Quote
wakatta1


To some extent there is a bit of complicity on the part of the leaders. Most have been practicing for a long time, and in that course of time they have become "indoctrinated" into the way of thinking of SGI. Take the money handling issue for example, to a very senior member the level of trust of the higher-ups is so great that they may actually become insulted when questioned about what NSA/SGI does with the money. They truly believe it is being funneled into building community centers, colleges, etc. That is what makes things so shady because the very people you would look to as watchdogs of your interests are fully bought-into the dogma. I have sat at planning meetings in which a member's concern is repeated by a district or chapter leader and the hombu folks merely shot glances of bemusement or eye-winks at one another and moved onto the next topic. I guess they felt they were acting in "enlightened self-interest" at those times.

To some extent I agree with Anticult. The "True Believer" model is the most efficient and to some extent and mitigates the question of leadership motivations since for the most part, the need for bad behavior never elevates itself to the level of the higher leadership involvement.
Wakatta1

The True Believer model means that if a member questions ANYTHING about how SGI is run, leaders question your faith in Buddhism. "Why did we lose our community center?", "Why do we have to have women's division meetings in February?", "What happens to the money I donated?" and "Why can't SGI's finances be independently audited?" are taken as "I don't really believe in this Buddhism." The questions DON'T mean that a person doesn't believe in Buddhism...they are totally SEPARATE from the doctrines of Buddhism. The senior leadership has just chosen to cut off all debate by saying that apples are really oranges. I know members who call this "the wall," as in you might as well be talking to the wall.

It would be like a Catholic saying "I think Father Joe is using the collection money to buy whiskey!" -- and being told, "If you can say things like that, you obviously don't believe in Jesus Christ!"

Quote
quiet one
SGI may be effective in recruiting new members, but it does not hang on to them well. A few years back, SGI had a "membership card" campaign. Anyone remember that? There was great pressure to get everyone you knew to fill out a membership card. For example, if your spouse did not chant, or other family members or your friends, you were supposed to get them to fill out a membership card. It didn't matter that they didn't practice, just so long as they were supportive of SGI. So many people got lots of people to join the organization without really joining it. Danny Nagashima led this campaign. He said that President Ikeda was upset about the membership numbers here in the U.S. So many membership cards were filled out (without anyone really joining) and, lo and behold, the membership numbers increased tremendously. So SGI and Danny were very happy. We were all told how we would get great benefit if we participated in this campaign. It was really strange! I actually was quite embarrassed that SGI was doing such a thing.
.

This is the post I was talking about. Thanks, quiet one! Now, I was thinking that everyone in your household was counted as a member -- whether they practiced or not...but it sounds like it was really, just get everyone to fill out cards.

Quote
tsukimoto

(snippety snip...)

--Certainly, SGI is extremely wealthy, but they have not been able to meet their targets for membership. Someone, sorry I don't remember who, posted in this thread about membership cards. It seems that Japan was angry about the low membership numbers in the USA, so SGI-USA had members fill out cards. Essentially everyone in a member's household was counted as a member -- regardless of whether the other members of the household actually practiced. This was justified by saying that the nonpracticing family members were "friends of SGI," who supported the members' practice. If I had a husband and five children in my household -- and none of them practiced but me -- under this system, we'd still be counted as having seven members in the household! They'd probably count the dog and cat if they could get away with it -- after all, Buddhism teaches that animals actually have the Buddha nature too. Clearly, things are NOT going according to plan if SGI has to play number games like that.

Yeah, SGI's clever and rich....but they've made dumb mistakes. If they'd allow a bit more freedom and open discussion, they wouldn't have lost so many members, they wouldn't have such a bad reputation in Japan, and they could be even richer.

Wakatta, you were in or near Chicago, where there's a Nichiren Shoshu temple. Did you know the priests and temple members? What do you think is the real story there?

--

Tsukimoto,

I recall the membership cards from the very start. Lots of trouble keeping them updated and a lot of emphasis on capturing the names of "everyone". The chikutan's (female Han Leaders) would usually be visiting members and would be filling in the information on those cards, but they were usually innacurate and you are right, they listed the household members.

I also agree with you about the "not going according to plan". The shakubuku activities always were being pushed and the results gone over. Districts and chapters that couldn't meet "sensei's targets" were quietly chastised by the hombu, and veiled threats that "better leaders" could be found surfaced occasionally. A lot of the members got to where they hated the campaigns because you could never bring in enough people to satisfy the higher-ups. More often than not, once a person was shakubuku'ed they were conquered territory and the focus moved onto the next movement. I particularly disliked the "pac man shakubuku" and on several occasions found myself dealing with hostile and unwelcoming people who did not want anything to do with some "whack-o buddhist cult". The reward for this was just to be harangued about how that was proof that the members hadn't accomplished their human revolution and that they should chant harder (do more meetings, buy more magazines, give zaimu, etc etc.)

Regarding the Temple:

Yep, I was involved in the DaiMyoGyoJi movement when the temple first opened and in the beginning it was one big love-fest. Members were falling all over one another to support it, do groundskeeping, painting, etc. and for the most part the priests were friendly and likeable people but they did however pretty much keep to themselves.

The temple was sort of a realization that KosenRufu was coming to the area and there was a lot of member activities that began to revolve around it. I did notice that SGI/NSA seemed to chill a bit towards the temple about 2-3 years after it's arrival, but you would not have noticed it from the temple's point of view except for occasional veiled sermon comments during the special functions such as KosenRufu Gongyo. For the most part the temple represented a quiet alternative to the frenetic NSA tempo. There was indeed a clear distinction between the Priests/Temple and the NSA/SGI folks.

When things began to go sour between NSA and the Temple I sort of backed away from the whole thing. There were lots of disquieting things going on with money and I long suspected that there was a shady side. I didn't take sides, I just withdrew from the whole thing.

Does that answer your question or do you have another dimension to the SGI/NSA/Temple relationship you'd like to discuss.

Wakatta1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2009 09:45AM by wakatta1.

_________Quote, Sokacult.com, August 6, 2004, web.archive.org_____________________________________________________________________

Jealous Lies of Corrupt Journalists

What is the mainstream press saying about Soka? They love us and praise us because we are such a great, humanistic organization. However, some corrupt newspapers have printed lies about Soka. Soka has many enemies who are angry and emotional and only wish to destroy true Buddhism. Here is a sampling of their falsehoods. You must not believe a single word, except where we are praised.

