Daisaku Ikeda is the president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a Buddhist thinker, and educator who believes in creating peace through personal interaction and dialogue across different cultures. At the age of fifteen, Ikeda became his family's sole source of support after his four elder brothers were drafted for military service. When his eldest brother was killed in combat, he determined to devote his life to creating world peace. Four years later, he met Josei Toda and decided to make him his life-long mentor. Ikeda joined the Soka Gakkai soon after meeting Toda, and worked alongside his mentor to launch the organization's movements to promote peace, culture, and education.

He has traveled to 128 countries thus far in pursuit of this ideal, holding discussions with many prominent figures including Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Dr. Linus Pauling, Rosa Parks, and Nelson Mandela. He has organized many fundraising campaigns and relief efforts for suffering peoples in the world and has originated numerous peace proposals and petitions to abolish nuclear weapons. In recognition to his sincere devotion to promote peace, Daisaku Ikeda has been awarded many honorary doctorates from world wide academic institutions and has received the UN Peace Award and the United Nations High Commission for Refugee Humanitarian award. Most importantly, he has won the trust and admiration of those who strive for peace, prominent and common alike.