User:Scubeesnax/Shinnyo-en Foundation

The Shinnyo-en Foundation

File:SixBillionPathstoPeace 2.jpg
Founded	1994
Type	Grant-giving private foundation Status: 501(c)(3)
Focus	Convener of events to create World Peace, and workshops to teach Kindness, Harmony, Embracement and "Service as a way of life"
Location	San Francisco, California
Area served	Global
Method	Grants
Key people	Ben Takagi Vice President Ineko Tsuchida Ph.D. Program Director
Website	www.sef.org

The Shinnyo-en Foundation is fulfilling a leadership role as a convener of events to create World Peace. The mission of the Foundation is “to bring forth deeper compassion among humankind, to promote greater harmony, and to “plant the seeds of Peace” through empowerment and education of our young people in order to build caring communities.”

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The Shinnyo-en Foundation's Bishop Ito presents Maria Shriver with “Pathfinders to Peace” Award.
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A Japanese man hands a beautifully-sculptured Venetian glass award to a woman dressed attractively in beige business attire.

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The Shinnyo-en Foundation strives to serve as a catalyst to change what people are thinking about and talking about, and to empower a new generation of young people to become peaceful activists – inspiring them to embrace others and “to change the world by building bridges.”

The Foundation’s major initiative is “Six Billion Paths to Peace”, which it pursues both in the U.S. and around the world through its international partnerships and its six sister foundations. The “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative honors the fact that each one of us has his or her own unique path to Peace.

The “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative is based upon the belief that World Peace cannot be created by any one organization, foundation, or even a government. Only by empowering “average” people who don't necessarily think of themselves as "leaders," and by building a large “grassroots” movement of people united in a common cause can we bring about profound change.

Each year, the Shinnyo-en Foundation presents its prestigious “Pathfinders to Peace” Award to honor those who have made significant contributions to bring about a more peaceful world. The awards are part of the Foundation’s “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative, which encourages people to become more aware of how actions in their daily lives can contribute to Peace.

The Foundation believes that service to others creates Harmony, and is in fact transformative for both the giver and receiver. This philosophy can be clearly seen by its motto: “Give, Grow, Transform.”

The Shinnyo-en Foundation is on the front lines, working to reduce violence in our communities and in our world. By designing innovative and transformative programs, the Shinnyo-en Foundation seeks to mobilize and unify young people who come from many different ethnic and religious backgrounds, actively involving young people in “planting the seeds of Peace.”

History and Creation

The Shinnyo-en Foundation was created in 1994 as the secular (non-religious) philanthropic arm of the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order. The Foundation reflects the core values and spiritual teachings of Shinjo Ito (1906-1989), the Buddhist monk who founded the Shinnyo-en Order in 1936. Shinjo Ito was trained in the Dharma Stream (spiritual teachings) of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, one of Japan’s oldest schools of Buddhism (Shingon, which means “true words,” was founded in the year 806 by Kūkai, a famous Japanese scholar, poet and monk).

Shinjo Ito - With Each Stroke of His Chisel

In addition to being the founder of Shinnyo-en Buddhism, Shinjo Ito also was a renowned artist and sculptor. He strived to imbue the virtue, compassion, and loving kindness of a Buddha into each image he carved by offering a sincere prayer for Peace and Harmony with each stroke of his chisel.   In 2008, a show entitled “The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito” featuring his art and sculptures – including a spectacular 16-foot, golden image of the Nirvana Buddha – toured Milan and Florence, Italy, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. According to the New York Times, more than 300,000 people went to see the art and sculpture exhibition while it was in Japan for a 54-day run prior to its world tour.

A Legacy of Kindness

Dr. Harumitsu Inouye, CEO of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, in his keynote speech at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, told a story about Shinjo Ito that illuminates the idea of creating Harmony through sincere acts of Service. “In Japan, at the end of World War II, there was almost no food. Even children were starving,” he said. “So the Founder of Shinnyo-en, a Buddhist priest named Shinjo Ito, turned the grounds of Shinchoji temple into a vegetable garden. Even though he was hungry himself - and food was more valuable than GOLD - he gave all the food away for FREE!  That is why we say that Shinnyo-en was created with the HEART of Kindness.”

Since 1994, the Shinnyo-en Foundation has dedicated its efforts to the memory of Shinjo Ito by supporting and offering grants to organizations and programs that share its core values.

The Meaning of “Shinnyo-en”

In Japanese, the word “Shinnyo” means the true nature of all things, and “en” refers to a garden without walls or fences. Shinjo Ito, the founder of Shinnyo-en, once described the name Shinnyo-en as a “garden without fences or hedges in which anyone is welcome just as they are.” In other words: Embracement. The implication is that if we see our world as a garden without walls, we awaken to the “ultimate truth” which is: We are all ONE.

This belief is evident in the popular Shinnyo-en Foundation slogan: “One world… Peace Now.” Breaking down the “walls” and “barriers” between us is an overarching theme of the Foundation, reflected both in its approach to philanthropy and its of choice of grant recipients.

Dr. Harumitsu Inouye, former CEO of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, speaking at the 2009 National Service-Learning Conference described the concept this way. He said: “Kindness has no borders.”   And Henry Lozano, former Executive Director of the Foundation, speaking at a roundtable at the Rockefeller Institute said: “Compassion is a Universal Language.”

Thus, the name “Shinnyo-en” itself is an important clue to the Foundation’s core beliefs.

Core Values and Mission

The core values of the Shinnyo-en Foundation are:

* There are “Six Billion Paths to Peace”

• Each person has his or her own unique path to creating a more Peaceful world.
  

* Kindness has no borders

• The desire for Peace is what all people around the world, regardless of religious beliefs or national origins, share in common.
  

* Compassion is a Universal Language

• Accepting people of all other races, countries of origin and religious beliefs “just as they are” – nurturing a “Heart of Embracement” – is the key to creating Peace.
  

* Harmony is created by sincere acts of Service

• When you serve others, you create Harmony. And Kindness ripples outward in an ever-widening circle.
  

* Give, Grow, Transform

• Serving others is a transformative act. Therefore, serving others transforms and enriches both the giver and the receiver.
  

* Service is a way of life

• True and lasting Joy is found – not by pursuing the ego-centered, materialistic goals of society – but by having the heart of service for other people.
  

* Each person has inside of them an inner goodness (a Buddha nature)

• This idea of a basic inner goodness (a Buddha nature) is expressed in the Nirvana Sutra, the final teachings of the Buddha.
  

Generation Peace

In 2007, during creation of the “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative, Dr. Harumitsu Inouye coined the term “Generation Peace”.   He used “Generation Peace” to describe the current generation of young people (teenagers and those in their 20s) who are creating a new culture of peace, service and volunteering and are the driving energy behind record levels of volunteering and charitable fundraising efforts around the world (almost $300 BILLION given in 2007).

Speaking in 2008 at the Second Annual “Pathfinders to Peace” Awards in New York City, entitled “Celebrating Generation Peace”, Dr. Inouye said he feels this current generation has – for the first time in history – not only an opportunity but in fact a mission to create Peace in our world. “First there were the Baby Boomers,” he said. “Then there was the ‘Me Generation.’ Now there’s ‘Generation Peace’ – the young people who are volunteering in record numbers. They are passionate about creating a better world. They are embracing people of different faiths and beliefs and races and nationalities... recognizing that we are all ONE family. They are changing the world by building bridges.”

The “Generation Peace” banner has since been taken up by the GenPeace Youth Network , which has an online blog, as well as Generation Peace social networking groups on MySpace , Facebook and Twitter .

The programs and events created by the Shinnyo-en Foundation such as “Six Billion Paths to Peace” and “Generation Peace” serve as a role model to other fields because they embody the principles of productive cooperation between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and effective collaboration between funders and grant recipients.

The Importance of Young People

By forging a strong and effective coalition of youth leadership groups, spanning many ethnic origins and religious beliefs, the Shinnyo-en Foundation is empowering, inspiring, and strengthening the civic participation of a new generation of young people. It encourages them to become peaceful activists, and to create Peace and Harmony between people of all races, countries of origin and religious beliefs… in other words, “to change the world by building bridges”

“Young people are our future,” said Dr. Harumitsu Inouye. “That’s why we must plant the seeds of Peace now. We must give this young generation the sunlight and nutrients they need – in other words, the nurturing and inspiration and guidance – and empower them to become peaceful activists, so that the young people of “Generation Peace” can fulfill their destiny. If we work hard, and give them the support they need, one morning we will wake up and the sun will be shining through our window… and we will have a Peaceful World.”

The Shinnyo-en Foundation was created to support educational programs that engage and inspire young people to engage in meaningful acts of service. Today, the Foundation sponsors events and workshops that embrace many social, political, and religious groups. But it has a special focus on young people because of the Foundation believes that young people are like a garden… fertile soil where the seeds of Peace – when planted and nurtured over time – blossom into adults who are Peaceful, kind, compassionate, embracing, and who place a high value on harmony and sincere acts of service to others.

The Shinnyo-en Foundation is actively using Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to engage the passion of young people for World Peace.

