Inauguration of the Fuji Declaration
Participants welcomed back on stage the three initiators of the Fuji Declaration, along with many of the founding signatories who had gathered for the symposium in Tokyo two days earlier. Hiroo Saionji introduced the signatories one at a time, giving participants a brief introduction to their work. This remarkable group of leaders had traveled to Fuji Sanctuary from places near and far to be part of this historic inauguration ceremony:
Barbara Arredondo (Mexico) Founder & CEO of i Am Here Series
Linda Bender (USA) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Author, Animal Advocate, Co-founder of From the Heart
Mohammad Bhuiyan (Bangladesh/USA) CEO of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates – Atlanta 2015
Alan Briskin (USA) Co-founder of the Collective Wisdom Initiative, Consultant
Dianna Burkhalter (USA) Homeopathy and Life Coaching Specialist
Sesto Giovanni Castagnoli (Swiss) Evolutant and Entrepreneur; Founding President of World Spirit Forum
Duane Elgin (USA) Executive Director of Great Transition Stories; Goi Peace Award 2006 Recipient
Kazu Haga (USA) Founder and Coordinator, East Point Peace Academy
Mussie Hailu (Ethiopia) Regional Director of URI for Africa and Representative of URI to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Union Commission, UNEP and UN-HABITAT
Ben Hart (USA) Director of Marketing, The Shift Network
David Krieger (USA) Founder, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Carita Laszlo (Hungary) Wife of Dr. Ervin Laszlo
Lilou Macé (France) Journalist, Host of the Juicy Living Tour
Izumi Masukawa (Japan) Doctor of Nutrition and Bio-electronics, Representative Director, Tecno AO Asia Co., Ltd.
Guri Mehta (USA) Founder of KindSpring, a project of ServiceSpace
Nipun Mehta (USA) Co-founder of ServiceSpace
Pavithra Mehta (USA) Writer and filmmaker, Co-founder of KarmaKitchen
Viral Mehta (USA) Co-founder of ServiceSpace
Nina Meyerhof (USA) President and Founder of Children of the Earth
Roger Nelson (USA) Director, Global Consciousness Project
Mitsuo Ohashi (Japan) Senior Advisor, Showa Denko K.K.
Mitsuhiro Shibata (Japan) Consultant; Ambassador of the Club of Budapest International
Swami Sadyojathah (India) International Activities Coordinator for the Art of Living Foundation
Masakazu Tanatsugu (Japan) Religious Philosopher; Professor Emeritus at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
Hiroshi Tasaka (Japan) Professor at Tama University; Founder and President of Think Tank SophiaBank; President of the Club of Budapest Japan
Katie Teague (USA) Documentary Filmmaker (“Money & Life”)
Frederick Tsao (China) Chairman, IMC Pan Asia Alliance Group
Éliane Ubalijoro (Rwanda/Canada) Molecular Geneticist; Founder of C.L.E.A.R. International Development; Professor of Practice for Public-Private Sector Partnership at McGill University
After the introductions, the Fuji Declaration was read aloud in its entirety, fusing its words with the prayerful energy accumulated at Fuji Sanctuary over the years. Byakko Chairperson Masami Saionji was asked to read the main text of the declaration. She invited participants to close their eyes and feel a sense of divine communication as she read the text in Japanese. (Please see the full English text on the Fuji Declaration website.)
The five individual declarations that appear at the end of the Fuji Declaration were then read aloud in English by five of the founding signatories: Mr. Swami Sadyojathah, Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, Mr. Duane Elgin, Ms. Barbara Arredondo, and Dr. Ervin Laszlo. After his reading, Dr. Laszlo remarked, “It is time now to spread the Fuji Declaration all over the world and to create a harmonious and thriving civilization!”
Finally, participants were invited to join Masami Saionji in reading the individual declaration in Japanese. With all participants reading in unison, the words of the Fuji Declaration resonated throughout the Prayer Field and out to the world. Mrs. Saionji closed the inauguration with words of heartfelt gratitude to all the participants and guests:
Thank you very much for making the declaration together. The prayer leaders and these people standing here now are truly spiritual people who are already living out this declaration. The rebirth of humanity’s sacred consciousness, which we have worked toward for over 50 years, is now taking shape. From here on let us spread this movement to more and more people in more and more countries, and together we will create a new era and a new world. Thank you very much.