Mahatma Gandhi International Prize for Social Responsibility: ICON Australia launched the Mahatma Gandhi International Prize for Social Responsibility on 10 May 2014 at Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Victoria Community Centre. The prize was given in Melbourne to President Daisaku Ikeda (SGI), an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s values of nonviolence and peaceful reconciliation.

SGI established Gandhi King Ikeda Exhibition which travelled through to countries and finally to Australia in 2005; it is with us now. The awardees were selected through an extensive nomination process that ran over 6 months. The significance of this award lied in the recognition of work done by those individuals around the world who have dedicated their life to cause of fostering social justice and promoting peace and nonviolence in their day to day life. The prestigious award was dedicated as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, no doubt the greatest preacher and practitioner of nonviolence, peace, reconciliation, social justice.

Gandhi was a social and spiritual leader of great depth and foresight. He transformed daily, practical tasks and issues into potent symbols that helped organize nonviolent resistance to British rule and capture the hearts and minds of Indians and Britons alike.

His example serves as a model of how a social protest movement grounded in the cultivation of personal virtue can capture the imagination of millions and change the world.

The inaugural award to President Daisaku Ikeda, the living apostle of peace and social justice, was presented on 10 May 2014 at their 50th anniversary meeting in Melbourne. A delegation from Japan including SGI General Director Oba attended and the award was received by the SGI General Director Oba on behalf of President Ikeda.