Recent examples of yellow journalism:

"It takes only a light scratching of the surface to see the true character of Dr. Ikeda and Soka Gakkai. Don't wait until they come to your school."
Imperial Valley Press editorial, May 20, 2004

NPR: News or "cult infomercial?
Rick Ross editorial, Mensnewsdaily.com, May 14, 2004

Be confident! Over decades, the eternal character of Soka shines through:

"A throng estimated by the police at 300,000 persons turned out today for the funeral of a religious sect leader. ...Josei Toda, the leader, died of a heart attack April 2....'Soka Gakkai' is derived from Buddhism, but its activities are more militant."
The New York Times, April 21, 1958

"Daisaku Ikeda, a confident young man of 34, will leave for the United States tomorrow to spread the doctrines of a militant Buddhist sect that has become a political force in Japan and, he hopes, will become a political force throughout the world."
The New York Times, January 8, 1963

"The growing strength of Soka Gakkai, the militant Buddhist organization that now puts its membership at one-tenth of Japan's total population, is being watched with fascinated attention and considerable trepidation."
The New York Times, November 17, 1963

"The militant Soka Gakkai group, one of the most dynamic forces in modern Japan, asserts that its membership has risen from 10 million to 15 million in the last year. Its aggressive conversion tactics and its highly-organized mass participation activities have caused concern among other civil and religious elements and its venture into politics has begun to disturb the dominant parties."
The New York Times, November 18, 1964

The Grand Main Reception Hall's "construction followed a four-day fundraising drive in July, 1961, in which Soka Gakkai members contributed almost $9 million."
The New York Times, February 7, 1965

"...In the last decade, Soka Gakkai's efficient organizational techniques and aggressive proselytizing have converted millions to its goal: 'To give absolute happiness to each individual.'"
The New York Times, July 18, 1965

"Officials of this earthquake-periled town in north central Japan are disturbed by the influx of representatives of some of Japan's aggressive 'new religions.' They accuse them of having tried to exploit the fears of nervous residents. Most conspicuous among the outsiders who have shown up here recently are members of Soka Gakkai...."
The New York Times, January 30, 1966

"Soka Gakkai, its rapid growth apparently slowing, appears to be entering a cautious stage of self-examination and reorganization."
The New York Times, April 3, 1966

"'Pack up your troubles in your Gakkai pack and smile, smile, smile,' the crowd of 250 men, women and children in the dingy Manhattan ballroom sang lustily. At the front of the room four men in shirtsleeves beat time, waving gilded fans in sweeping, cheerleader arcs."
The New York Times, April 26, 1966

"Eight years ago the Nichiren Sokagakkai movement was formally organized in this country with headquarters in Los Angeles. It disavows any of the political ramifications of the sect in Japan. Recent statements that the movement is 'the fastest growing religion in the country' turn out, on investigation, to be hard to corroborate."
The New York Times, March 3, 1968

"Although it ultimately aims at making the Nichiren sect Japan's state religion, its precise aspirations have hitherto been expressed in Boy Scout terms to attract voters to its Komeito ('clean government') party."
The New York Times, May 7, 1969

"The dispute, arising out of charges by the Communist party that Komeito representatives tried to suppress publication of a book critical of its parent religious body, the Soka Gakkai...has brought into the open widely entertained fears regarding tendencies toward authoritarianism within the Komeito and the Soka Gakkai. Analysis and criticism of both bodies in the Japanese press and other communications channels has long been muted, presumably out of fear of the massive economic and political power they wield."
The New York Times, January 11, 1970

"Japanese Buddhist Group Ending Close Ties with Political Party: ...Both party and Soka Gakkai officials have been increasingly concerned with repudiating charges that they planned to impose a fascistic politico-religious regime on Japan..."
The New York Times, December 17, 1970

"Three thousand paraders marched through downtown San Diego last Saturday in vivid costumes, made for the occasion. Most attention focused on Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai organization and of Nichiren Shoshu Academy, who is 'master' to millions of followers of the sect."
The New York Times, April 14, 1974

"The Socialists raised large amounts from labor unions supporting them, and the Komeito, or Clean Government Party, which is the political wing of the militant Soka Gakkai Buddhist sect, uses its religious organization. Their financing has been so well hidden that even the Japanese press has declined to speculate on how much money the Socialists and the Komeito have raised from their supporters."
The New York Times, July 14, 1974

"Though its tight organization and energetic proselytizing may give Soka Gakkai a superficial resemblance to the controversial Unification Church of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the basic nature of the organization is quite different, and Nichiren Shoshu has generally not obtruded on public consciousness in New York."
The New York Times, June 20, 1976

"'This is a totally corrupt religious organization," said Yukimasa Fujiwara, a member of the Tokyo municipal assembly, who was expelled from the Komeito party when he publicly criticized the Soka Gakkai's control over its policies and finances."
The New York Times, July 20, 1989

"'NSA is one of the largest destructive cults in the country,' says Steven Hassan, a former member of the Unification Church and the author of Combating Cult Mind Control. 'They like to talk about peace and democracy, but their beliefs at the core are antithetical to that. Like all other cults, they espouse wonderful ideas and worthy goals. The question is, what are they doing to meet those goals? Are they just espousing them to recruit people, to gain money and power? The difference between a cult like NSA and an aggressive religion is that the religion tells people up front who they are and what they want.'"
The Boston Globe, October 15, 1989

"Some former members and other critics maintain that all of the organizations are part of a coordinated effort to recruit members and make Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism the religion of the world. Compartmentalizing the various branches of the group is expedient, they say, allowing leaders to dodge controversies. Soka Gakkai International has been tainted by several scandals in Japan, involving allegations of wiretapping and tax evasion. The NSA has been accused of overly aggressive recruitment techniques."
The Los Angeles Times, November 17, 1991

Soka Gakkai "was ordered to pay millions of dollars in back taxes from undeclared income for its businesses of making gravestones, for instance. Two years ago, $1.2 million in yen notes found in a safe in a dump in Yokohama was traced to a Soka Gakkai member. More recently, $11 million paid by Soka Gakkai for two Renoir paintings disappeared, raising questions about whether the lay group was stashing sums away for political payoffs."
The New York Times, February 10, 1992

