Ignite the Fire of Wisdom Within

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Ignite the Fire of Wisdom Within

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Ignite the Fire of Wisdom Within

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Day 41- 42, July 27 – 28 · Sofia, Bulgaria 🇧🇬

Books are precious treasures; they manifest the human soul.” — Professor Axinia Djourova

Our time in Bulgaria began not with a monument, but with a conversation. At the Alexander Dujchev Center in Sofia, we had the privilege of spending an afternoon with Professor Axinia Djourova, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Byzantine art and medieval Bulgarian manuscripts. Well into her eighties, she radiated an energy, conviction, and intellectual curiosity that inspired every one of us. She reminded us that a seeking spirit does not grow old.

She challenged our students with three simple principles that will stay with us long after this journey:

  • Never stop doubting.
  • Never accept authority without questioning it.
  • Be who you are.

She also spoke candidly about the world today—the rise of authoritarianism, the erosion of democratic values, and the responsibility each generation has to defend human dignity. Not everything she shared was easy for us to accept. Her perspective on the roles of men and women in society prompted thoughtful disagreement within our group. Instead of rushing to judge or persuade, we tried to do something more difficult: we listened. That may have been our greatest lesson in Bulgaria. As future leaders striving for our own arete, we must create space for difference. Dialogue is not about surrounding ourselves with people who already think as we do. It is about having the humility to understand another person’s experience while remaining honest about our own convictions. Professor Djourova’s lifelong friendship and dialogue with Daisaku Ikeda reflected that same spirit. Both believed civilizations are strengthened not through conformity, but through the courageous exchange of ideas, cultures, and perspectives.  On our journey to Sofia, we learned that dialogue itself is an act of hope. Every sincere conversation plants a seed that will eventually bear fruit. As Daisaku Ikeda wrote, “We sow seeds through dialogue—dialogue between civilizations, between religions, dialogues for peace and the revival of our humanity.

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Painted by Renaissance master Raphael, “The School of Athens” brings together history’s greatest thinkers—Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Ptolemy, and others—in a grand hall of learning. Each figure represents a unique pursuit: ethics, reason, mathematics, metaphysics, and the search for truth. Raphael didn’t just paint a scene—he captured the human aspiration to grow, question, and collaborate across all fields of life: philosophy, science, art, and civic society. These diverse minds are united not by power or conformity, but by a shared purpose: to elevate humanity, to cultivate virtue, and to help each person achieve their arete.

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Bill Taylor was the visionary founder of the original Arete West program, which ran from 1979 to 2017. Over the course of 40 years, he personally led students on 20 transformative journeys across the globe, inspiring hundreds of young people to pursue wisdom, leadership, and compassionate service. His encouragement helped spark the creation of the Arete Youth Academy, which carries forward his mission to empower youth through education. This scholarship fund ensures his legacy continues to shape future generations.

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France — Paris & Bièvres

In France, Creative Scholars will explore the humanistic tradition through Victor Hugo’s Les MisĂ©rables, examining questions of justice, conscience, inequality, redemption, and the individual’s responsibility to society. Near Paris, students will return to the Literary House of Victor Hugo at the Château des Roches in Bièvres, which Daisaku Ikeda founded as an international center for literature, art, and cultural exchange. Through Hugo’s life and work, participants will consider how literature can challenge injustice and awaken compassion. Visits to Parisian cultural and historical sites, together with dialogue with French scholars and young people, will connect the ideals of nineteenth-century humanism to the challenges facing a new generation of global citizens.

China — Beijing & Xi’an

In China, students will explore one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations while examining the relationship between Confucian humanism, collective responsibility, modernization, and global citizenship. In Beijing, Tu Weiming and Daisaku Ikeda’s New Horizons in Eastern Humanism will frame the dialogue on Chinese philosophy and the encounter between Eastern and Western thought, complemented by films such as Zhang Yimou’s To Live. Participants will engage in dialogue with students and scholars at Peking University and explore Beijing’s historical and contemporary life. A possible journey to Xi’an, the ancient capital and eastern gateway of the Silk Road, will illuminate centuries of exchange among Chinese, Buddhist, Islamic, and Central Asian civilizations.

Italy — Florence, Rome & Naples

In Italy, Creative Scholars will explore the evolution of Western humanism from the classical world through the Renaissance. In Florence, Dante’s Divine Comedy will provide a lens for examining moral choice, transformation, and the human journey, while Michelangelo’s David and Renaissance art will illuminate changing ideas of human dignity and potential. Students will also explore the life and legacy of Florence Nightingale, who was born in Florence in 1820, examining how compassion, disciplined learning, evidence, and service enabled her to transform nursing, professional education, and healthcare worldwide. In Rome, the legacy of the ancient world and the emergence of Christianity will be explored alongside Reza Aslan’s Jesus of Nazareth. In Naples, participants may collaborate with Scholas Occurrentes, engaging young people in dialogue around culture, community, human dignity, and the challenges facing their generation.

