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| Buddhism in Action |
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| "A New Direction" |
| By Kaori Yasuoka, Thailand |
It was one of the annual "Peace Proposals" by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda that gave me the dream of working with the United Nations and changed the direction of my life.
In December 1989 after earning my MBA in Oregon, I moved to New York hoping to become a successful businesswoman on Wall Street. Many of my university friends were talking about working with the United Nations, or with nonprofit organizations; but I didn't care about "nonprofit" initiatives as "profit" seemed to me the only reward for human activities.
Disappointment
In 1992 in New York, however, I found myself confused and disappointed with my work as a financial analyst at one of the world's largest investment banks. Financial analysis seemed speculative and virtual to me; I felt I could analyze but do little for the real world. At the same time, I was developing a deeper understanding of the meaning of my life through my practice of Buddhism and started seeking a way to "use my life" for peace and for other people. While I was struggling to discover this, I was laid off and then unemployed for one-and-a-half years.
During this difficult period, my Buddhist practice gave me the strength to persevere. I prayed sincerely every day to gain the wisdom to see what I truly wanted to do for the rest of my life and to find a way to contribute to peace and happiness. One day I opened President Ikeda's peace proposal. He mentioned that the Buddhist spirit of treasuring peace, equality and compassion is also expressed in the UN Charter. It was, therefore, imperative for the SGI to support the UN's endeavors. This made me realize that the values and outlook I gained through SGI could perfectly fit work for the UN. I earned another master's degree in economics, and started working with the UN in 1994 in the field of economic development.
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| Challenges
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I was assigned to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, as an economic affairs officer--my first encounter with a developing country. For the first time, I had to work amidst a variety of values, cultures and people. I had little knowledge and expertise in my work, international trade facilitation. Everything was new, demanding and endlessly challenging. Many times, I felt that I was incapable of fulfilling my job and dealing with my life in a developing country. I realized though that this was a defeatist attitude. I used my Buddhist practice to tap into the great reservoir of potential that I was taught lay inside me, and using all challenges as a springboard, I gradually developed into a person who can enjoy my work, appreciate the diversity of people and places, and value living in a developing country.
Asia and the Pacific region is very diverse with a wide range of social and economic issues and UNESCAP covers 62 countries, including China, India, Iran, the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It is also the home to 13 least developed countries where around 800 million people live on less than US$1 per day, and the challenge of poverty alleviation is daunting. Trade is the engine of growth and the source of earnings. My work is to make trade procedures simpler and more efficient, and thus to facilitate trade.
As part of my work, I organize capacity-building workshops in developing countries. Several years ago at such workshops I was promoting how to use carbon copies and A4 "standard size" for all trade documents. I was also introducing information and communication technology (ICT) for future trade. Participants often said to me: "We are still tackling ordinary illiteracy. Computer literacy for ICT use is very ambitious." Now some of them are using national paperless e-trade systems applying state-of-the-art ICT. It is satisfying to feel that my work has contributed, in a small way, to the countries' trade development. I am determined to further develop myself to work better with the UN in realizing peace, equality and sustainable development, the goals both of the UN and of SGI.
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| [ Courtesy October 2005 SGI Quarterly ] |
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