"People are approached from the standpoint of doing something for their personal lives, and, little by little, they are told that the only way they can advance their personal lives is to advance the organization. Once you've made that connection, that advancing the organization is advancing your personal life, then they have total control over you. So, watching the people who have been abused over time and just fleeced, you know, year in and year out for money, that certainly is a horrible form of abuse."
BBC World News, October 14th, 1995

"The debate about Soka Gakkai's intentions leads back to Ikeda, whose favorite phrase when exhorting his senior followers is Tenka o toru (conquer the country). In his rare public interviews, Ikeda presents himself as a moderate who has been miscast by the press. 'I am an ordinary and serious man,' he told the BBC in an interview this year. 'The mass media, with the exception of the bbc, make up this image of me as a dictator and so forth. This troubles me very much.'"
TIME Magazine, November 20, 1995

"Soka Gakkai, a lay Buddhist group with $100 billion in assets, has been accused of heavy-handed fund raising and proselytizing, as well as intimidating its foes and trying to grab political power."
The San Francisco Chronicle, December 27, 1995

"He is a grasping power-monger aiming for political control by rallying the 8 million families of the Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist organization, critics say. Ridiculous, his supporters retort: He is a crusader for common folk who unflinchingly fights the oppressive establishment."
The Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1996

"Now, it was panic button time because without a real lineage, he was just another private citizen with his own cult that happened to use methods pioneered and modernized by the Nichiren Sect. His entire international reputation rested on his recognition and respect as a Buddhist leader, and now he was just the Chantmeister of the Ikeda Society. He had to drop everything and do what he could to re-invent himself as the born again Secular Sort of Buddhist Leader respected by important academics and top universities around the world. "
CyberSangha: The Buddhist Alternative Journal, July 24, 1996

"'What we are talking about are not open organizations or democratic structures, but something like a Communist Party or worse,' said Seizaburo Sato, deputy director of the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies. ' We are dealing with a dictatorship built around the person of one man.' Soka Gakkai officials describe their organization in very different terms. For them, it is akin to a liberation movement and is an ardent promoter of social activism and human rights. They often describe their group as Buddhism's first Protestant movement, since its excommunication by Nichiren Shoshu, a Japanese strain of the faith, in 1991."
The New York Times, November 14, 1999

"Using the massive funds generated by its 8 million members, mostly housewives and small business people, Ikeda has been able to build Soka Gakkai into a giant global organisation, aimed at 'promoting peace through culture and education.' The expansion has not done much for its domestic image. Despite its lofty goals, some heavy-handed recruiting tactics in the 1970s and 1980s and its intolerance of criticism have left many Japanese deeply suspicious of the body and its leadership." Sydney Morning Herald, July 1, 2000

"Rebekah Poston was hired by Soka Gakkai, a large Japanese Buddhist sect, to obtain criminal justice records on a man named Nobuo Abe, the head of a rival Buddhist sect. Soka Gakkai hoped to use these records in a defamation lawsuit against Abe."
United States House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, July 27, 2000

"...Soka, first brought to the United States by Japanese war brides in the 1940's, 'is not nearly as well known in the United States as Zen or Tibetan Buddhism, but it has more members than any Buddhist sect in Japan' and claims 300,000 members in this country, though Professor Hammond said his surveys suggested the number was closer to 45,000. 'I don't think they would like this characterization but I think this campus is a step toward respectability, dignity,' Professor Hammond said."
The New York Times, July 25, 2001

"'I was led to believe this was a nonsectarian university,' said sophomore Murphy McMahon, who was among those who camped out in front of the cafeteria. 'But it's not. It's (Soka Gakkai International.)'"
The Orange County Register, February 8, 2003

"Thus the question: does Soka University of America sail under false colors? Joe McGinniss certainly thinks so. He maintains that the university has used its nonsectarian status to attract non-Gakkai faculty and students, many of whom have already left or are planning to leave because of the alleged deception."
Academe, March 2003

"Although more legal wrangling is still possible, last week’s victors are hopeful that the current economy and Soka’s internal conditions might create circumstances that would prompt the university ownership, Soka Gakkai, to consider selling the 214-acre King Gillette Ranch on which it now operates a language school and outreach program to the federal government."
Malibu Surfside News, March 6, 2003

"...Soka University hopes to boost its enrollment to 1,200 students within the next decade. As it grows, one thing this campus doesn't have to worry about is money. Just over a year old, the University already boasts a $300 million-dollar endowment -- funding that's been contributed to the school by Soka Gakkai and its members...Meanwhile, several teachers at the College have announced they are leaving because they don't feel free to criticize the Soka Gakkai sect."
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly on PBS, May 2, 2003

"For the early faculty, there were kind of red flags right away, there were really deep concerns by some of the early faculty – all of whom have left now, either by being fired or by choosing to leave – they were really concerned about the relationship between the funding organisation, Soka Gakkai, and Soka University, and they felt that decision-making was happening in a very secretive and hierarchical way, and we weren’t being told a lot of what was going on, the faculty."
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 21, 2003
__________________________________________End of Quote____________________________________________________________________

...for some reason that page is not working for some people. What has happened many times with these groups, is that when this type of page of crucial information is found and made public, the sect immediately gets it removed.

Can anyone else access the page below? Or is it coming up as...
"Not Found The requested URL /ConfusingInformation.html was not found on this server"

Could others please try this link, to see if it works, and let us know if it does, or does not come up?

Quote
tsukimoto

Quote
The Anticult
But is it still online today?
Was this the same page?

Confusing Information to Dismiss
[www.buddhajones.com.wstub.archive.org]

Yes, Anticult, I just tried it. I was able to go to that page just now. That's the same page I went to yesterday. I didn't copy the whole page, only the real-estate section.

(excerpt of information page for reference and educational research )


_______QUOTE excerpt for reference and educational research___________


Confusing Information to Dismiss

Do not be too concerned about questionable actions of Soka. We are an organization that chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Therefore, everything will work out for the best. Because we chant and are striving for enlightenment, everything we do will eventually benefit the world. We do not need to have a conscience -- we have sincerity, which is more important. All guilt is absolved and all righteousness is conferred by our practice of Soka Buddhism!

