Nothing is more precious than peace. Peace is the most basic starting
point for the advancement of humankind.1
Te Whare Manaaki o Toda is a gallery dedicated to fostering a culture of peace, respect for
the dignity of all life, and the transformative power of dialogue. Our work is inspired by and
honours the legacy of Buddhist philosopher and peace activist Josei Toda.
Our mission is to illuminate and advance efforts toward a culture of humanistic peace.
Central to this vision is the principle of human revolution, also known as inner
transformation: “A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a
change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all
humankind.”2
Te Whare Manaaki o Toda is a contemporary art and community space for exhibitions,
performances, workshops, and gatherings that cultivate mutual respect, creativity, learning,
and the transformation of self and society. We are a welcoming and inclusive space where
people from all walks of life can engage in meaningful dialogue and strengthen community
connection.
Located in Aotearoa, the centre of the water hemisphere,3 and connected to the Pacific, we
recognise both our unique responsibility and opportunity to advance peace from this place
in the world.
Te Whare Manaaki o Toda is open to all people, with particular care given to elevating
marginalised and grassroots voices.
About
Te Whare Manaaki o Toda is a peace gallery located at 287 Cuba Street, Wellington, which
officially opened on 5 May 2024 alongside Whare Soka Buddha. Whare Soka Buddha is a
central gathering place for members and friends of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) New
Zealand, a grassroots Buddhist organisation that promotes peace through individual
transformation and contribution to society.
1 Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution 1993.
2 Daisaku Ikeda, The Human Revolution, Vol. 1, Preface 1964.
3 Tsunesaburi Makiguchi, an educator, geographer and philosopher divided the globe as a “land
hemisphere” and a “water hemisphere”, seeing the oceans as thoroughfares connecting countries
instead of as something that divides them. He taught that peace would emanate from the centre of the
water hemisphere, which is Aotearoa. [Link to Scoop interview in 2014: https://shorturl.at/LmKFP]