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Message

Rev. Ryugyo Kurashima

Chairperson of All Japan Young Buddhist Association (JYBA)

On behalf of Japan Buddhist Federation (JBF) and All Japan Young Buddhist Association
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(JYBA), I offer a warm welcome and heartfelt gratitude to all participants to the 20 General
Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY).
This Conference is being held concurrently with the 29 General Conference of The World
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Fellowship of Buddhists (The WFB) and the 11 Meeting of the World Buddhist University (WBU)
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Council over five days up to 9 November and is being hosted by JBF and JYBA. The conference is
being held in Narita, and the symposium, commemorative ceremony and prayer service for world
peace will take place at Sojiji Temple.
The holding of the 3 General World Federation of Buddhist Youth Conference in Japan in
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B.E. 2519 (1976) provided an opportunity for JYBA, which is hosting this Conference, to start
anew in B.E. 2520 (1977).
The WFBY Conference was last held in Japan 10 years ago JYBA, 40 years old this year, has
adopted the slogan “Compassion in Action”, a theme for the future and the shared theme of the
three Conferences, as its own. In addition to practicing the essence of Buddhism-consoling the
spirits of the dead and holding prayer services-JYBA, the sole Japanese member of WFBY, engages
in exchanges with Buddhist youth around the world and conducts volunteer and other activities
after natural disasters, both in Japan and abroad.
Today, poverty, widening social disparities, clashes between ethnic groups due to religious
differences, and other problems are in evidence all over the world, but despite the social and emotional
uncertainties occasioned by thee problems, we hope for world peace.
To do something about the problems in today’s world, the United Nations has adopted 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to leave no one behind. We must all work
together to attain a sustainable future. At this Conference, we will discuss how Buddhists all over
the world can evince hope in the ace of life and death, and we will endeavour to put into action the
precepts bequeathed to us by our predecessors-being satisfied with what we have and not desiring
more; benefitting oneself, benefitting others; and offering wisdom and compassion-as we explore the
wisdom and vision necessary to achieve true social sustainability and practice compassion in action.

WFBY will continue to gather the opinions of Buddhist throughout the world as we strive to apply
Buddhist teachings to modern life in a meaningful way. I firmly believe that, together with The WFB,
communicating the fruits of our meetings to the global community is truly compassion in action.

On this auspicious occasion, I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to The WFB, WFBY, JBF
and all participants for their support in making this gathering possible. I pray for your continued
health and happiness.

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RECORD OF PROCEEDING | THE 29 GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE WFB
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