Linus Pauling won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954

On the occasion of the thirty-third anniversary of the founding of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), I would like to share some thoughts and proposals in the effort to contribute to the realization of a lasting peace in the world. Already some twenty years have passed since the end of the Cold War, which held international society in its grip for nearly half a century. Despite having entered the new century, the outlines of a new global framework have yet to emerge. In October 1990, the dialogue I had conducted with two-time Nobel laureate Linus Pauling (1901-94) was published. At the start of the dialogue, Dr. Pauling set out this hopeful view: I am so excited by the prospects for our world. I am filled with courage. The Soviet Union has started to move. Under the leadership of President Mikhail Gorbachev, the global tides have started to turn toward disarmament.... For the first time, humanity is walking a path that accords with rationality and reason. We have finally started to move toward such a world. [1] Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century The exhibition "Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century, " organized by the SGI, the Pauling family and Oregon State University, portrays the life, ideas and commitments of one of the modern world’s most influential scientists and peace activists. Since its opening in San Francisco in 1998, the exhibition has been shown in 16 venues in 5 countries, and seen by more than 1 million visitors