1. SGI-USA is a multimillion-dollar religious corporation
2. False impressions, false promises
3. Soka rewrites its own history
4. Soka propaganda masquerading as a documentary
5. Gandhi-King-Ikeda exhibit disingenuous



1) SGI-USA is a multimillion-dollar religious corporation

According to LA County tax records, SGI Plaza [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com] and adjacent properties [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com] around Sixth and Wilshire in Santa Monica are valued at over $20 million. (These are just tax valuations, not the market value.)

Just across the street, the World Culture Center [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com] and Ikeda Auditorium and the house behind the WCC [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com] are valued at more than $7 million.

SGI-USA’s Malibu Training Center, [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com] with a tax valuation of $1.4 million, was on the market in June 2003 for $21 million. It sold for $14.5 million in June 2003. SGI originally purchased the property in 1972 for a reported $109,000. [www.caic.org.au]

The LA Friendship Center -- $3,600,000 [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com]
The Santa Monica Community Center -- $4,300,000 [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com]
Soka University, Los Angeles in Calabasas -- $14,000,000 [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com]
Plus, this other little bit of SULA -- $5,700,000 [assessormap.lacountyassessor.com]
A quick search on [www.hawaiipropertytax.com] brings up results of "agricultural properties" owned by Soka Gakkai:
10 acres - parcel 220480940000 [www.hawaiipropertytax.com]
3 acres - parcel 160093950000 [www.hawaiipropertytax.com]
3 acres - parcel 160093960000 [www.hawaiipropertytax.com]
10 acres - parcel 220480950000 [www.hawaiipropertytax.com]

SGI-USA's main facility in Hawaii is the Hawaii Culture Center [www.honolulupropertytax.com] -- Market Land Value $2,318,800; Market Building Value $14,950,000

In Hawaii, Soka Gakkai also owns: Makaha Community Center;[www.honolulupropertytax.com] Maui Community Center;[www.mauipropertytax.com] Pupukea Community Center. [www.honolulupropertytax.com]

The Soka University of America campus in Aliso Viejo, Calif., opened in 2001 with an endowment of $300 million to teach a class of fewer than 200 students. GuideStar.org reports that SUA has assets in excess of $700 million.

The Denver Culture Center ($2.5 million) [www.denvergov.org] , the New York Culture Center ($5.7 million), the Florida Nature and Culture Center ($3 million) [bcegov.co.broward.fl.us] are all listed in tax records as being owned by Soka Gakkai International-USA. There are more properties in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, etc., but you get the idea.



2) False impressions, false promises

The pamphlet, “Contributing to the Future,” published by SGI-USA in 2003, states that member financial contributions make it possible to turn on the lights, keep copy machines running and pay the rent for meeting places. These examples give the impression of a small ministry struggling to make ends meet. Strangely, the pamphlet fails to mention SGI-USA’s millions of dollars worth of appreciating assets. In fact, SGI-USA declines to tell members anything substantive about the corporation’s finances.

The “Contributing to the Future” pamphlet tells SGI-USA members:

"With all of your contributions, you are making great causes for your own happiness... Some members may feel they can improve their financial situation by challenging themselves to contribute more money to the organization. It’s true that when you make offerings, you are making a cause to change your destiny -- just as it’s true that when you chant, you are changing your karma. How this change in karma will manifest, though, no one can readily predict. When we make offerings, we increase our fortune. That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that we increase our bank balance.”

Who is the “we” in that last sentence? When you make a contribution to SGI-USA, you are most definitely increasing “their” bank balance. SGI-USA holds out a promise that many members have been hooked by over the years: Giving money to SGI-USA will change your life for the better. This assertion may fatten the religious corporation’s accounts, but it does not accord with the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism.




3) Soka rewrites its own history

The following was written by former Soka member Lisa Jones in March, 2004.

Several months ago, I reported on BuddhaJones that SGI's official PR flak in Denver had claimed in a letter to a local newspaper that SGI *was not* excommunicated by Nichiren Shoshu. Of course, SGI *was* excommunicated. People gave me a lot of crap, saying that I was misrepresenting what was stated in the letter. Well, oddly, I've found another instance of a "clarification" of the excommunication claim, this time in a response to the Italian Report on Cults. But I'll get to that in a minute.

First, here's what I wrote back in September 2003...SGI President Ikeda was not excommunicated. That's right. An official SGI spokesperson recently claimed that Ikeda merely "left" Nichiren Shoshu. Funny, I thought the bitter, internecine religious war between Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai came to a head when Ikeda was forced out.

Alas, Chris Risom (not to be confused with Cris Roman) -- who holds the title "director of community affairs, SGI-USA Buddhist Association, Denver region" -- now assures the good people of Denver that the excommunication is a "discredited allegation."

Huh?

In late August, a Denver newspaper ran an article that mentioned Soka University and SGI. The article, in Westword, stated:

But for all its emphasis on peaceful co-existence, Soka Gakkai has been extremely controversial, with a PBS documentary and scores of articles reporting on everything from leaders' disputes over prostitute bills to allegations of members destroying rival temples. Critics of the seventy-year-old lay organization of the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist priesthood charge that it's a cult that focuses only on Ikeda rather than the traditional teachings of Nichiren Buddhists. Even the priests of Ikeda's own sect aren't particularly fond of the fellow, having excommunicated him in 1991. [bold added]

SGI-USA responded in a letter to the editor, published Sept. 4:

Your characterization of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) in the August 21 Off Limits was extremely one-sided and offensive to the Nichiren Buddhists living in the Denver area. You aired some very old and discredited allegations with no apparent effort to present a balanced or truthful picture.

For the record, there are no known allegations of Soka Gakkai leaders having a dispute over prostitute bills. Second, Mr. Ikeda left Nichiren Shoshu, along with 12 million members of the Soka Gakkai International -- roughly 95 percent of the Nichiren Shoshu membership. This split was inevitable, given the outgoing and engaged style of Soka Gakkai versus the more insular and doctrinaire manner of the Nichiren Shoshu leadership. [bold added]

It is unfortunate that your reporter did not take the time to learn more about the group he was defaming. He/she would have learned that the SGI-USA is the largest and most diverse Buddhist association in the U.S., and that we seek to help people -- through Buddhist practice -- to cultivate the virtues of responsibility, wisdom and compassion in their daily lives. Locally, the SGI-USA/Denver and its over 3,000 members have been civicly active and contributive to the Denver metro community for over 33 years.

