TOKYO, Oct.19--Kyodo JBN--AsiaNet/InfoQuest Soka Gakkai Vice General Director Minoru Harada and Vice President Kenji Yoshigo visited the Pakistan Embassy in Tokyo on October 17 to express condolences for the country's loss and donate US$30,000 (3,400,000 yen) to the President's Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims for those affected by the devastating earthquake which hit northeastern Pakistan on October 8. Ambassador Kamran Niaz expressed his gratitude for this assistance and pledged that the funds would be used to provide emergency supplies to those in the worst-hit areas. Soka Gakkai and Soka Gakkai International (SGI) organizations around the world have frequently provided humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural disasters. In September 2005, for example, SGI-USA members throughout the United States worked hard to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. An initial donation of US$10,000 was made to the American Red Cross, and many SGI-USA members volunteered their assistance to aid evacuees in the Houston Astrodome, the Reunion Arena and the Dallas Convention Center, as well as directly visiting affected areas to deliver relief supplies. A toy collection drive was also organized by SGI-USA and over 10,000 toys and books were distributed to children housed at the Houston Astrodome and other centers. Soka Gakkai International is a lay Buddhist association promoting peace, culture and education with over 12 million members worldwide. SGI's activities to provide humanitarian relief are part of the longstanding tradition of Buddhism humanism. SOURCE: Soka Gakkai International CONTACT: Joan Anderson Office of Public Information Soka Gakkai International Tel: +81-3-5360-9830 Fax: +81-3-5360-9885 www.sgi.org --Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--