The “Artists as Peacemakers” exhibit was one of the many notable highlights at the 2008 “Arts in the Heart” festival and was presented by the Augusta Chapter of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist organization.

“Artists as Peacemakers” is just one of the many projects that the International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP) has created in order to help establish global tranquility through the universal language of artistry. The exhibition highlights various well-known individuals who have made positive contributions towards society, including Carlos and Deborah Santana, Ricky Martin, Angelina Jolie, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Joan Baez, Bono, Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, Yo Yo Ma, Sade, Ravi Shankar and others.

Last year’s “Arts in the Heart” exhibit presented by the SGI group, “Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and Human Potential,” focused on global issues and creating positive changes in society. The exhibition was created in conjunction with The Earth Charter Initiative and was unveiled at the Word Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

These informative pieces being showcased in Augusta each year have been featured at some of the world’s most important venues.

ICAP, the sponsor of this year’s exhibit, is an organization founded in 2002 by Buddhist philosopher and President of the SGI group, Daisaku Ikeda. Since serving as leader of one of the world's largest and most diverse Buddhist organizations, Ikeda has actively sought peace through open dialogue. He has engaged in conversations with widely known leaders in the field of politics, education and artistry.

Ikeda has worked diligently alongside the United Nations, searching for viable solutions to global problems and writing proposals on issues related to peace and the human condition. ICAP serves as one of the many avenues to further benefit the movement towards global unity.

The idea behind ICAP is to create world harmony through P.E.A.C.E.; performance, education, awards, collaboration and exhibitions from all religious and non-religious sects. According to their philosophy, creating a culture of peace is more than just the absence of violence and war. It includes positive values and patterns of behavior needed in order to replace an ideology related to war and violence that has dominated over 5,000 years of human history.