Member of the United Nations

The Shinnyo-en Foundation is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) member of the United Nations. As such, the Foundation is an active supporter of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations “Toward Prosperity, Security, and Human Rights for All.”

In 2008, key staff members of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, along with its sister foundation, the Univers Foundation, attended the 61st Annual Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris entitled “Reaffirming Human Rights for All.” At this event, the foundation conducted a workshop focusing on “Reaffirming the Human Rights of the Elderly to Enjoy an Enhanced Quality of Life.”

Emergency Aid and Disaster Relief

In addition to Fellowships to universities and other major grants, the Shinnyo-en Foundation has role-modeled the heart of compassion by providing Emergency Aid and Relief for people living in poverty stricken areas devastated by disasters…

• Substantial and ongoing aid to the people in the island nation of Haiti, where the already impoverished people were struck by a terrible earthquake in January, 2010.
• $100,000 to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina aid
• $100,000 to UNICEF for relief efforts following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
• $100,000 to the United Way for its September 11th Fund to assist families after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Foundation of Leadership

Dr. Harumitsu Inouye is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Shinnyo-en Foundation. In 2007, he led the team that created the “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative. Since the inception of the Foundation, Haru served as the Executive Director as well as a member of the Board of Directors. Born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan, Haru came to the United States as a student. He received an Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco. Prior to his role as Foundation CEO, Haru worked as an intercultural communications specialist between the U.S. and Japan at a leading high-tech company in Silicon Valley.

As one of the founding members of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, Dr. Inouye oversaw its expansion from humble beginnings into an organization that touches the lives of many thousands of people around the world and plays a leadership role as a convener of events to create World Peace.

During the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009 – at a time when most foundations were sharply reducing their grant-giving because of drops in funding – Dr. Inouye encouraged the Shinnyo-en Foundation to strongly increase its support of Youth, Volunteering and Service organizations. In 2009, the Shinnyo-en Foundation was a major sponsor of the “National Conference on Volunteering & Service” in San Francisco, as well as the National Youth Leadership Council and it’s “National Service-Learning Conference” in Nashville. The Shinnyo-en Foundation is also a major sponsor of California First Lady Maria Shriver’s 2009 “Conference on Women’s Empowerment, Inspiration and Education.”

In addition to his duties as CEO of the Foundation, Haru also served on the Board of Directors of the City of Burlingame, California as a community representative of the Public Sector Action Agency of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties (2006-2009).

Dr. Inouye has dedicated his life to serving others, with a commitment to empower individuals to bring peace and harmony through action to their local communities and out into the world. He says that he enjoys gardening, where he sees a parallel between empowering people and the process of creating a garden or “planting the seeds of peace” – from planting seeds and nurturing them with water and fertilizer, to ensuring they get sufficient sunlight to grow strong and reach their full potential.

By designing and supporting programs that embrace a variety of perspectives and people, Dr. Harumitsu Inouye has actively involved young people in “planting the seeds of Peace.”

The Shinnyo-en Buddhist order

The charitable work of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is made possible by the generosity and spiritual support of the more than one million followers of the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order around the world, and by Her Holiness, Shinso Ito, the Archbishop of Shinnyo-en. Because of this generous support, the Shinnyo-en Foundation was able to launch its “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative in 2007.

The “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative sponsors activities and workshops that encourage each participant to discover and commit to their own unique path to Peace, and to reflect more deeply on two of the Foundation’s key core values: “Harmony is created by sincere acts of Service” and “Kindness has no borders.”

Today, the number of Shinnyo-en followers is growing rapidly, with temples on five continents (Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia). In the United States, the head temple is in Redwood City, California, and there are also temples in Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Shinnyo-en also has training centers in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Las Vegas; and Dayton, Ohio.

Shinnyo-en is the only major Buddhist order in the world that has a woman, Her Holiness, Archbishop Shinso Ito, in its highest leadership role.

Kindness has No Borders

A central mission of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is to encourage people to embrace the truth that “Kindness has no borders.” This has been a special focus of Her Holiness, Archbishop Shinso Ito, in striving to create World Peace. [7]

On March 21, 2009, in a keynote speech at the 20th Annual National Service-Learning Conference, Dr. Haru Inouye told the story of how a Buddhist order built a mosque for Muslims after a terrible earthquake.

“Not long ago, there was an earthquake in Pakistan,” Dr. Inouye said. “I’m sure most of you remember… it was total devastation. Buildings and homes were destroyed. Hundreds of people were dead. Over 120,000 people homeless! The problem was so enormous. And people were wondering: What can I do to help? So Shinnyo-en representatives traveled to the area and asked the local elders: What do you really need… more than anything else?

And you know what they said?

A Mosque. A place for spiritual worship! That’s Mosque… as in a MUSLIM CHURCH or a temple.

When the Head of Shinnyo-en, Shinso Ito heard this, she asked the elders if it would be offensive for a Buddhist organization to help in this way. And they said: ‘Oh no! These people don’t have homes. They’ve lost everything! They need a place of spiritual refuge.’ So Shinso Ito said: ‘Build them a mosque!’ And the Mosque was built… and we completed it last year.

A Buddhist organization building a church for Muslims? Why?

WHY NOT?

Kindness has no borders! Compassion doesn’t care what country you come from, or the color of your skin, or your religious beliefs. Service is about the pursuit of human happiness… the universal desire of everyone for PEACE!” [7]

This story offers us the opportunity to ask ourselves this question: What would happen if members of the world’s churches built churches and temples for people of other religions? Would this help us to create more Peace in the world?

The Shinnyo-en Foundation tries to get people thinking about and talking about Peace and Kindness in new and unprecedented ways, and to encourage the embracement of people for each other – without regard to race, religion or country of origin – in “heart-centered” action. [5] It is joined in this pursuit by its six sister foundations worldwide, including the Univers and Na Lei Aloha Foundations. [1][3][4]

Compassion is a Universal Language

In 2005, Henry Lozano, the former Executive Director of the Foundation, said, “Compassion is a universal language.”[8] In other words, Compassion is the universal heart that beats at the center of all major religions.

There are Six Billion Paths to Peace… What’s yours?

A beautiful pink flower beneath a blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds and framed by the words "Six Billion Paths to Peace."

The “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative was created by the Shinnyo-en Foundation to bring forth deeper compassion among humankind and to promote World Peace.

The “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative was created by the Shinnyo-en Foundation to bring forth deeper compassion among humankind and to promote World Peace. The message is: Each person has his or her own unique path to Peace.

Six Billion Paths to Peace represents the idea that it is possible, through reflection on our daily actions and an individual commitment, to inspire new reverberations of Peace around the world. It is one of the major underlying ideas that guides the Shinnyo-en Foundation in its selection of grantees and activities to sponsor. By doing this, it seeks to encourage the “grassroots” power of individuals to take action and bring about a level of change to the world that no single foundation, organization, or even a government could possibly provide by itself. [1]

The “Pathfinders to Peace” Award

Each year, the Shinnyo-en Foundation recognizes leaders in Peace with its “Pathfinders to Peace” Award.

In 2009, the Shinnyo-en Foundation honored California First Lady Maria Shriver, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau of the University of California at Berkeley, and Nan Peterson, a Minnesota school teacher who brought the “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative alive at The Blake School, teaching “peace through service” in innovative, engaging and meaningful ways.

Recipients in past years include Alfre Woodard, Martin Sheen, Morgan Freeman, Mira Sorvino, fashion designer Mark Ecko, and local heroes such as Reuben Martinez, and Brett Hickey. [1][29][30][31][32]

The story of Rueben Martinez is typical of winners of the “Pathfinders to Peace” Award who have overcome adversity to make a difference in the lives of others. Reuben is a barber who grew up in a very poor area called East Los Angeles where 50% of all children do NOT graduate from High School. But Rueben always loved to read. So he turned his barbershop into a bookstore and he taught people to read. There was so little money that he lost his home, and at one point he actually had to sleep in the bathroom of his barbershop. But he didn’t give up.

So far to date, Rueben Martinez has put TWO MILLION Spanish-language books into the hands of school kids and adults!

In his speech before the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, Dr. Haru Inouye encouraged other people to get involved and make a difference. He said, “That’s why we honored Reuben Martinez with our Pathfinders to Peace Award. He is living proof that your ability to change the world is NOT limited by money, your self-esteem, or the size of your organization. It’s not limited by the bad economy! Your ability to change the world is ONLY limited by the size of your DREAM!”

“So I ask you. How BIG can you Dream?” [7]

The Times Square Event in NYC

Path of Peace in Times Square (PHOTO)

On March 20, 2008, the first day of Spring, the Shinnyo-en Foundation hosted the global launch of its “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative, with the goal of empowering the young people of “Generation Peace” and encouraging one million people from around the world to pledge their personal commitments to Peace and service.

For the event, the Foundation transformed an island in Times Square into a lush, flower-filled “Path to Peace” where visitors were invited to walk along the path and pledge their own personal roads to Peace. Peace pledges from around the globe were displayed live on the gigantic electronic Reuters billboard which dominates Times Square.

