectful request for people esp American members not to use TLAs? as I don't know what they mean.
(Three Letter Acronym)
FCCN?

(FLA)and some others

I am managing with SGI, SEIN and UNESCO no problems.

Thanks
Jill

I'm a bit behind here.....Soka Education: The main...

2008-10-30T16:33:00.000-04:00

I'm a bit behind here.....

Soka Education: The main thing is that education can't be national, it must be international. This is because if education is run by national government it will inevitable aim to serve the national agenda, rather than the individual. Makiguchi education is for the individual to be able to achieve their potential and lead a life of happiness and value.

Hi Everyone - what great ideas people are presenti...

2008-10-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone - what great ideas people are presenting.

Here is a brief update on the website. The biggest challenge currently is the fact that we are maintaining the blog as well as developing the website both at the same time. You may have noticed I am posting all the emailed comments to the blog. I am doing this because ultimately all on the blog will be transferred to the website in

Posting for Stephanie -Hi everyone again!I am glad...

2008-10-30T12:47:00.000-04:00

Posting for Stephanie -

Hi everyone again!

I am glad we are getting serious about the disarmament exhibition -- as we have all noted -- it is so easy to forget about disarmament. Below is a passage somebody just sent to me. what a mystic work we do!
The main reason relations between different peoples and cultures degenerate into the kind of atrocity symbolized by "ethnic

Posting for Po -i sooo enjoyed reading what Susan ...

2008-10-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

Posting for Po -

i sooo enjoyed reading what Susan and Terry wrote and shared. mahalo/thank-you!
i also remembered that while living in the Bay Area (San Fran) specifically in Palo Alto and i sat on the United Nations Associaiton Board of Directors for some time while living there, before moving back to my homeland of Hawai`i, we worked on "model U.N." for middle, high school and

Posting for Terry -Hi Susan, My email heading o...

2008-10-30T12:44:00.000-04:00

Posting for Terry -

Hi Susan,
My email heading on the Internet says Calvin (my husband), but I'm the one writing and also the person coordinating the project on Disarmament Education.
I understand exactly what you are talking about as far as your day-to-day focus as an educator. I do believe that once students see the link between their own emotions and fear, and war,

From Susan Tan:Hi Everyone!! I'm reading all of th...

2008-10-30T00:15:00.000-04:00

From Susan Tan:

Hi Everyone!!

I'm reading all of the wonderful inputs that our occurring here at the SEIN General Meeting. Thank you Constance for the website and what seems to be endless hours of effort to make this great cart of educators wheel itself more smoothly through the global tangles of technology.

I was very encouraged by the women from Austria

Hi Everyone - wanted to add to the discussion re: ...

2008-10-29T18:50:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone - wanted to add to the discussion re: promoting SEIN, meaning of SEIN and interaction between SGI and SEIN and so forth. First I believe it is truly wonderful that Stephanie will be going to Japan and have the opportunity to talk about future development of SEIN community.

Like Po although very busy with my local District activities (hey we just opened new activity center -

Posting for Po -i wanted to say that most guidance...

2008-10-29T17:55:00.000-04:00

Posting for Po -

i wanted to say that most guidance that comes from or through Sensei Ikeda, is guidance that encourages a "self-motivated" practice. i believe through the years that a self motivated practice is one that comes through each individuals faith and through other like minded individuals like within our SEIN that help to encourage others to have the fire and passion of self

Hi Everyone!Wow -- isn't this exciting?!! A lot ...

2008-10-29T03:33:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!

Wow -- isn't this exciting?!! A lot of interesting input. Let's see --

I agree with Terry that we should not focus on expansion -- SEIN should be a support for Soka Educators at least for now -- of course when, in a thousand years, we are the UN of Education -- we will need to have representatives from every nation (if there are any left) or of any constituencies

it being tuesday, i wanted to comment on "SEIN sup...

2008-10-29T01:19:00.000-04:00

it being tuesday, i wanted to comment on "SEIN supporting the development between Nichiren Buddhism and the global society". to some extent it seems we can see that connection by our contributions and comments. the mere fact that we are moved to communicate and share with each other through so many different time zones. and all trying to understand what soda education really is and share

Thank you, Constance. I was able to start out in ...

2008-10-28T19:22:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Constance. I was able to start out in Google and get to a place where the comments came onto my screen. And now, I should be able to post. So, SEIN has pushed me past my generational limits into blogging. . . Let's see if my comments arrive . . .
Terry

Posted for Terry Ellis: Hello everyone and thanks ...

2008-10-28T17:19:00.000-04:00

Posted for Terry Ellis:

Hello everyone and thanks to Stephanie for being the bridge until Constance can help me figure out how to sign in to the blog. My family just moved and it took 17 days - not to mention about 7 hours on the phone and in AT&T offices - to get my DSL only line installed.
This experience was a lesson in what happens in large organizations that are

Hi Jill - what a great topic you have raised! It ...

2008-10-28T10:03:00.000-04:00

Hi Jill - what a great topic you have raised! It has always been my viewpoint that SEIN carries a very different mandate than the Soka School Systems. Maybe it would be great if there were Soka Schools all over the globe, but what SEIN offers is a way for all educators who practice this Buddhism and are out in the "saha world" as Dave Koranda mentions, to connect and share experiences,