Athens, Greece

In Greece, students will walk in the footsteps of the world’s first philosophers—tracing the origins of inquiry, democracy, and the examined life. Standing in the Agora, where Socrates engaged young Athenians in fearless dialogue about virtue and truth, participants will reflect on how authentic conversation remains the heartbeat of human progress. Visits to the Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum, and the ruins of Aristotle’s Lyceum will anchor discussions on the birth of reason and the moral responsibilities of free thought. Key readings will include selections from Plato’s Apology and Republic, Pericles’ Funeral Oration, and Constantine Cavafy’s timeless poem Ithaka, urging travelers to cherish the inner journey as much as the destination. Students will also explore Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, reflecting on his vision of “eudaimonia”—a flourishing life achieved through virtue and self-mastery—and its relevance to modern global citizenship.

Sofia & Plovdiv, Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, participants will explore the country’s pivotal role as a cultural bridge between East and West, engaging deeply with its spiritual, philosophical, and historical contributions. A key focus will be the philosophical dialogue “The Lion’s Path” between Daisaku Ikeda and renowned Bulgarian art historian Axinia Djourova, offering insights into the power of cultural memory and humanistic values in post-communist societies. The cohort will meet with Djourova and students at Sofia University, where they will participate in structured cross-cultural exchanges and reflective dialogue on shared ethical concerns. Visits will include the Ivan Duychev Centre for Slavo-Byzantine Studies, which Djourova led for many years, to examine Bulgaria’s enduring role in preserving Byzantine intellectual and artistic traditions. Participants will also explore museums and cultural sites in Sofia and Plovdiv, gaining a comprehensive view of Bulgaria’s influence from ancient Thracian civilizations to its vibrant contemporary arts scene.

Japan — Tokyo, Kamakura, Hiroshima

In Japan, Creative Scholars will explore courage, conscience, loyalty, and the complex relationship between individual character and responsibility to society. In Tokyo, students will examine Bushidō, the Meiji transformation, and Japan’s encounter with Western modernity, asking how a civilization can embrace change without losing its cultural identity. A journey to Kamakura and Tatsunokuchi will explore the near-execution of the influential 13th-century Japanese Buddhist teacher and reformer Nichiren, and his refusal to abandon his convictions as a case study in moral courage. The journey will then continue to Hiroshima, where the Peace Memorial Museum and dialogue with Japanese youth will provide a profound setting to examine war, militarism, nuclear destruction, historical memory, and reconciliation. Through stories such as diplomat Chiune Sugihara’s rescue of Jewish refugees during World War II, students will ultimately consider when conscience must transcend loyalty and how suffering can be transformed into a commitment to peace.

Jerusalem, Israel

In Jerusalem, participants will investigate interfaith ethics through texts like Scars of War, Wounds of Peace by Shlomo Ben-Ami and My Promised Land by Ari Shavit. Sandy Tolan’s The Lemon Tree will serve as a humanizing lens through which to examine the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Students may also explore The Heart of Islam by Nasr and Heschel’s The Sabbath, creating a tri-faith ethical conversation. In-person dialogue with Palestinian and Israeli youth, faith leaders, and scholars—potentially including figures like Dr. Mustafa Barghouti—will animate philosophical themes of reconciliation and historical memory. Artistic engagement may include viewing the photographic work Refugee by Khaled Akil.

India — Delhi & Bal Ashram, Rajasthan

In India, Creative Scholars will explore the meeting of Buddhist, Islamic, and humanistic traditions and their shared search for compassion, dignity, and peace. In Delhi, Reza Aslan’s No god but God will explore Islam, including a possible visit to the shrine of Nizamuddin Auliya and a dialogue on Sufi traditions of love, service, and spiritual openness. Students will also visit Emperor Ashoka’s 3rd-century BCE Rock Edict and study the origins of Buddhism in ancient India, exploring its founding spirit of compassion, nonviolence, and inner transformation. The journey will culminate at Bal Ashram in Rajasthan, where Kailash Satyarthi’s Karuna: The Power of Compassion will guide dialogue and service learning alongside young people and members of the Satyarthi Global Compassion Movement, asking how wisdom and courage can ultimately be transformed into compassionate action.

Greece — Athens

In Athens, Creative Scholars will return to the intellectual origins of Arete itself, exploring what it means to pursue human excellence and live a good and meaningful life. Plato’s Dialogues and the ideas of Socrates and Aristotle will guide discussions of virtue, justice, democracy, truth, friendship, and civic responsibility. Visits to the Acropolis, the Agora, and other sites of ancient Athens will transform philosophical texts into lived encounters with the places where many of these ideas first emerged. Through dialogue with Greek students and scholars, participants will consider how ancient questions about character, citizenship, and human flourishing can illuminate the challenges confronting democracy and global society today.