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]

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