Chris Risom, director of community affairs
SGI-USA Buddhist Association, Denver region

There you have it, folks. For the record, Mr. Ikeda wasn't excommunicated; he left. Please disregard the hundreds of SGI-published assertions to the contrary.

Please go to "Confirming Our Path of Faith," your Temple Issue handbook published by SGI-USA. Find the speech given by President Ikeda on Feb. 5, 1999, and cross out the line: "On Nov. 28 of the following year, 1991, Nichiren Shoshu excommunicated the Soka Gakkai. What madness!"

Also, since his "leaving" was inevitable, we can stop crying foul about "Operation C" and all of the other dirty deeds that led to the ouster-that-never-happened. Please annotate your handbook accordingly.

Madness? What madness?

(If you want to know what else I think, check out my letter to Westword, just below SGI-USA's.)

OK...fast forward to today...One of the readers of this blog referenced the Center for Studies on New Religions (at cesnur.org) in one of his comments. So I checked it out. In searching the CESNUR site, particularly an article analyzing the "Italian Report on Cults," I found this bizarre claim:

(The report incorrectly argues, p. 15, that the Italian Soka Gakkai was "apparently excommunicated by the Japanese mother organization". In fact both the Italian and the Japanese Soka Gakkai as lay organizations parted company from the monastic order they used to be affiliated with, Nichiren Shoshu).

Wuh? By SGI's own *repeated* accounts, SGI was most emphatically excommunicated by Nichiren Shoshu, *twice.* So does this mean that info from cesnur.org is unreliable? Or is it a case of SGI PR flaks working with CESNUR and trying to rewrite history?



4) Soka propaganda masquerading as a documentary

The following was written by former Soka member Lisa Jones in April, 2003.

You've probably heard the rumors: Some SGI-USA members are claiming that the movie "Embattled Buddhists: Under the Rising Sun," a one-hour documentary about Soka Gakkai's history, was made and paid for by the SGI.

I called Sylvia Hueston, the SGI-USA member who served as the film's producer, and asked her point blank who financed the film. "It was paid for by Global Management Group," she said. Hueston assured me that the documentary is an independent production. A dispatch from the SGI Office of Public Information also states that the documentary was made by an independent company.

Hueston told me that she does not know much about Global Management Group or the film's executive producer, Keiko Kimura. According to Hueston, Kimura is not a member of the SGI.

But some SGI members say that "Embattled Buddhists" is not an independent production at all. They are quick to point out that the film's director and editor is Cory Taylor, a prominent SGI-USA leader. They also point to Hueston in the role of producer.

"It's like a cardinal and an archbishop making a documentary about the Catholic church," said Chris Oaks, a Los Angeles-area SGI member. "There's nothing wrong with that, but you can't claim it's independent or objective."

"Who is Global Management Group?" asks a screenwriter, would-be indie film producer and SGI member who asked not to be identified. "Anyone who has tried to make an independent film knows that production funds are hard to get. Most PBS-type programming is made possible through grants and donations. So who put up the money for this film and why? Was it financed by SGI directly or indirectly?"

We may never know the answer to that question; SGI declines to disclose the details of its financial dealings.

According to the online database provided by the California Secretary of State, Global Management Group, Inc. (corp. number C1772225) is listed as "suspended." Kimura is listed as the contact.

"If SGI paid for the movie, fine," says Oaks. "But let's not be sneaky about it. This is a documentary that supports SGI's version of events, SGI's interpretation of its past and SGI's point of view. Why not just be honest about our bias?"

Hueston says that if anyone really wants to know who contributed money toward the production, they should record the broadcast and freeze-frame the donor acknowledgements at the end of the film. "Everyone who contributed is listed," Hueston says. "These are sponsorships that Keiko Kimura solicited." Hueston adds, "Keiko is back in Japan now and -- really -- she is not a member. She got the inspiration to make this documentary after seeing how the SGI was treated in Japan."

*

[...]

I responded with this e-mail:

Hi Rie --

Thanks for the info about "Embattled Buddhists." I have not seen the film, but I would like to.

One SGI-USA member wrote down the list of sponsors at the end of the film. Can you provide more information about them? Are they members or otherwise connected with SGI?

Angel Capital Corporation
Mari Shikoda
Hiromi Nabeshima
A.N.L. Corporation
MacDonald & Beckman (Steven MacDonald is a San Francisco-area SGI leader)
Virender Goswami (SF attorney specializing in immigration law)
Rouse & Bahlart (Cheryl Rouse is a leader in San Francisco)
Chuck Texeira (SF attorney)

Also, another SGI-USA member noted that the credits listed the following people: Clarice Robinson (producer), Anthony Andrews (writer), Tim Jones (composer who has done work for SGI before). Are all of these people SGI members?

Please understand that the issue for some SGI-USA members is not about the film's quality or accuracy. It's about the integrity of portraying the film as an independent production, implying that the film was made independent of SGI's editorial control.

Some members find it disheartening that the only scholars, writers and documentarians who have favorable views of the SGI are the ones on the SGI's payroll or membership list. Granted, this may not be the fact in all cases, but it is a widespread perception among members in the US. Perhaps no one has a problem with this kind of thing in Japan. But in the US, it raises questions about the legitimacy and true motives of an organization; in public relations terms, it raises people's suspicion and makes the organization look like it is trying to deceive people somehow.

I truly appreciate that you took the time to clarify some facts about the film. I will post your response on the BuddhaJones website the next time we update it, which will probably be sometime in the coming week.

Thanks!
Lisa Jones

[...]
I agree that it is naive to imagine that SGI should merely maintain a passive and detached stance while negative perceptions and misinformation perpetuate. ;-) After this exchange, promotional materials distributed by SGI-USA about the film made no mention of it being an "independent production."



5) Gandhi-King-Ikeda exhibit disingenuous
The following commentary was written by former Soka member Lisa Jones in February 2004.

The only problem I have with the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Exhibit is that it's a big fib. To rank Daisaku Ikeda alongside Gandhi and King is disingenuous -- and that's the nicest word I have for it.

The University of Denver, which is now hosting the exhibit, says: "India’s Mahatma Gandhi, the American Martin Luther King Jr. and Japan’s Daisaku Ikeda each made a significant impact through peaceful protest for the cause of human rights."

Peaceful protest for the cause of human rights? In the case of Gandhi and King, that's absolutely correct. In the case of Ikeda, that's hilarious.

