Fuji Declaration Presentation
Maki Saionji continued:
Next, we have a presentation on the Fuji Declaration. The Fuji Declaration, which was launched in 2015, has helped bring out the divine spark of people around the world, and has brought together wisdom from various fields. This year, the Fuji Declaration celebrates its seventh anniversary. The Fuji Declaration states that the divine spark dwells within every human being as part of the living, boundless universe. There has never been a time when we need the Fuji Declaration way of thinking more than we do now. In this video, we have summarized the first seven years of the Fuji Declaration. Please enjoy the video.
A short video began with scenes of the Fuji Declaration’s inauguration at the 2015 Symphony of Peace Prayers, where many of the founding signatories took part in a special ceremony. The video then showed some of the international symposia and conferences that have been held since 2015, where the Declaration has been introduced and discussed among people from a wide range of fields. Lastly, the video highlighted other projects inspired by the Declaration, such as the Soul of WoMen campaign, the Conscious Business Initiative, and the Source of Wonder online event in 2020.
Following this, each of the Fuji Declaration’s three co-initiators—Hiroo Saionji, Masami Saionji, and Dr. Ervin Laszlo—offered their own messages to participants.
Hiroo Saionji
Hello everyone. This is the seventh year since the Fuji Declaration was inaugurated. Back in 2015, we launched this Declaration together with 200 founding signatories and over 60 partner organizations. First, an international conference was held at the United Nations University in Tokyo, where signatories from various fields discussed the contents of the Fuji Declaration. Based on these discussions, the Fuji Declaration was officially launched the next day at the Symphony of Peace Prayers event held at Fuji Sanctuary.
The Fuji Declaration has two important points. The first is that human beings are inherently good and sacred, which is expressed in the Fuji Declaration as the divine spark. The other is oneness—that all human beings are connected to each other and with nature and the universe. All human beings are born with these two essential qualities.
Therefore, to revive these qualities is the most important purpose of the Fuji Declaration. As you have just seen in the video, we have been presenting this concept at various international conferences and lectures around the world. Various projects have emerged from the Fuji Declaration, and the number of supporters has been growing.
In the midst of the current critical situation in the world, how can we spread these values and consciousness? I am convinced that this will be a key to save the world. The Ukraine problem is leading the world into a crisis. It is truly heartbreaking to see so many people, including children, women, and the elderly, being killed, displaced, and losing their homes. However, simply looking at this situation with grief or pity will not move us forward. Without fear of being misunderstood, I would like to ask all of us, including those who have not experienced war, to remember the futility and tragedy of the war that created this dire situation. I would like you to remember the importance of peace. If we do not do so, the deaths of those who passed will be in vain. If we can use this as a lesson to wake up and unite our hearts and minds for peace, the souls of those who died will also be redeemed.
As I mentioned, I strongly believe that the revival of the divine spark and oneness will be crucial in saving this world. We intend to renew our efforts to promote our initiatives in alignment with the Fuji Declaration, and ask for your continued support and cooperation in this endeavor.
On this occasion, we have received many inspiring messages from the honorary signatories of the Fuji Declaration. I am unable to introduce each of them now, so please visit the Fuji Declaration website to read them. We also have a wonderful video message from our co-initiator, Dr. Ervin Laszlo. So, let’s hear from Ervin next. Thank you.
Dr. Ervin Laszlo
The Fuji Declaration was the initiative of Hiroo and Masami Saionji, and I am grateful for their invitation to join it. I joined it with heart and soul. The three of us have issued this declaration, and we tried to be the spirit of this declaration, so it will spread in the world.
Seven years have elapsed since we made available the Fuji Declaration. Why “Fuji” and why “Declaration”? Fuji is a symbol. It’s a world-renowned symbol of peace and spirituality—of a deeper level of understanding of ourselves and the world around us, without conflict, without jealousy, without pettiness. That is the majestic mountain that is rising toward the sky in Japan, which is called the Fuji Mountain, Fujiyama.
Seven years have passed, and we hope that the Fuji Declaration will have seeded, taken root and started to blossom in the minds of at least some people. I think the time has come for the Fuji Declaration spirit, the divine spark, to take effect.
But today’s world is full of conflict. There is a war that we never expected. Where is the spirit, where is the divine spark? I think the spirit is there, despite these surface problems, despite the conflict and violence. Today, triggered by this aggression, the nations of the world—140 nations or so—are coming together like they’ve never done before, to act together, to act in the interest of peace. Peace is not just an absence of war, but it needs an absence of war. Peace cannot be had when there is war. Once we have overcome this threat of war, and overcome the unfortunate expressions of war—the violence—then we need to think about what to do. Where do we go?
And that is the spirit that is described in the Fuji Declaration. The spirit of this majestic mountain, which can be made into one with the world around us. We can all join in this spirit together, because there is a divine spark in us. And that is coming through, even when there is violence, aggression, and war. It is still coming through. We have to act with it, we have to put it into our own mind, our own self, our own being, our own consciousness. Then, peace can be had on earth—when we have peace in us, peace with the world around us.
The Fuji Declaration is more timely today than it has ever been. We need to act on the basis of this divine spark. When we change, the world will change. Gandhi said that. We know that. It is time to change in accordance with the deep inside that is brought to us by the symbol of this mountain—the symbol which has a meaning, which we tried to express with what we call the Fuji Declaration.
Masami Saionji
Thank you so much, Dr. Laszlo. Seven years have passed very quickly. At the same time, it has been quite a journey. We have been working together to create a peaceful world. I wish to renew my gratitude for your invaluable presence and our precious partnership. You are still so young, Ervin, and I intend to stay active, too. So, let us continue to work together to make this world a better place. Our goal is a sacred world that transcends differences in culture, ethnicity, nationality and ideology—a world of oneness in which we all recognize ourselves as a divine spark. Until we reach our grand goal, may we advance together in partnership.