Redigerer Sōka Gakkai (avsnitt)

==Demografi==
Organisasjonen har blitt betegnet som verdens største og mest etnisk mangfoldige buddhistgruppering.<ref name=laderman/><ref name=strand/><ref name=metraux/><ref name=washingtonpost>{{Kilde avis |tittel=Diversity and a Buddhist Sect |forfatter=Daniel Burke |publikasjon=The Washington Post |dato=24. februar 2007 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR2007022301394.html |besøksdato=28. april 2015||språk =EN}}</ref> Professor Susumu Shimazono mener det kan være flere grunner til dette: ønsket om noe som gir mening i dagliglivet, løsninger på disharmoni i mellommenneskelige relasjoner, den praktiske læren som tilbyr konkrete løsninger for å fortsette å ha et stabilt sosialt liv og tilbudet om et sted der man finner sympatiske medmennesker og et miljø som gir gjensidig støtte.<ref name=shimazono>{{Kilde artikkel|tittel=The Expansion of Japan's New Religions into Foreign Cultures |forfatter=Susumu Shimazono |publikasjon=Japanese Journal of Religious Studies |dato=1991}}</ref> Peter Clarke skrev at SGI appellerer til ikke-japanere delvis fordi «ingen tvinges til å gi opp sin egen kultur eller nasjonalitet for å kunne delta fullt ut i det åndelige og kulturelle livet i bevegelsen.»<ref name=clarke>{{Kilde bok |forfatter=Peter B. Clarke |tittel=Japanese New Religions in Global Perspective |utgiver=Curzon Press |dato=2000|isbn=0700711856||språk =EN}}</ref>

The Soka Gakkai of the Republic of Cuba (SGRC) attained juridical recognition in 2007, following an official visit of Daisaku Ikeda in 1996. It has a membership of approximately 500 individuals spread throughout most of the country's provinces.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rodrigues Plasencia|first1=Girardo|title=Soka Gakkai in Cuba: Glocalization Modes and Religious Conversion Processes in a Japanese Religion|date=2014|publisher=Dissertation:  Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University|url=http://r-cube.ritsumei.ac.jp/bitstream/10367/5790/1/Soka%20Gakkai%20in%20Cuba%20Glocalization%20Modes%20and%20Religious%20Conversion%20Processes%20in%20a%20Japanese%20Religion.pdf|accessdate=2016-06-15|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711023508/http://r-cube.ritsumei.ac.jp/bitstream/10367/5790/1/Soka%20Gakkai%20in%20Cuba%20Glocalization%20Modes%20and%20Religious%20Conversion%20Processes%20in%20a%20Japanese%20Religion.pdf|url-status=dead}} {{Kilde www |url=http://r-cube.ritsumei.ac.jp/bitstream/10367/5790/1/Soka%20Gakkai%20in%20Cuba%20Glocalization%20Modes%20and%20Religious%20Conversion%20Processes%20in%20a%20Japanese%20Religion.pdf |tittel=Arkivert kopi |besøksdato=2016-06-15 |arkiv-dato=2015-07-11 |arkiv-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711023508/http://r-cube.ritsumei.ac.jp/bitstream/10367/5790/1/Soka%20Gakkai%20in%20Cuba%20Glocalization%20Modes%20and%20Religious%20Conversion%20Processes%20in%20a%20Japanese%20Religion.pdf |url-status=yes }}</ref>

In 2015 the Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) spearheaded the first "Buddhist Leaders' Summit" at the White House which was attended by 125 leaders and teachers from 63 different Buddhist communities and organizations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Simmer-Brown|first1=Acharya Judith|title=Shambhala Visits the White House|url=http://shambhalatimes.org/2015/05/17/shambhala-visits-the-white-house/|publisher=Shambhala Times Community News Magazine|date=17. mai 2015}}</ref>

In 2005, [[National Youth Council of Singapore]] award the youth of Soka Gakkai in Singapore for their "community and youth services" work.<ref>{{cite web|title=Singapore Youth Awards|url=https://www.youth.sg/Peek-Show/2005/8/Singapore-Youth-Awards|access-date=2016-06-15|archive-date=2016-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420215031/https://www.youth.sg/Peek-Show/2005/8/Singapore-Youth-Awards|url-status=yes}}</ref>

In 2008, Ikeda was a recipient of the [[Order of Friendship]], a state-issued award of the Russian Federation bestowed on foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts were aimed at the betterment of relations with the Russian Federation and its people.<ref>{{cite news|title=SGI President Awarded Russian Federation Order of Friendship|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sgi-president-awarded-russian-federation-order-of-friendship-56957207.html|agency=PR Newswirre|accessdate=2016-06-15|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081249/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sgi-president-awarded-russian-federation-order-of-friendship-56957207.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2012, President Ma Ying-jeou of The Republic of China (Taiwan) commended the Taiwan Soka Association for many years of effort in the areas of public welfare, education, and religious teaching. He pointed out that it had received from the Taiwanese government numerous awards such as "National Outstanding Social Organization Award," the "Award for Contribution to Social Education," and "Outstanding Religious Organization Award."<ref>{{cite web|title=President Ma meets Japan's Soka Gakkai International Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda|url=http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=491&itemid=27520&rmid=2355|website=Office of the President Republic of China (Taiwan)|publisher=Republic of China (Taiwan)}}</ref>

In 2015 Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi signed an agreement that recognizes the Soka Gakkai as a "Concordat" (It: "Intesa")that recognizes the religious organization with the special status of advisor to the government on certain religious matters.  Eleven other religious denominations share this status.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Introvigne|first1=Massimo|title=Italy signs Concordat with Soka Gakkai|url=http://www.cesnur.org/2015/intesa_soka.html|website=Cesnur.org|publisher=CESNUR: Centro Studi sulle Nuovi Religioni}}</ref>

Among the European new religious movements, the European Soka Gakkai organization is one of the most active participants in dialogues with the European Commission's Bureau of European Policy Advisors.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Leustean|first1=Lucian N.|last2=Madeley|first2=John T.S.|author3=Pastorelli, Sabrina|authorlink1=The European Movement and New Religious Movements|title=Religion, Politics and Law in the European Union|date=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317990802|pages=189–195}}</ref>

In August 2015, Italian newspaper [[la Repubblica]] reported that 75,000 Italian citizens are SGI-Italia members, which accounts for half of the Buddhist population of Italy.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/06/27/news/firenze_renzi_firma_l_intesta_tra_lo_stato_e_l_istituto_buddista_d_italia-117841335/?refresh_ce#gallery-slider=117843818 | title = La Soka Gakkai entra nell'8x1000, Renzi a Firenze firma l'intesa con l'istituto buddista| publisher = Repubblica | accessdate = 10. august 2015}}</ref>

While they are not all formally affiliated with the Soka Gakkai, there are a number of overseas institutions that perceived to be associated with the Soka Gakkai, or with Ikeda.  These include the Ikeda Peace Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Toda Institute  of Oriental Philosophy in Hawaii; and educational institutions in the United States, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia and China.