That evening, the Shinnyo-en Foundation hosted its Second Annual “Pathfinders to Peace” Awards Gala to honor “Generation Peace” and “to showcase, honor and inspire meaningful acts of service that can make a big difference.” The Foundation honored four people as “Pathfinders to Peace”… “role models whose values and achievements create a more harmonious world through noteworthy acts, innovative programs and charitable pursuits in our daily life. Like a ripple in the water, each tiny act of Peace reverberates out into the world expanding the experience of Peace for all of us.” The Recipients of the 2008 “Pathfinders to Peace” Awards were: Academy-Award winners Morgan Freeman and Mira Sorvino, fashion designer Mark Ecko, and Brett Hickey.

There was a live performance by the Kindred Spirits Children’s Jazz Choir and by Bianca Ryan, the eleven-year-old winner of “America’s Got Talent”.

[9a] http://pathfinderstopeace.org/ http://friendscommunities.org/showthread.php?t=16943

The 2009 Women’s Conference

In October of 2009, the Shinnyo-en Foundation sponsored the first whole day of the world’s premier Women’s Conference, lending its support to California’s First Lady Maria Shriver in a major event attended by 25,000 people. [33][34]

Entitled “A Day of Transformation”, this special event was a day for reflection, dialogue and transformation. The roster of keynote and celebrity guest speakers included:

• Maria Shriver, First Lady of California
• Erin Mulcahy Stein, Executive Director, The Women’s Conference on Empowerment
• Dr. Harumitsu Inouye, CEO, Shinnyo-en Foundation
• Stephen M.R. Covey, Author of “The Speed of Trust”
• Judith Orloff, MD, UCLA Psychiatrist and author of “Emotional Freedom”
• James D. White, CEO, Jamba Juice
• Karen Baker, California’s first Secretary of Service and Volunteering, a cabinet-level appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Premal Shah, President, Kiva.org
• Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns, Chair of the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Judy Fund
• Martha Beck, PhD, Life Coach and author of “Steering by Starlight: The Science and Magic of Finding Your Destiny”
• Hal Rubenstein, Fashion Director, InStyle Magazine
• Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of the website and bestselling book “The First 30 Days” [33]

The Important Role of Women

Since its inception, women have played a key role in the Shinnyo-en Foundation. That’s why it became a major sponsor of the 2009 Women’s Conference hosted by California’s First Lady, Maria Shriver, which was attended by more than 25,000 women from around the world. [33][34]

Liane Louie-Badua, PhD. served as the Foundation’s program director for over 7 years (2002-2009). “The Foundation is not so much interested in concrete outcomes,” she said in a magazine interview in 2009. “It’s the process of nurturing people, of bringing people together, that we really value.” [39][40][41]

Shinnyo-en is the only major Buddhist order in the world that has a woman, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, in its highest leadership role. She holds the title of Archbishop, the highest rank in Buddhism. Her mother, Tomoji Ito, was the first female lay person to be recognized as an Archbishop by Daigoji monastery. [1]

In Honor of the Founder - Shinjo Ito

The Shinnyo-en Foundation reflects the core values and spiritual teachings of Shinjo Ito (1906-1989), the Buddhist monk who founded the Shinnyo-en Order in 1936. Even as a young man, Shinjo Ito had a desire to help other people. He built a successful career as an aeronautical engineer and yet, even though he was a professional and had achieved social status in Japanese society, he decided to give it all up and dedicate his life to pursuing a spiritual path for the benefit of others. [1]

He mastered Shingon Buddhism at the Daigoji monastery in Kyoto, Japan, and was ordained into the priesthood. At that time, he was given the spiritual name of Shinjo, which means “true vehicle.” As a master of Shingon esoteric Buddhism, he was qualified to start his own stream of Buddhism. He founded Shinnyo-en in February, 1936. It was a distinct Buddhist order, a new stream of Buddhism, and it is the only order in the world that incorporates the Nirvana Sutra’s teachings as its main scripture. [1]

In stark contrast to other Buddhist masters of his time, Shinjo Ito committed his life to the goal of making the teachings of the Buddha available to all people, not just those who had chosen the life of the priesthood – regardless of their spiritual beliefs. Most importantly, he was committed to sharing the teachings not just as a philosophy but as a practical way of everyday living. [1]

In 1968, Shinjo Ito was invited by the city of Montebello, California to become an honorary citizen. To commemorate this occasion, he presented the City of Montebello with an image he had carved himself, of Prince Shotoku, who spread Buddhism in the 6th - 7th century in Japan and who emphasized the importance of respecting others and creating Harmony. This offering of friendship became one of the starting points of Shinnyo-en in the USA. (Note: Montebello is the sister city of Ashiya, where the Founder’s wife, Tomoji Ito, passed away.) The Founder said, “Peace is the spirit of Shinnyo-en, and it is the wish of all people in the world. I carved the image of Prince Shotoku with the prayer that Peace will be delivered to the heart of each person.” [1]

The Heart of Embracement - Tomoji Ito

The ideas of “creating Harmony by sincere acts of Service” and becoming “the Heart of Embracement” – two ideas which go to the core of the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s values – are inspired by Shinjo Ito’s wife, Tomoji (1912-1967). As Shinjo Ito embarked upon a “Journey of Embracement” trip to Europe and Asia, Tomoji was devoted and stayed by his side. Tomoji Ito was the first female lay person to be recognized as an Archbishop by Daigoji monastery. Known to Shinnyo-en followers by her spiritual name, Shojushin’in, which means “Heart of Embracement,” she embodied the teachings of the Buddha, demonstrating them in daily life as a wife, mother, disciple and spiritual leader. Shojushin’in-sama is remembered for being able to bring joy to people, for sharing their hardships and giving them support to overcome their struggles. She was a living testimony to the power of Embracement, or Shoju, making it possible for the Shinnyo teaching to reach beyond the boundaries of race, religion and culture for the benefit of all people in all corners of the world. This is her legacy. [1]

In his opening day speech at the 2009 Women’s Conference, Haru Inouye, CEO of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, told the story of Tomoji and her daughter, Shinso. He said: “Our Foundation is funded by Shinnyo-en a Buddhist order whose leader is… a WOMAN! Her Holiness Shinso Ito, is an Archbishop, the highest rank in Buddhism. Her mother, Tomoji Ito, devoted her life to serving others. She was the first woman in the 1,000-year history of Daigoji monastery in Kyoto to receive the rank of Archbishop as a lay-woman. Tomoji was also a wife and mother and she often shared Buddhist teachings while she was working in the kitchen or doing laundry, demonstrating the teachings in real life.” [34][35]

“Right up until her last breath, she was still thinking of helping others,” he said. “Tomoji’s daughter Shinso was so inspired by her mother that she followed in her footsteps. And today, Shinso Ito is the Archbishop of Shinnyo-en Buddhism with over one million followers around the world. About 12 years ago she became the first woman in history – in 1,135 years – to officiate at the Daigoji temple.” [35]

This story of a mother and daughter – devoting their lives for others – touched the hearts of the audience and left many women inspired, in the words of Maria Shriver, to become “Architects of Change” and to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. [34]

The Shinnyo-en Foundation, like the Order that created it, strives to embody “Servant Leadership” (i.e., where the leaders act as servants to the followers, not the other way around, unlike the hierarchical leadership models). This is inspired, once again, by the selfless actions of Tomoji Ito. “Even though she was the Archbishop, the Head of the Shinnyo-en Order, Tomoji would often shine the shoes of the followers,” said Dr. Haru Inouye at the 2009 Women’s Conference. “She even cleaned bathrooms with her hands. Some people thought she was just a cleaning person. But she was the Archbishop… the Head of the order! That is the heart of Servant Leadership.” [35]

Shinjo Ito, her husband, wrote a poem about her:

“Though my life, like the morning dew,
may vanish anytime,
I will use this moment to serve others.” [35]

Shinjo Ito often advised: “If you would like to understand the teachings of the Buddha, just spend one day with Shojushin’in.” Tomoji Ito passed away in 1967. [1]

Her Holiness, Archbishop Shinso Ito - Embracing the World

Archbishop Shinso Ito, the daughter of Shinjo and Tomoji Ito, followed in her parent’s footsteps. As the current leader of the Shinnyo-en Order, with more than one million members worldwide, she has been widely recognized for her success in revitalizing Buddhism in contemporary Japan and around the world, and for embracing people of other religious beliefs. She is known to Shinnyo-en followers by her spiritual name, Keishu, which means “Successor.” In 1989, Shinnyo Keishu-sama attained the priestly rank of Archbishop. In the words of the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s Annual Report, “She is a spiritual leader who encourages everyone to serve for the sake of others and to embrace all people.” [1]

In 1997, Shinso Ito became the first woman in history – in 1,135 years – to officiate at the main hall of Daigoji temple in Kyoto, a world heritage site and a national treasure. [35]

Shinso Ito met with Pope John Paul II in 2002 – as her parents had done when they met with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1967 – and they vowed to work toward bringing about Peace in the world and happiness to all people. This vow, which is harmonious with Shinnyo-en’s most cherished teachings, is a desire shared by so many of the world’s great religious traditions: to embrace all people. In her efforts to pray for Peace in the world, Shinso Ito officiated in a history-making Buddhist service at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in New York for the victims of 9/11. [1]

Shinnyo-en is the only major world Buddhist order led by a woman. [1]

Berlin Saisho Homa

On June 21, 2009, Her Holiness Shinso Ito conducted a Saisho Homa, a Buddhist peace ceremony, in Berlin, once a center point of the Cold War. The Berlin Saisho Homa had as its theme “Building Bridges,” and visitors from around the world came together in a celebration of Peace.