Gandhi and King were harassed and jailed by the government, yet still managed to change the law in their respective nations. Meanwhile, Ikeda built an outrageously wealthy religious corporation, paid enormous sums for Renoirs and other works of art, and started a political party that is now in the ruling coalition in Japan.

Where is Ikeda's record of nonviolent protest for the sake of human rights? Where is his bus boycott? Or his salt march? Ikeda did spend some time in jail -- for electioneering, I think it was, but he was cleared of all wrongdoing.

I assume that if you're reading this, you already know quite a lot about SGI, Daisaku Ikeda and Nichiren Buddhism. The Gandhi-King-Ikeda Exhibit is apparently for those who know nothing about these things and therefore cannot critically evaluate the claims that are being made about Ikeda. In my view, the exhibit is an obvious attempt to mislead idealistic college students into thinking that SGI and Ikeda are synonymous with nonviolence and peace activism.

From the other side of its mouth, the SGI claims to be the only organization in the world that promotes and teaches a correct understanding of Nichiren Buddhism. FYI, Buddhism and Gandhism are perhaps similar, but significantly different.

This exhibit reminds me of how SGI (when it was called NSA) was busted by the Boston Globe for cloaking itself in American patriotism to gain access to classrooms and children. In both cases -- with the Liberty Bell ruse and now with the G-K-I exhibit -- SGI is misrepresenting itself in the name of "making friends."

Dr. Lawrence Carter of Morehouse College -- who claims that he came up with the idea for this exhibit on his own, without financial consideration from SGI -- has said that he wanted to show that three people from different religions and cultures could successfully apply the principles of nonviolence. In that case, the Dalai Lama would have been a better choice. The Dalai Lama is the real deal when it comes to nonviolence.

It's one thing to say you're committed to nonviolence (as Ikeda perhaps claims), and another thing to say it while the Chinese army is shelling your house and murdering your country, as in the case of the Dalai Lama. Oh -- and let's not forget that Ikeda and SGI created an exhibit to honor one of the men responsible for the Tibetan genocide, "The Great Leader Zhou Enlai."

Please check out the video that accompanies the Gandhi-King-Ikeda exhibit. At about 18 minutes and 35 seconds into it, Dr. Carter says that Daisaku Ikeda is Gandhi, King and Jesus all rolled into one! No lie.

The video claims that Ikeda has distinguished himself by dedicating his life to championing the work of Gandhi and King. Huh? In the SGI, we are told all the time that Ikeda is great because he propagates the teachings of Nichiren, and that he is the foremost practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism in the world. Funny, that's never mentioned in the video -- especially funny considering that the video was written, produced and directed by a group of hardcore SGI members.

In other words, in my opinion, the video brazenly misrepresents Ikeda's work, and glosses over the fact that for more than 40 years (longer than Castro has been dictator of Cuba?) Ikeda has been the charismatic leader of a controversial and often fanatical religious sect. (And let's not forget that Ikeda gave Castro an award on behalf of Soka University, and recently reiterated his praise for Castro's peace efforts! Scroll down to Feb. 8, 2004 at this link to read Ikeda's remarks.)

On top of it all, the video itself is an example of revisionist history. For months, the video was on SGI's web site, but was taken down, edited, and re-posted. What was edited? Remember our good friend Dr. Alfred Balitzer, who once sang the praises of Daisaku Ikeda louder than anyone outside of SGI? He used to be in the G-K-I video, singing the praises of Ikeda as usual, but he was recently cut from the show. Balitzer, as you may remember, was the dean of faculty at Ikeda's Soka University. He was involved with the school being sued for religious discrimination by former professor Linda Southwell.

Dr. Lawrence Carter may be Ikeda's biggest fan and promoter right now -- as Dr. Alfred Balitzer once was. But I've seen how quickly things can change.

____________excerpt quote for reference/research______________________



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2009 12:58PM by The Anticult.

So a rough total from above is over 100 million, +
Soka University of America with endowment of $300 million + GuideStar.org reports that SUA has assets in excess of $700 million.

So that is roughly 1.1 BILLION dollars. ($1,100,000,000.00)

That is a only SOME of their properties, as stated, they own many others in other cities, and of course, globally.
So how much is SGI-USA really worth now?
How many billions?

And this is one of the ways they have made those billions.
EXAMPLE:
QUOTE: "SGI-USA’s Malibu Training Center, with a tax valuation of $1.4 million, was on the market in June 2003 for $21 million. It sold for $14.5 million in June 2003. SGI originally purchased the property in 1972 for a reported $109,000."

That is one of the main ways SGI makes their millions and billions. They buy run-down properties, get SGI members to fix them up for free and on donations, then flip/resell the property 10-30 years later, turning $100,000 into $14.5 million.
This is TAX-FREE profits and capital gains, as after all, SGI get themselves listed as a "religion".

That is one of the main ways SGI has made their billions and billions in assets.
Real estate speculation.
The key of course, is the FREE LABOR of the local SGI members, who fix the place up for free, and pay out of their own pockets.

In reality, the major part of what SGI really is, is a highly profitable, global multi-billion dollar real estate investment corporation.

How many billions and billions is SGI-USA worth right now?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2009 01:14PM by The Anticult.

Quote
The Anticult
...for some reason that page is not working for some people. What has happened many times with these groups, is that when this type of page of crucial information is found and made public, the sect immediately gets it removed.

Can anyone else access the page below? Or is it coming up as...
"Not Found The requested URL /ConfusingInformation.html was not found on this server"

Could others please try this link, to see if it works, and let us know if it does, or does not come up?

Quote
tsukimoto

Quote
The Anticult
But is it still online today?
Was this the same page?

Confusing Information to Dismiss
[www.buddhajones.com.wstub.archive.org]

Yes, Anticult, I just tried it. I was able to go to that page just now. That's the same page I went to yesterday. I didn't copy the whole page, only the real-estate section.

Anticult, I do you still mean the page with the information on SGI real estate holdings in Hawaii, California and Denver? I went there, two minutes ago.

1. I googled "Wayback archives."

2. When I got to the archives search page, I typed in www.buddhajones.com

3. I then came to a listing of dates, and clicked on June, 24, 2004.

4. That took me to a page called "Sokacult.com". On the lower left side of this page, I clicked on "Confusing info to dismiss." That took me right to that page.

