A collaborative reflection by Jane Walker, the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and Amy Meuers, the National Youth Leadership Council
The Shinnyo Lantern Floating Ceremony in Hawaii draws thousands to Ala Moana Beach each year. The event honors those who have passed, offering a collective moment for reflection, remembrance, and hope. This year, 6,000 lanterns were floated, each representing personal stories of heartbreak and gratitude among so many other emotions of the evening. The lanterns were released onto the water at sunset, symbolizing peace and connection across time and space. It was beautiful.
Attending the ceremony was a profound experience. Her Holiness Shinso Ito’s message deeply resonated with us. She spoke of fire and water—opposing elements—coexisting. The lanterns, though fragile, lit the night without being extinguished or consumed. They floated through uncertain waters, offering light and harmony. We were both moved by the quiet power of the ceremony and the shared human longing for peace, healing, and unity. It reminded us of why peacebuilding work matters.
The Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason has partnered with Shinnyo-en Foundation for the last 10 years in their shared mission of developing young people as peacebuilders. In a world of division, we seek to bring differences together—honoring every voice, navigating darkness, and illuminating paths toward peace. As the Director of Undergraduate Student Services, Jane is grateful for the inspiration that refuels her commitment to the work.
This year marked twenty years of relationship between NYLC and Shinnyo-en Foundation, a partnership grounded in a shared belief in the transformative power of service and the collective work of peacebuilding. As the CEO for NYLC, when Amy thinks about their journey together, she sees a beautiful parallel to the ceremony itself—individual acts of compassion and service joining together to create something far greater than their sum.
Standing on that beach, watching the lanterns drift across the water, we understood what Her Holiness Shinso Ito meant when she reminded us: “We each carry within us something unique and beautiful, just like that light. We must not lose sight of our light in the face of hardship or despair.” This message speaks directly to the heart of our work in developing young leaders and peacebuilders.
Both the Carter School’s ten-year partnership and NYLC’s twenty-year relationship with Shinnyo-en Foundation have centered on a crucial belief: young people are not just future leaders, but present-day peacebuilders whose voices carry unique power and perspective.
Over the years, we have witnessed countless moments where young people, like those lanterns, have carried their own light into uncertain waters. They’ve addressed community challenges, built bridges across divides, and illuminated pathways forward that adults might have missed. The Lantern Floating Ceremony is a luminous reminder of what is possible when we come together with open hearts. It is a call to service, a call to compassion, and most importantly, a call to never let our light dim even in the darkest of times.
As we continue in our work, Jane mentoring future conflict resolution practitioners and peacebuilders and Amy empowering youth through social action, we carry with us the core lesson of the ceremony: that peacebuilding is both an inner journey and a shared endeavor. It calls us to nurture our own light while connecting it with the light of others, to navigate tensions with compassion, and to believe that even the smallest acts of kindness and clarity can help illuminate the way to a more just and peaceful world.
The partnership between our organizations and Shinnyo-en Foundation represents more than just shared programs or events; it embodies a living commitment to the belief that peace is achievable, that young people are vital to creating it, and that when we unite our lights, we can illuminate even the darkest waters. In gratitude for the continuing inspiration that refuels our commitment to this vital work, and in anticipation of the next decade of shared light-bearing ahead.
We invite you to read Amy Meuers’ heartfelt reflection on the National Youth Leadership Council’s website, and enjoy more photos from beautiful Honolulu taken over the Memorial Day holiday at the link.