Twenty years ago, Berlin was the focal point of German reunification, which makes it an apt symbol of the “harmony in diversity” which Buddhists work to create. The ceremony started with choral performances from different religious traditions, symbolizing the peaceful coexistence valued in Shinnyo Buddhism and all spiritual paths. The Saisho Homa was led by the head of the Shinnyo-en order, Her Holiness Shinso Ito.

Among the different choral groups, Islam was represented by the Kreuzberg Choir for Turkish Classical Music from the Berlin Conservatoire for Turkish Music. The Synagogal Ensemble Berlin from the Synagogue on Pestalozzistraße in Charlottenburg represented Judaism. The choir of the Passionskirche in Berlin Kreuzberg represented Christianity. And the Shinnyo-en Shomyo Choir - which includes members from Germany, France, the Netherlands and Japan - also performed beautifully orchestrated Buddhist chants, alongside Japanese Taiko drummers and the Gropiuslerchen Choir from Berlin.

Also in the Saisho Homa ceremony, the children’s choir of the Sonnen-Grundschule in Berlin Neukölln made its debut. The choir was founded through the initiative and support of Shinnyo-en. The choir strives to bring joy to children from less privileged social backgrounds, and to teach them that people from different backgrounds and different religions can work together harmoniously and bring pleasure to others through the magic of music.

The “Saisho Homa” is a prayer ceremony which expresses the wish to create World Peace. The term “Saisho” refers to “the all-encompassing and borderless dimension of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion.” http://www.saisho-goma-berlin.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=20

Servant Leadership

Like her mother, who would shine the shoes of the followers even though she was the Archbishop, Shinso Ito believes that leaders must also be servants. Within the Shinnyo-en organization, servant leadership is the primary role model. She said: Rather than shining the light upon themselves and their own accomplishments… “A leader is one who discovers that which shines in others, and helps them to polish it.” [9] In other words, a Servant Leader empowers people to reach their fullest potential and helps them to shine. This is reflected in the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s strategy of embracement and empowerment to mobilize and unify young people who come from many different ethnic and religious backgrounds, working together in sincere acts of community service.

Serving Others as a Way of Life

A core value of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is “Serving others as a way of life.” In its annual report, the Shinnyo-en Foundation states: “Service is perhaps the value we hold dearest. We believe that by making service to others a central part of our daily lives, we create an environment around us that encourages harmony and Peace. Shinnyo-en believes that rather than being something outside our normal activities, service should be interwoven into our daily lives.” [1]

The Founders of Shinnyo-en, Shinjo and Tomoji Ito, embodied this ideal. In his 2009 speech to the 20th Annual National Service-Learning Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Haru Inouye told a story that illustrates the ideal of service to others, even at personal sacrifice. “In Japan, at the end of World War II, there was almost NO food. Even children were starving!” he said. “At this time, people were just trying to survive. They weren’t thinking much about service to others. So the Founder of Shinnyo-en, a Buddhist priest named Shinjo Ito, turned the grounds of Shinchoji temple into a garden to grow vegetables. Even though he was hungry himself – and FOOD was more valuable than GOLD – he gave all the food away to his neighbors… for FREE.” [9]

A major tenet of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is that sincere acts of service – in addition to creating Harmony – transform and enrich both the giver and the receiver. Thus, the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s motto: “Give, Grow, Transform.” [1]

Small acts have unlimited potential for change in each of us, our communities and the world, the Foundation states. “This, in turn, allows individuals to TRANSFORM their lives in the borderless garden… This can be as simple as holding a door, giving up a seat on the bus or greeting someone sincerely and politely. By recognizing and practicing its many forms, service becomes a fundamental aspect of daily life... We also believe service is reciprocal. While service requires action by us for the benefit of others, it is returned to us in the form of a deeper and more meaningful life.” [1]

The Shinnyo-en Foundation was founded on the premise that to GIVE to others in service and from a spirit of generosity, leads inevitably to greater joy and Peace for all. In other words, true and lasting Joy is found by serving others as a way of life.

Individuals GROW through service everyday. The Shinnyo-en Foundation encourages each person to engage in self-reflection, share resources, explore lessons and deepen the dialogue in their communities. [1]

Lantern Floating (Toro Nagashi) Event

On Memorial Day 2009, Shinnyo-en conducted its Lantern Floating (Toro Nagashi) ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii. Only a stone’s throw away from the Pearl Harbor memorial of the USS Arizona, the ceremony offers spiritual consolation and honors people’s ancestors, victims of natural disasters, and also those who have died in wars – without distinction between friend and foe. [36][37]

This year, more than 42,000 people gathered at Ala Moana Beach for this emotionally moving and beautiful event. They offered prayers for their ancestors and other deceased loved ones whose passing was the result of an unsettling or catastrophic event, whether natural or man-made, including the disaster of war. The ceremony has its origins in Japan, where lanterns are lit to guide ancestors from the sea of delusion to the shore of enlightenment. Several thousands prayer lanterns are floated out onto the ocean, twinkling in the gathering darkness, carried out to sea along with their prayers for World Peace. [36]

In his 2009 speech to the Interfaith Council gathering at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, entitled “Become One Heart,” Dr. Harumitsu Inouye described the Lantern Floating event: “As the sun sets, in the glow of candlelight, people float prayer lanterns out to sea in memory of lost loved ones. It’s magical! But here’s the exciting part: People of all faiths attend. Muslim prayers float next to Jewish prayers…. Buddhist prayers float next to Hindu prayers… Sikh prayers float next to prayers of Christian faiths. All in one place. All at one time. In one single prayer for PEACE!” [38]

“This year there were 42,000 people! Yet, at the end, it was very quiet: No shouting, no vandalism, no quarrels! WHY? We all became ONE HEART,” he said. “In the same way, all religions can come together – with ONE HEART – in SERVICE… whether it’s building houses, teaching kids how to read, or feeding the homeless. Compassion is a Universal Language.” [38]

In conjunction with the Lantern Floating event each year, the Shinnyo-en Foundation hosts its Peace Reflection and Dialogue where it invites people from all over the world to participate. [36]

Peace Reflection and Dialogue

In 2009, the Shinnyo-en Foundation hosted young Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Muslims at a Peace Reflection and Dialogue, bringing these traditional adversaries together in a heart-to-heart dialogue where the young people bonded and formed new friendships. It was profoundly moving. Living in the midst of war, and yet choosing to “live beyond war,” these young “Heroes of Peace” made a pact of Peace together and worked to formulate programs to help bring about Peace in the Middle East at a “grassroots” level.

Heroes of Peace

At its Peace Reflection and Dialogue (which followed the Lantern Floating event), the Foundation honored these young people it called “Heroes of Peace” – people from both sides of the Middle East conflict who traveled as guests of the Foundation from around the world to participate in the event. In describing these “Heroes of Peace,” the Shinnyo-en Foundation said: “This is more than just a story of hope, it is the story of a new breed. A story of people living in the midst of war who reject all the forces around them pulling them back into conflict… heroes like Huda Abu Arquob, Ilana Meallem, Mohammed Issa Abufayyad, and Elad Vazana. They are people who reject violence and refuse to be enemies. Instead, they’ve chosen their Paths to Peace: engaging each other and creating a new future. They are a NEW BREED of human being, a new DNA at the spiritual level… living in the midst of war, and yet choosing to live “beyond war.” Exemplars of courage, they are lights that shine in the darkness. They walk a path between two worlds: an old world that is dying but not quite dead, and a new world that is conceived but not quite born. We celebrate these dynamic peacemakers with this year’s historic and healing events: the Lantern Floating, the Six Billion Paths to Peace: “Reflection and Dialogue,” and Changing Lives in the Holy Land: “Stories of loss, vision, and hope.” [37]

Guests for Peace Reflection and Dialogue

The guests for Peace Reflection and Dialogue in 2009 included:

• Huda Abu Arquob – a Muslim Palestinian from the West Bank city of Hebron. A Fulbright Scholar who earned an M.A. in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, since 2007 she has been Co-Executive Director of Abraham’s Vision.
• Ilana Meallem – after serving in the Israeli Air Force, she began working to build better relations between Jews and Arabs at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Ilana is shepherding Spirituality Without Borders – a group of citizens of diverse faiths from Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and beyond meeting face-to-face, building peace, harmony and Earth-based eco-spirituality together.
• Mohammed Issa Abufayyad – a devout Muslim from Khan Younes, Palestine. Since he became a teenager, eight of Mohammed’s cousins have been killed in war – five in he past year. Yet, he still chose to become deeply involved in the 2007 Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp and ongoing Palestinian-Jewish Living Room Dialogue.
• Elad Vazana – a Jewish Israeli who served as a tank commander in the Israel Defense Force, he has taught and managed projects for “Youth Leading Change” and the Sulha Peace Project, which helped to unite “thousands of Arabs and Jews.” Most recently, Elad has gathered youth from Palestine and Israel for one-week desert journeys to build relationships and learn to identify and find kinship with all humankind and Earth.
• Len & Libby Traubman – have received media attention for their sustained Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue, face-to-face grassroots meetings held since 1992. Their focus is a new quality of listening among Muslim, Jewish, Christian and other adults and youth. In 1982 they also helped launch Beyond War, now Foundation for Global Community. They co-produced two films: “Dialogue at Washington High” and “Peacemakers: Palestinians & Jews Together at Camp.” Libby & Len are respected and admired for their guiding hand in the creation of the Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp, to which the Shinnyo-en Foundation is a major contributor.
• Dr. Reuven Gal – is former Chief Psychologist of the Israeli Defense Force and has also served as a combat officer in an elite infantry unit of the IDF. He retired with the rank of Colonel. Co-author of the new book “Service Without Guns,” Dr. Gal served as the General Director of the Authority for National Civic Service in the office of the Israeli Prime Minister until December 2009, coordinating over 12,000 youth volunteers coming from all ethnic and religious groups.
• David Eisner – a nationally recognized leader on nonprofit effectiveness, infrastructure, and capacity-building, he was appointed by President George W. Bush as Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2003, where he administered the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. Prior to that time, Mr. Eisner was a Vice President at AOL TimeWarner, where he directed the company's charitable foundation. A graduate of Stanford University, he received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
• Michelle Nunn – is CEO of the Points of Light Institute in Washington D.C. The Points of Light Institute inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. Most recently, she oversaw the successful 2007 merger of HandsOn Network and the Points of Light Foundation to create Points of Light Institute, the world’s largest volunteer network. Daughter of former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, Michelle was the founding director of Hands On Atlanta, a non-profit organization that, under her leadership, grew from a grassroots startup to one of the nation’s largest community-based volunteer organizations, engaging nearly 100,000 volunteers each year.
• Reverend Mark Farr – an Episcopalian priest , is Executive Director of Faith Engagement at the Points of Light Institute in Washington D.C. He is responsible for the strategic faith development of Points of Light, including the management of the Interfaith Community Ministry Network. Before taking on that position, he was Senior National Faith Director at America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth, a national crusade founded by General Colin L. Powell. Rev. Farr is also CEO of “To Kindle Spirit,” a non-profit which seeks to enhance the use of spirituality in non faith-based situations. Before moving to Washington, D.C., he was a senior minister and psychotherapist in England. [37]

University Fellowships and grants

The Shinnyo-en Foundation has given Peace-related Fellowships, Scholarships and Grants to students and faculty at the University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, Seattle University, George Mason University, and Manhattanville College.[1] [42a] George Mason University, “Honor Roll of Foundations, Organizations, and Trusts – Donations in fiscal year 2009 (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009) of $10,000 to $24,999.99” http://www.gmu.edu/depts/development/honor_roll/corporations.php

• University of California at Berkeley – The Shinnyo-en Foundation has given ongoing support to the University of California at Berkeley’s “Peace and Conflict Studies” Department. In 2009, in a generous gift, it endowed a faculty chair and two postdoctoral fellowships. These include: The Shinjo Ito Distinguished Chair in Japanese Studies, and The Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellowship in Japanese Buddhism at UC Berkeley’s International and Areas Studies department, and the Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellowship in Buddhist Studies that will help further the excellence of the Center for Japanese Studies and the Center for Buddhist Studies at UC Berkeley. Bishop Nagatsuka of Shinnyo-en presented the multi-million-dollar endowment to UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau in 2009. The postdoctoral endowment in Japanese Buddhism is the first of its kind in the world. [42]
• Stanford University – The Shinnyo-en Foundation has given substantial funding to Stanford University’s Haas Center for Public Service. Also, in partnership with the Shinnyo-en Order, it has awarded more than 30 Scholarships to low-income Stanford University students who actively work to create Peace in their communities. In 2008, the Shinnyo-en Foundation made an endowment to Stanford University’s Ho Center for Buddhist Studies. The Shinnyo-en Visiting Professorship Fund was established to support and promote the exchange of ideas and discussion within Buddhist Studies around the world. In introducing the gift, Dr. Harumitsu Inouye, CEO of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, said, “It is our hope that the Professorship Fund will be a bridge between professors of Buddhism all over the world and Stanford University. We believe that every human being has the ability to build bridges, and that these bridges will ultimately result in a more peaceful and harmonious world.” [1][43]
• Seattle University – The Shinnyo-en Foundation sponsors the Student Leaders for the Common Good program at the Seattle University Center for Service and Community Engagement. “One young student joined the program in her freshman year and was eager to attend a national conference on hunger and homelessness,” says Kent Kith, the Center’s director. “She was so quiet and shy I wasn’t sure she could take on such a leadership role.” But Kent decided to give her a chance. Later, she led 10 fellow students on a service immersion trip to agricultural areas of eastern Washington state to focus on immigration and migrant labor issues. “What we saw when she came back was a different person,” Kent says. “She changed her major from education to theology and discovered a passion she didn’t know existed. She found leadership skills she didn’t know she had.” [1]

Sponsorship of Important Conferences

The Shinnyo-en Foundation has been a major sponsor and contributor to important and influential international and national conferences on service, volunteering, and women’s empowerment.

The 2009 Women’s Conference

The premier Women’s Conference in the world, hosted by First Lady Maria Shriver and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and attended by more than 25,000 women from around the world. [33][34]

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service

The Shinnyo-en Foundation sponsored the Opening Session of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, where keynote speakers included First Lady Michelle Obama, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, California First Lady Maria Shriver and Dr. Harumitsu Inouye, CEO of the Shinnyo-en Foundation. This premier event was held in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. [44]

The National Service-Learning Conference

The largest service-learning conference in the world. The National Service-Learning Conference event gathers teachers, students and administrators from around the country and the world t help them cultivate service efforts in schools, nonprofits organizations and communities. The Foundation’s involvement has included sponsoring the conference, sponsoring and presenting workshops and bringing international guests. The Shinnyo-en Foundation has nurtured activities and workshops that help people make a bridge between their spiritual, religious and cultural values and their service actions. [45]

Youth to Youth Conferences

The Shinnyo-en Foundation supports and partners with Youth to Youth International, most recently by sponsoring the “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative at “Youth to Youth: MY WAY,” the 2009 Youth to Youth Western States conference. The workshop, led by Kim Keller (an SEF Staff Consultant and long-time friend of Youth to Youth), and Katie Boehnlein (an SEF Summer Intern and a senior at Seattle University), promoted the importance of positive dialogue, relationship building, and small daily acts of service. [46]

Youth to Youth empowers young people to become leaders, focusing its programs on issues that teens are most likely to face while growing up today: drugs, alcohol and smoking, negative peer pressure, depression, bullying, relationships, body image, self-concept, and community responsibility. [47] By learning how to spread the message of positive lifestyle choices, teens involved in Youth to Youth are able to find their own paths which are ultimately the foundation for a more peaceful and harmonious world. [46][48]

The 2009 Forum of the Character Education Partnership

Entitled “Citizens of Character - the Foundation of Democracy,” the Character Education Partnership held this event in Washington, D.C. [49]

Exploring the Roots of Service

The Foundation’s relationship with Youth Service California led to the creation of one of its most important annual events. Along with Youth Service California, the Shinnyo-en Foundation co-sponsors the annual “Exploring the Cultural, Spiritual and Religious Roots of Service” retreat. It is described as “an amazing, energetic, and fulfilling vehicle for gathering those who will help guide the service learning and activities of others. Each summer, educators, High School and college students, and leaders from community-based agencies gather to reflect upon the power and meaning of service in their life. Its goal is to provide these leaders with a time, place and supportive audience to explore their ideas for service and multiply their individual efforts through the synergy of sharing ideas and knowledge with others.