It's interesting though, that certain things are NOT accessible. I looked at the link for Soka University -- the IRS 990 forms for 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002. I just get a message that they're not archived. I looked at the link for the Boston Research Center. Their IRS 990 forms for 1999, 2001, and 2002 are also not archived. The Southwell Complaint -- religious discrimination suit filed against Soka University, also not archived. I have not tried to open those links before -- so I don't know if or when they were changed.

__________________________Quote, LisaJones.com____________________________________________________________________________
December 5, 2004

Oblivious to the Irony

I don't want to talk about cults -- especially my former cult -- on this site or in e-mail. I keep getting letters, though, so I'll try to address the topic in general terms and hope this will suffice.

Cult members are usually nice people. They mean well. But any group that claims to have all the answers for your life should be rigorously scrutinized.

Your enlightenment, salvation, or worth does not depend on your involvement with a particular group or organization. No matter how "liberating" the teachings of a group may sound, if the group fosters emotional dependence on the group itself (telling you "we're the one true sangha," etc.) run and don't look back.

If a friend or co-worker says "Ever since I joined this group, my life has gotten much better," be cautious. Members of cults have learned to re-frame their lives in terms of the group and its teachings. All life-events (good or bad) are looked at as opportunities to deepen one's involvement with the group, and thereby become "more enlightened." When you hear testimonials from group members, pay attention to how often they praise the group and its leaders, and how they attribute their own happiness and success to involvement with the group.

When people say "I am the organization" a red flag should go up. Cult members are taught to merge their personal identity with the group identity. Any criticism of the group, then, becomes a personal attack.

If it feels like a member of a group is trying to "sell" you on the group, that's exactly what's happening. The price is your freedom of mind and it's too high to pay regardless of how many "benefits" you are promised.

Selling does not mean, however, that a cult member is deliberately trying to con you. Members of cults are not consciously aware of their emotional dependence and have learned to dismiss or ignore critical information about the group. Members usually have to keep selling the group to themselves and to other people as a way of reinforcing or justifying their emotional dependence on the group.

Be extremely cautious around groups that use "lovebombing" -- excessive displays of warmth, kindness and concern -- to get you to "overcome your mistrust" and ignore your qualms about the group. If a friend says "You can trust this group and this guru because you trust me," do your own investigation.

Does the group provide full financial disclosure? Are there dozens of negative news reports about the group? Does the group appear on cult watch lists? Are dissent and debate of policies and beliefs welcome?

When questioned about negative information, cult members will likely offer a defensive rationalization: "There may be some bad things about our group but we're trying to make it better. Don't be swayed by our critics who don't understand our noble mission. They are unfair to us because they are jealous of what we have."

In short: Beware of groups that appeal to emotion or "tolerance" to override your suspicions. "Trust us because we're nice and we mean well," is not a valid resolution to informed concerns about the group.

Cult members aren't stupid. In fact, studies show that they are often intelligent and more likely than other people to be open to new experiences and take personal risks, especially if they are in a period of transition such as starting college, losing a job or ending a marriage.

Cult groups exploit this openness and seeking spirit. Some groups misrepresent themselves -- claiming, for instance, that they are a humble, informal gathering of people who care about world peace when in fact they are a multibillion-dollar religio-political corporation. But the central deception propagated by all cults is the lie that members need the group.

Through "fellowship," "guidance," and "training," cults groom "deployable agents," people who have internalized the message of the cult so deeply that their self-interest and the cult's interests are one and the same. This is why it's so hard to leave a cult after you've been a member for years -- it's hard to sort out what's genuine religious faith, what's cult-serving programming and what's "you."

Cults make it all very simple, black and white. Cults regard people who have left the group as traitors, betrayers, deluded ones or enemies. You're either with us or against us. Cults do not recognize the possibility that a reasonable, healthy person might choose to dissociate from the group based on honest disagreement with the group. On the contrary, anyone who has left the group is regarded with pity, contempt or anger.

It's not wacky rituals or peculiar doctrines that define a cult. Rather it's the whole bundle of messages and peer pressure tactics that foster dependency: Without us and our special interpretation of truth you cannot achieve your potential. Our critics don't know what they're talking about. If you want to be happy, you must surrender yourself to your special mission which you can understand only within the context of the group. When you and the group/leader become one, all your doubts will be resolved and you will be able to accomplish absolutely anything.

I'm fascinated by the processes of cult indoctrination because it happened to me without my being aware of it at the time. I was completely suckered. In retrospect, I can look back and see how, step by step, little by little, my thinking was molded.

I was oblivious to the irony. For example, members of my former cult like to trot out quotes attributed to the Head Guru saying stuff like, "Members of this group are free-thinking individuals who are self-reliant and compassionately wonderful." Then members say, "See! The Head Guru says this about us! This is who we truly are. We must strive to meet his expectations."

Quoting the Head Guru to prove anything or modeling your life to conform to the perceived expectations of said guru is itself screamingly cultish.
©2000-2005 Sticky Press
all rights reserved
_________________________________End of Quote____________________________________________________________________________

This is from the Massachusetts Department of Education website. The Soka Gakkai is proposing to open a charter school in Massachusetts in September 2010. While they speak of Ikeda in glowing terms (what else?), they do not mention the Soka Gakkai -- nor Buddhism. If I were a parent in this part of Massachusetts, dissatisfied with the local public schools -- and I didn't know anything about SGI -- I too might have signed the petition for it, thinking, "Hmm, could be a great school for my kid."

Gotta teach the kids to love Ikeda while they're young!

I'm just remembering Soka University in California. We were told that this was not a "Buddhist university," but a place for students to get a quality education, regardless of religion. There was supposed to be "open intellectual debate" and "academic freedom." Well, not quite. Professors who would not toe SGI's party line found themselves harassed and their contracts not renewed. One such professor, Linda Southwell, successfully sued the university.

______________________Quote, Massachusetts Department of Education Website, January 2009___________________________________________

The Spirit of Knowledge Academy Charter School

Executive Summary

Prepared by the founding group of the proposed Spirit of Knowledge Academy Charter School.

Our Mission

The Spirit of Knowledge Academy (SOKA) Charter School students will graduate with a solid academic foundation in math, science, technology and humanities, prepared for college and a gratifying career, and dedicated to humanistic values of life-long learning, personal responsibility, and the creation of value in their own lives, their communities, and society.