Grant Giving

To central ideas that guide the Shinnyo-en Foundation in its grant-giving are to:

• Cultivate activities and tools that create a culture of Peace.
• Promote values such as kindness, compassion, harmony and respect in the culture and environment of public education.
• Engage youth and adults in meaningful acts of service and guide them in reflecting on their service and its relationship to their growth.
• Involve families in the social, emotional and spiritual growth of their children.
• Nurture goodwill between youth and adults of diverse faiths, backgrounds and beliefs for the good of their schools and communities. [1]

Grant Recipients

The Shinnyo-en Foundation has funded grants for many organizations and programs that share its culture, beliefs, and goals. Here are a few examples…

• Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogues – Len & Libby Traubman pioneered these face-to-face grassroots meetings in 1992. Since then, these local events have helped to create a deep bonding and healing among Muslim, Jewish, and Christian youth brought about by a new quality of listening. With support from the Shinnyo-en Foundation, Len & Libby have conducted these dialogues and also created the very successful Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp near Yosemite National Park.
• Kyleigh Kuhn and “Pennies for Peace” – The Shinnyo-en Foundation gave a grant to Kyleigh Kuhn, a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Peace and Conflict Studies program. Kyleigh created the “Pennies for Peace” program in which school children across America raised over $300,000 worth of pennies to remove dangerous landmines from children’s schools in Afghanistan.
• Youth Summits for Peace and Harmony - Youth Summits for Peace and Harmony began as the idea of Jody Kennedy, a teacher at Eastview Middle School in White Plains, New York. Her students are teleconferenced classroom-to-classroom with students from 25 other schools where they conduct Youth Summits for Peace and Harmony. Not only that, but recently, when her students were learning about AIDS and HIV in school, she set up a videoconference to talk to a student their age in Africa who has AIDS. “It brought it to life, all within the 45-minute class period,” Jody Kennedy says. “They became more empathetic, more tolerant, more curious, and more empowered to make a difference.” Because of Shinnyo-en’s support, she says, “We don’t just show them the issues, we show them how to take action, and it has led our former students to go study abroad volunteering, not just local community service. We’ve developed this global education to a point I would never had dreamed. I can honestly say it has changed my life, and the lives of many of my students.” [1]
• National Youth Leadership Council – with funding and support from the Shinnyo-en Foundation, the National Youth Leadership Council has trained more than 134,000 teachers through its “National Service-Learning Conference.” One group, the Rosebud Lakota Sioux nation, sent young people to the workshops. “They worked to develop a language of service that was congruent with Lakota teachings… where besides achievements of personal success, you are also expected to be a contributing member of your community,” says Jim Kielsmeier, founder of the NYLC. The Shinnyo-en Foundation has been a major sponsor of the NYLC’s annual National Service Learning Conference – the largest service-learning conference in the world – which is attended by nearly 3,000 service-learning professionals, teachers and students from about 20 countries. Shinnyo-en Foundation grants have “facilitated the attendance of low-income young people and their schools,” he says, “and also made possible a Service Learning World Forum featuring almost 300 workshops – including some by Shinnyo-en on issues such as Peace-building.” [1]
• The Blake School – a K-12 private school in Minneapolis, Minnesota which has restructured itself as a “Six Billion Paths to Peace” model school, thanks to the hard work of its director, Nan Peterson. A recipient of the 2009 “Pathfinders to Peace” Award, Nan “epitomizes the best as an educator, a mother, and leader. But her work goes beyond simply being a good teacher: she has embodied the spirit of service through her 30 years of teaching. Nan Peterson has brought the Six Billion Paths to Peace alive at The Blake School, using “peace through service” in innovative, engaging and meaningful ways.” In her acceptance speech, Nan said: “What if each one of us took a small step towards a more peaceful action? We think a lot about service and peace going together and as Mother Teresa said, ‘Any act of service is an act of peace.’ So the ‘Pathfinders to Peace’ Award really does fit with what we do at the Blake School.” Nan Peterson also has recently been honored by the Minnesota Department of Education for her work at the Blake School. [50]
• Intercultural and Interfaith Mexico Immersion Trip – Dr. Inouye often unites people of different religious beliefs in a team-building activity that is of service to the community. A case in point: In partnership with the Catholic Diocese of San Jose, the Shinnyo-en Foundation sponsors the Intercultural and Interfaith Mexico Immersion Trip, a weeklong summer program where young people of Buddhist and Catholic faith go to Mexico together to build schools. Through this process of service learning, they gain insight about international economics, poverty and other topics, and they have an opportunity to deepen their own faith and learn about the Catholic and Buddhist faith traditions and definitions of service. [1]
• The Destiny Arts Center – The Shinnyo-en Foundation has given funding to this extraordinary dance troop, which teaches mindfulness, inner-Peace, and peaceful conflict resolution at the Street Academy High School for inner city kids in Oakland, California. [1]
• Youth to Youth International – the Shinnyo-en Foundation has partnered with Youth to Youth International, most recently by sponsoring a “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative at its 2009 Western States conference: “Youth to Youth: MY WAY.” [47]
• The Volunteer Resource Center of Hawaii – which helps to peacefully integrate immigrants from Micronesia, who are often poor, as they move into new and very often adversarial communities. [1]
• The Points of Light Institute and the Corporation for National and Community Service – the Shinnyo-en Foundation has partnered with these two premier public service agencies to become a major sponsor of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering & Service in San Francisco, where it designed, supported, and presented “Six Billion Paths to Peace” workshops and programs.
• Future Leaders for Peace – the Shinnyo-en Foundation gives support to this extraordinary group of people that teaches school children how to create more Peace in their local communities.
• Environmental Science Center – The Shinnyo-en Foundation has given a grant to the Environmental Science Center in the Seattle area. It’s mission is to promote environmental stewardship, sustainability and academic achievement through science based environmental education. It offers school-day programs, primarily for K-12 students, including classroom lessons and field trips, after school programs, summer camps, and community presentations. ESC programs typically consist of one hour of classroom instruction on habitats, the ecosystems of the Puget Sound, and/or conservation, followed by two hour field trips to sites like Seahurst Park or Normandy Park Cove. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, fully 76% of the students participating in our programs came from schools with greater than 50% of students qualifying for free or reduced meals. [56]
• The Putney School in Vermont – the Shinnyo-en Foundation funds 4 scholarships each summer for Shinnyo-en youth who are given the opportunity to deepen their study in the arts, graphics, music and other expressive arts through an intensive residential summer program. [1]

Grants Awarded in 2009

In addition to those mentioned above, Grants awarded by the Shinnyo-en Foundation in 2009 include:

• Asia Society
• California Volunteers
• City of White Plains
• Hands on Bay Area
• Pathways to Peace
• Points of Light Foundation
• Portland Service
• Putney School Summer Program
• Redwood City 2020
• The League
• Triskeles Foundation
• University of California Cal Corps
• White Plains School District
• Center for Sustainable Change
• Impact for Youth
• Interfaith Youth Core
• Lend-a-Hand Foundation
• Nihonmachi Little Friends
• Oakland Fukuoka Sister City [1]

An Opportunity for Reflection and Meditation

Events and workshops sponsored by the Shinnyo-en Foundation usually include time and space to inspire deeper Reflection and thinking. “Reflection need not take the form of formal meditation – the goal is to contemplate and practice this alignment of thinking, feeling and doing,” the Foundation says in its annual report. “We need to deliberately create a space for reflection in our busy daily lives. It will not appear by itself.”

The Shinnyo-en Foundation often makes facilities available as a space for inner reflection and dialogue, benefitting organizations such as the Cricket Island Foundation, Bay Area Foundations including the Whitman Institute, and local nonprofits ranging from the Northern California Grantmakers to the Springboard School. [1]

Onshin Byodo – “Transcending the Idea of Friend or Foe”

There’s a Buddhist saying: “Onshin Byodo” which means to TRANSCEND the very idea of friend or foe. In other words, to treat friends and “enemies” with equal kindness and compassion, thereby doing away with the very idea of the existence of an “enemy.”

Many Buddhists believe that Embracement, in its truest sense, means dissolving imaginary walls and fences of all kinds that separate us from each other. It extends beyond physical walls and borders to encompass greed, anger, pride, arrogance, hatred, national rivalry, racial and religious intolerance, etc. which create the illusion that we are separate from each other and drive us apart. http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Precepts.htm

The implication of “Onshin Byodo” is that we can create Peace by breaking down these artificial walls, the walls of our imagination. And that when we Embrace each other and create Harmony through sincere acts of service, we become one heart. [Haru’s speech to Interfaith]

In his book, “Beyond Enemy and Friend?” Aitoru Terenguto explains this concept. He tells the story of how in the year 1281, Kublai Khan, ruler of Mongolia, China and what is now Korea, sent a fleet of 4,500 ships and an army of 140,000 soldiers to conquer and enslave the people of Japan. Miraculously, a typhoon (a Divine wind, or “kamikaze”) struck and sank most of Kublai Khan’s ships, drowning almost all of his sailors. Those few who managed to swim to shore were cut down by Japanese samurai. Many years later, the gravestone of one Mongolian soldier was rediscovered by Japanese Buddhist monks who, practicing “Onshin Byodo,” cared for the gravestone of their “enemy” and treated it with kindness for hundreds of years. (24)

An Astronaut from Space

Our Earth Without Borders

In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to view the Earth from space. As Glenn circled the Earth, traveling at 17,500 miles per hour (almost 5 miles per second) aboard the Mercury space capsule Friendship 7, he looked out the window. The Earth floated out in front of him – as if it had been painted by the brush of the Master’s hand – stunning in its beauty... a canvas of iceberg blues, peaceful beige and striking greens, accented with shimmering white clouds that swirled gracefully like a silk robe

For some reason he couldn't explain, he expected to see all the countries laid out in different colors, outlined with black borders, just like the maps he had seen in school when he was a boy. But to his surprise, he could see no borders at all. He suddenly realized that these borders and walls were an illusion created by man.

When he looked down, the astronaut saw only one family, one people, one planet.

Before entering the NASA space program, Colonel John Glenn had been a Marine Corps fighter pilot, a soldier trained in the art of war. But looking out at the big blue marble of Earth from space, he was struck and deeply moved by the idea of Peace.

John Glenn recounted the descriptions below – first for Life magazine and later in his memoir.

“On a map, every nation has a different color,” he wrote. “Well, the Earth looks much different from space. You realize our borders are so artificial… all those lines disappear when you’re looking down from space. And you can’t help but see all that we have in common and think about how much we foul things up by focusing on our differences, rather than our sameness.

“You go over the Middle East, for example, and you think of all the problems there,” he wrote. “Or you fly over northern Africa and think, ‘Good Lord, on any given day, probably 10,000 people are shooting at each other.’ (But from space) our individuality, our differences, evaporate. Everything from race and gender to freckles and moles disappears. We’re not even specks on the landscape that swirls with greens and blues. There are no nations, no boundaries separating one enemy from another. In fact, that is one of the most startling sights from a distance: There are no differences among people at all.

“I wish everybody could make a trip into space like I did,” astronaut Glenn wrote. “If you could see how much we share in this one world together, you would come back wanting to work for the benefit of everyone.”

A Call to Action

In this same spirit, the Shinnyo-en Foundation – through its initiatives, fellowships, grants, and Emergency Aid and Disaster Relief – continues to share the idea that “Kindness has no borders” and to teach core values of the “Heart of Embracement” and “creating Harmony through sincere acts of Service” role-modeled by its Founders, Shinjo and Tomoji Ito, and Her Holiness Shinso Ito, Head of the Shinnyo-en Order. [1]

At a grassroots level, the mission of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is carried out by people like yourself... as you reflect on, meditate, and discover your passion and your own personal Path to Peace.

As the Foundation says...

There are "Six Billion Paths to Peace."

What's yours?

Official Websites

• The Shinnyo-en Foundation
• Six Billion Paths to Peace
• Lantern Floating Hawaii
• Berlin Saisho Homa
• The Shinnyo-en Buddhist Order]
• The Women's Conference The recent conference on Women's Empowerment, Inspiration and Education hosted by California First Lady Maria Shriver in Long Beach, California (October 26-27, 2009)
• National Youth Leadership Council The upcoming National Service-Learning Conference in San Jose, California (March 24-27, 2010)
• Volunteering and Service The upcoming National Conference on Volunteering & Service in New York City (June 28-30, 2010)
• Youth to Youth International The upcoming Youth to Youth National & Regional Conferences on June 14-17 at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and on July 8-11, 2009 at Claremont-McKenna College in Claremont, California, and on July 29 to August 1 at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island

See also

• Peace One Day
• Opportunities to Volunteer official Serve.gov website
• The President’s Council on Service & Civic Participation “The President's Volunteer Service Award”
• The Points of Light Institute
• The Corporation for National and Community Service
• Commemorate September 11 as a “National Day of Service” The September 11 - a National Day of Service and Remembrance website (observed each year on September 11th)
• The Peace Corps
• AmeriCorps
• Senior Corps

Books

• The Shinnyo-en Foundation's Annual Report (2009). The Shinnyo-en Foundation: Give, Grow, Transform. San Francisco: The Shinnyo-en Foundation.
• Glenn, John H.; Taylor, Nick (1999). John Glenn: A Memoir. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-11074-8.
• Hakeda, Yoshito (1972). Kukai: Major Works. Translated by Yoshito Hakeda. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-05933-7.
• Yamasaki, Taiko (1988). Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 0-877-73443-7.

NOTE: THE REFS BELOW ARE FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY AND WILL NOT BE USED IN THE COMPLETED WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE Use All the external website links from Henry’s page. FOCUS New York Times, UC Berkeley, and Stanford etc. high up in the text and REFS

REFERENCES

1) Shinnyo-en Foundation Annual Report
2) The Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative website http://www.sixbillionpaths.org/program/
3) http://www.naleialoha.org/
4) http://www.univers.or.jp/
5) Letter to the Gardner Award nominating committee
6) www.sef.org
7) speech to National Conference on Volunteering and Service “Kindness Has No Borders”
8) The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy at The Rockefeller Institute, State University of New York.(E-newsletter) (August 30, 2005). "An Interview with Henry Lozano of CNCS". Press release. http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/interviews/interview.cfm?id=98&pageMode=featured. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
9) speech to National Service Learning Conference “Harmony is created by sincere acts of service.”
10) http://www.answers.com/topic/kukai
11) http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/eastern/bldef_shingon.htm
12) Buddhist Great Master Shinjo Ito Honored in New York City, ArtDaily.org “The First Art Newspaper on the Net” http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=23080
13) “Inspired by Buddha, Admired as Art.” New York Times (Feb 19, 2008) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/nyregion/19buddha.html
14) What is Shinnyo-en?, the Shinnyo-en website, garden without borders http://www.shinnyoenusa.net/about/index.htm
15) The "Generation Peace" banner has since been taken up by the GenPeace Youth Network, which has an online blog, as well as Generation Peace social networking groups on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. http://youthpeacenetwork.wordpress.com/
16) http://www.myspace.com/198008095
17) http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43174182233
18) http://twitter.com/genpeace
19) NOTE: UN was (15) but it becomes (19) because I inserted 4 REFS above http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/asp/form.asp?RegID=all&CnID=all&AcID=-1&kw=&NGOID=515
20) www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
21) http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/annualconfs/61/pdfs/Conference_Participants_2008.pdf
22) http://www.univers.or.jp/international/seminar2.html
23) http://www.womensconference.org/dr-harumitsu-inouye/
24) "The Shinnyo-en Foundation, Who we are: Our Staff". The Shinnyo-en Foundation website. August 3, 2009. http://www.sef.org/who-we-are/our-staff/. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
25) The White House website, Office of the Press Secretary (September 11, 2007). "Henry C. Lozano named Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of USA Freedom Corps". Press release. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/lozano-bio.html. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
26) The White House website, Office of the Press Secretary (September 11, 2007). "President Bush Names Henry C. Lozano to be Director of USA Freedom Corps". Press release. http://www.seniorcorps.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=810. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
27) The Corporation for National and Community Service website, Board of Directors Office (September 11, 2007). "National Service Board Chair Welcomes Henry Lozano as Director of USA Freedom Corps". Press release. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/lozano-bio.html. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
28) The CNN.com website, “Inside Politics” (January 29, 2002). "Transcript of President George W. Bush’s first State of the Union Address". Press release. http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/29/bush.speech.txt/. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
29) Kozaryn, Linda D. (July 31, 2002). "Bush Pitches USA Freedom Corps Network". American Forces Press Service. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43602. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
30) Stump, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. (May 16, 2008). "Seven Military Members Receive Presidential Award". Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs office, special to the American Forces Press Service. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49910. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
31) Serve.gov website (May 25, 2009). "United We Serve". Press release. http://www.serve.gov/. Retrieved September 3, 2009. "This summer, the President is calling on all Americans to participate in our nation's recovery and renewal by serving in our communities. There are many ways to get involved. America's new foundation will be built one community at a time - and it starts with you."
32) Third Annual Pathfinders to Peace Awards Ceremony http://www.sef.org/media/?event=331
33) presentation speech for Maria Shriver
34) Shinnyo-en Foundation names UC Berkeley chancellor and Maria Shriver its 2009 'Pathfinders to Peace' http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/22_pathfinders.shtml
35) Curriculum Vitae - Chancellor Birgeneau http://cio.chance.berkeley.edu/chancellor/Birgeneau/biography/cv.htm
36) The 2009 Women’s Conference “Day of Transformation” sponsored by the Shinnyo-en Foundation http://www.womensconference.org/a-day-of-transformation-200/
37) Shinnyo-en Foundation Sponsors Premier Women Conference in Long Beach http://www.sef.org/community/events/?eview=all&event=1426
38) speech at the 2009 Women’s Conference
39) Hawaii Lantern Floating ceremony 2009 http://www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com/
40) "The Shinnyo-en Foundation hosts Peace Reflection and Dialogue, participants invited from the Middle East and around the world". Len & Libby Traubman's “Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Peace Dialogue” website. May 26, 2009. http://traubman.igc.org/changenightpress.pdf. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
41) speech to the Interfaith Council gathering at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service,
42) “Faith and Philanthropy: The Shinnyo-en Foundation,” Joyous World magazine, Summer 2009, issue 10, page 61.
43) Interview with Angela Baraquio Grey http://www.sef.org/community/spotlight/
44) http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu/newsletter_new/past_pdf/volume_5/Berkeley_Final.pdf
45) Shinnyo-en Foundation Makes Multimillion Dollar Gift to UC Berkeley, University of California, Berkeley’s International Areas Study Department http://ias.berkeley.edu/node/309
46) Stanford University’s Ho Center for Buddhist Studies http://hcbss.stanford.edu/Partners/shinnyo-en_statement.html
47) http://www.volunteeringandservice.org/learn/2009-conference.cfm
48) http://nslc.nylc.org/
49) Nan Peterson Blake School http://www.sef.org/community/spotlight/?event=814 50) Shinnyo-en Foundation Sponsors “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative at Conference". The Shinnyo-en Foundation website. 2008. http://www.sef.org/community/events/?event=815. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
51) "Youth to Youth - About Us". Youth to Youth International website. 2008. http://www.youthtoyouth.net/. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
52) Foundation Takes on the Western States Conference http://www.sef.org/community/events/?event=815
53) NOTE: used to be [50] Youth to Youth Summer Training Conferences http://www.youthtoyouth.net/
54) Shinnyo-en Foundation Partners with Youth to Youth International and their Six Billion Paths to Peace Demonstration Projects 55) http://seftest.info/2009/06/18/international-youth-to-youth/
56) Environmental Science Center http://www.envsciencecenter.org/about/about.htm
57) Character Education Partnership thanks the generous support of our Forum Sponsors. http://www.character.org/sponsors
58) Hey there! SixBillionPaths is using Twitter. http://twitter.com/SixBillionPaths
59) Shinnyo-en Foundation: Six Billion Paths to Peace http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinnyo-en-Foundation-Six-Billion-Paths-to-Peace/8362367069
60) x 61) x 62) x