Our Vision

The SOKA vision is to provide a college preparatory education focused on high-standard math and sciences and intensive humanities studies - combined with and supported by a humanistic philosophy.

SOKA will be a school where all students will have an opportunity to master academic subjects, score high on standardized state and national tests, participate in academic competitions, and will be well prepared to enter the best colleges of their choice. The students will be motivated to achieve, realize their full capacity, and acquire critical thinking skills and a life-long love for learning.

The SOKA humanistic philosophy is best articulated by Daisaku Ikeda, respected educator, and prolific author: “What our world most requires now is the kind of education that fosters love for humankind that develops character - that provides an intellectual basis for the realization of peace and empowers learners to contribute to and improve society." As such, SOKA will embrace a unique school culture based on the Humanistic principles of respect for self and others where students will be taught peaceful conflict resolution and the importance of protecting the environment. The SOKA humanistic principles will encompass parents, teachers, board members, and the community at large through its system of mentoring relationships. All will work together to instill in the SOKA students the idea that the self-motivated inner change of a single individual can positively affect the larger web of life and result in the rejuvenation of human society.

Our Teaching Principles

Consistent with our mission, the SOKA teaching approach is based on a firm belief that all children, regardless of their experience and environment, are able to learn abstract concepts at an early age and build on them as they develop. Central to the SOKA educational philosophy is a high-standard rigorous educational model, combining the best international schools’ course structure, curriculum coherence, academic intensity of courses, and homework load with the best American school and college standards, Massachusetts frameworks, and modern scientific content1. The SOKA teaching approach is based on the following principles:

Subject-specific courses. For example, science will be taught in three separate subjects: physics, chemistry and biology. Social studies will be taught in two separate subjects: world history and geography. English language arts will be split into english language and world literature courses.
The subjects will be taught over a multi-year timeframe. For example, the world history, literature, history of art and philosophy courses will be taught in a 7-year chronological sequence. In sciences, students will study biology in each of 7 years, chemistry and physics in each of 6 years, and computer science in each of 7 years.
Each course will be organized as a logical sequence and each subsequent year of learning will be built upon the foundation laid in the prior years.
All courses will be tightly coordinated to complement and mutually reinforce each other.
To ensure high achievement of the entire student body, all students will take the same sequence of courses in the middle school.
To ensure that all students are served, they will be offered a choice of two concentrations, or pathways, starting in 9th grade: math-science and humanities pathways.

To ensure that all students are engaged and challenged appropriately, the Academy will teach a number of subjects such as math, physics and chemistry on flexible, differentiated levels of difficulty.

To ensure that all students successfully meet our academic standards we incorporated a strong system of support penetrating every subject, level, grade, and classroom. To this end, our entering 6th grade will be a two-year program with the option to test out into the one-year option. Other support elements include smaller class size for math; teacher assistants in the core classrooms; individual and small group tutoring; optional for most students, but mandatory for some, longer day with extensive after school academic program.

Our Culture, Philosophy and Values

SOKA will support its rigorous curriculum with a philosophical, ethical, and social and discipline system of values, which will serve as a basis for our school culture. The system is based on the humanistic, value-creating model of Japanese Soka education philosophy. “Soka” is a Japanese word that means "to create value." Soka educational principles were first formulated by the Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871-1944), a supporter of many of John Dewey’s educational principles, and further developed by Daisaku Ikeda who founded a network of secular Soka schools worldwide as well as Soka Universities in Japan and the United States (www.soka.ed.jp).

Each member of the school community - starting with the board of trustees and continuing to administrators, teachers, students, and parents - will strive to establish a school culture that imbues our mission, vision, and goals of achieving a high-standard of learning along with a humanistic vision. These values will be promoted and celebrated through the daily routine, policies and procedures, code of conduct, traditions, practices, the school’s physical environment, the way of communication within the entire school community, assemblies, and school-wide events. Following the personal example of adults at SOKA, the students will:


Bring forth inner courage, wisdom, and compassion – through active participation in SOKA’s every day life, learning from interaction with teachers and peers, and through the school-wide mentoring system. At our school we will respect and support each other!
Develop intellectual curiosity and love for learning - through high standards and knowledge in math, science, technology, and humanities. At our school it will be “cool” to know more!
Develop a sense of individual responsibility for one’s own life and success - through taking on responsibilities and carrying through. At our school everyone will know: it is up to me to make my life better!
Prepare to work for and guard world peace, freedom, and develop appreciation for diversity - through the understanding of world history and cultures. At our school being different will not mean to be a stranger!
Learn to respect, protect, and nourish the environment - through the understanding of natural sciences and knowledge of the laws of the universe. At our school we will learn that the world is our home!


The Student Population and the Need

If successfully chartered, SOKA Charter School will open in September 2010 with 368 students in grades 6 through 9. It will grow one grade a year and, when at full capacity in the fourth year, it will serve 585 students in grades 6 through 12. SOKA will be a regional charter school, serving students from Worcester, Oxford, and Leicester.

The need for a high-standards, academically rigorous school in the service area is evident from standardized academic test results that are below or substantially below the state average in many categories. By combining the rigorous math, science, and humanities curriculum with the supporting, value-creating philosophy and ethics system, the Academy will serve students with a wide range of abilities and socio-economic backgrounds and help them to compete for colleges and jobs locally and globally, to realize their highest potential and create value in their lives. Students with disabilities, English language learners, and at-risk students will be exposed to higher standards, more social interaction, and feel part of a community focused on attaining success through education.

In addition, the Worcester area has a long history of attracting immigrant populations from all over the world, initially because of the large number of manufacturing jobs and more recently as a major center for hospitals, bio-tech companies, and colleges. The Academy’s focus on both math and science and world studies speaks both to the multicultural population as well as this shift from primarily manufacturing to high tech industries.
Capacity

The SOKA Charter School founding group currently consists of 16 members from the community: parents, educators, school administrators, professionals, and community activists. The founding group members are highly motivated and committed to the development of the school. About 350 residents of the core districts signed a petition of support for SOKA and 12 letters of endorsement from prominent institutions such as; Bose Corporation, Becker College, WPI, YMCA, Great Brook Valley Health Center, Northeastern University, SAORI Worcester and UMASS Medical School; as well as parents from the core districts.
__________________________End of Quote_______________________________________________________________________________________