Other Links

63) Len & Libby’s website 64) 65) San Francisco Chronicle http://events.sfgate.com/san-francisco-ca/venues/show/664210-shinnyoen-foundation
66) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JiSmFjGP08
67) Marin Independent Journal http://events.marinij.com/san-francisco-ca/venues/show/664210-shinnyoen-foundation
68) http://www.shinnyo-en.org/shinnyoen/social.php
69) http://www.encyclopedia.com/video/cxpPjjMVtOs-mira-sorvino-honored-at-shinnyoen.aspx
70) http://seftest.info/projects/six-billion-paths-to-Peace/
71) http://joinus.sixbillionpaths.org/community/events/?eview=all&event=815
72) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinnyo-en-Foundation-Six-Billion-Paths-to-Peace/8362367069
73) http://twitter.com/SixBillionPaths
74) http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=shinnyo-en+foundation&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=9UlFS76yCJSMNrnmvIAD&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CB8QqwQwAw#
75) Shinnyo-en Foundation Launches Global Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative. ‘Path to Peace’ in Times Square, Pathfinders to Peace Awards Gala and Forum Mark the First Day of Spring. NEW YORK, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomorrow, March 20, 2008, the Shinnyo-en Foundation will launch the Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative globally, encouraging all people to pledge http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-19-2008/0004776592&EDATE=
76) http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/VPkCBtuBo2p/Shinnyo+En+Foundation+Hosts+Pathfinders+Peace/0Npp5DLMUrf/Marc+Ecko
77) http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/VPkCBtuBo2p/Shinnyo+En+Foundation+Hosts+Pathfinders+Peace/4GyygoyubQU/Marc+Ecko
78) http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-180033930.html
79) Beyond Enemy and Friend? A Multitude of Views of Life and Death Centering on the ‘Mongolian Gravestone’ by Aitoru Terenguto http://www.globaloriental.co.uk/journal_past_v9.asp
80) The Mongol Invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 - Kublai Khan vs. the “Divine Winds” by Kallie Szczepanski http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/a/Mongolinvasion.htm
81) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/nyregion/19buddha.html
82) http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/fitness/mind_body/46
83) http://www.shinjoito.com/
84) http://www.friendsofshinjoito.com/shinsoito/
85) To hear this webpage spoken out loud: http://www.spoken-web.com/read_article_wiki.cgi?key=Henry_Lozano
86)

The REFS below I’m not sure if I need

---

"Guests in the First Lady’s Box for the State of the Union Address 2003". The White House website, Office of the Press Secretary. January 28, 2003. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-9.html. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

The CNN.com website, “Inside Politics” (January 29, 2003). "Bush's State of the Union speech". Press release. http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/28/sotu.transcript/. Retrieved September 14, 2009.

The White House website, Office of the Press Secretary (May 10, 2001). "Remarks by the President in Announcement of the Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy". Press release. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/05/20010510-1.html. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

"The Shinnyo-en Foundation hosts “Six Billion Paths to Peace” workshops". The Shinnyo-en Foundation website. March 9, 2009. http://sixbillionpaths.info/program/events/. Retrieved August 7, 2009.

"The Shinnyo-en Foundation hosts Peace Reflection and Dialogue, participants invited from the Middle East and around the world". Len & Libby Traubman's “Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Peace Dialogue” website. May 26, 2009. http://traubman.igc.org/changenightpress.pdf. Retrieved August 7, 2009.

"The Shinnyo-en Foundation's mission statement". The Shinnyo-en Foundation website. May 31, 2009. http://www.sef.org/who-we-are/our-staff/. Retrieved August 7, 2009.

"Nominations and Withdrawals Sent to the Senate". The White House website, Office of the Press Secretary. February 12, 2003. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/02/20080212-6.html. Retrieved September 3, 2009.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website (November 2005). "Partners for Recovery Steering Committee". Press release. http://partnersforrecovery.samhsa.gov/steering_committee.html. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"Shinnyo-en Foundation Sponsors “Six Billion Paths to Peace” initiative at Conference". The Shinnyo-en Foundation website. 2008. http://www.sef.org/community/events/?event=815. Retrieved October 17, 2009.

"Youth to Youth - About Us". Youth to Youth International website. 2008. http://www.youthtoyouth.net/. Retrieved October 17, 2009.

"About CADFY - Our Mission". Californians for Drug Free Youth and Community Alliances for Drug Free Youth (CADFY) website. 2008. http://www.cadfy.org/aboutus.htm. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"Mobilizing Parents for Prevention". a plenary session sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President. (2000). http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/international/binational_2000/mobilizing.html. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

"El Camino Rojo - The Good Red Road". Wellbriety! White Bison’s online magazine, remarks by Henry Lozano at the Circles of Recovery Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. September 19-20, 2003. http://www.whitebison.org/magazine/2003/volume4/vol4no22.html. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

"Henry C. Lozano (1921-2009) - Obituary". Tributes.com website. April 12, 2009. http://www.tributes.com/show/Henry-Lozano-85813296. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

The U.S. Department of Justice website, Office of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (October 23-31, 2001). "Red Ribbon Week". Press release. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr101501.html. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

"Faith-based About Face". World Magazine (worldmag.com). August 27, 2005. http://www.worldmag.com/articles/10969. Retrieved September 14, 2009.

"About the USA Freedom Corps". The USA Freedom Corps website. May 23, 2003. http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/content/about_usafc/overview/index.asp. Retrieved September 3, 2008.

"USA Freedom Corps facts". The Freebase.com website. June 28, 2008. http://www.freebase.com/view/en/usa_freedom_corps. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

Cooper, Chet (January 16, 2007). "An Interview with Desiree Sayle". Ability magazine. http://www.abilitymagazine.com/USA_Freedom_Corps.html. Retrieved September 3, 2009.

Bridgeland, John (the first Director of USA Freedom Corps) (December 2, 2003). "USA Freedom Corps Director Cites Progress in Building a Culture of Service". Op-ed in the Washington Times, posted on The Corporation for National and Community Service website. http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=88. Retrieved September 3, 2009.

"Red Ribbon Week 2008". CADFY website home page. 2008. http://www.cadfy.org/. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

The U.S. Department of Justice website, Office of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (October 20, 2009). "DEA Kicks-Off Red Ribbon Campaign". Press release. http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr102009.html. Retrieved November 7, 2009.

"President Bush Honors American’s Armies of Compassion During National Volunteer Week Celebration". The Corporation for National & Community Service website. April 29, 2008. http://www.learnandserve.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1001. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

The President’s Council on Service & Civic Participation (2009). "Youth Engaged In Service". Press release. http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"Ask the White House". The White House website. April 29, 2008. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/ask/apr08.html. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Arrives in Miami". The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s website (SAMHSA at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). October 2002. http://www.samhsa.gov/SAMHSA_News/2002News/article11.htm. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

"National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month". The SAMHSA website (at HHS), a webcast interview of Henry Lozano by Ivette A. Torres, Associate Director for Consumer Affairs at the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at SAMHSA. April 2, 2003. http://overhill.ncadi.samhsa.gov/asf2/2CSAT/RM2003/03-0402Recovery03-250.asx. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (February 14, 2006). "National Advisory Council". Press release. http://partnersforrecovery.samhsa.gov/steering_committee.html. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"Henry Lozano Honored at Recovery Awards Luncheon". Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) website. September 23, 2004. http://www.cadca.org/CoalitionsOnline/article.asp?id=534. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"List of United States presidential electors". President Elect - The unofficial Home page of the Electoral College. (2000). http://presidentelect.org/e2000.html. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

The LEAGUE website (2009). "List of National Advisory Commission members". Press release. http://www.leagueworldwide.org/index.php?option=com_events&view=aboutus&layout=section6&Itemid=107&mode=viewProfile&id=638. Retrieved August 17, 2009.

The Office of the Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, State of California (February 26, 2008). "Governor Schwarzenegger Announces First-in-the-Nation Cabinet Position for Service and Volunteering". Press release. http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/8865/. Retrieved September 21, 2009.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinnyo-en-Foundation-Six-Billion-Paths-to-Peace/8362367069?v=info