Personal Introduction (For The Salt Lake City Parliament)

Personal Introduction

My name is Peter Frank Womack Johannessen Osisi.  I am a Mixed Ethnicity man and a Mystic, born and raised within the Cuyahoga area of Ohio.  My family’s ethnic heritage includes African, Scandinavian, Seminole, Israeli, Irish, and additionally.  I am rooted within Judaism, and I practise elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and additional traditions.

During my 1^st 11 years of education, I attend a small, private, Montessori school.  For my preparatory high school education, I attend a large, public school.  I attend an historically black college for my undergraduate degree in Economics.  I attend a prominent, local university for my MBA degree.  I attend an elite university for my JD degree.  And I also study abroad at universities respectively within England and South Africa.  During this formal education, I study and grow with friends from across the Earth, from different socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, cultures, politics, and additional experiences.

I intern 4 years with a national banking corporation.  I work a fellowship with an international human rights organisation.  And I privately consult for a number of organisations within different industries. 

After graduating from law school, I refuse to practise American law.  Recognising the transgressive nature of the 3/5^ths Compromise and additional doctrines within it, I fundamentally oppose the US Constitution.  And I voice this opposition during a period of extreme fear and hostility within the United States:  exactly amidst the attacks of the 11^th of September, 2001.  As a result of my politics, a psychiatric diagnosis is made against me (with which I fundamentally disagree), and I am forcefully detained in a mental institution.  In the years following this initial incarceration, I am detained in jails and psych wards on nearly a dozen occasions, for acts of civil disobedience (read Civil Transcendence).

Despite my youthful anger towards US convention, I want to abstain from being an antagonist.  I want to find a set of principles and ethics with which I do agree and that I can readily uphold.  My parents raise my brother and sister and I outside of any 1 religious tradition.  We have a strong belief in God and the Golden Rule.  But when I enter into adulthood, I need increased ethical details, instruction, and tangibility.  Having built friendships with people from many different religious traditions, and learning modestly about these traditions, I recognise that I have spiritual teachers from many different religions.  I specifically recognise 5 prominent religions: Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam;  and I venture to earnestly study each 1.

Through my comparatively Secular upbringing, I develop a strong suspicion towards contemporary authority figures;  political, religious, and otherwise.  So because of this, and given my background in legal studies, I decide to “study the sources” of wisdom within each of these traditions:  the respective Holy Scriptures.  Whilst this is increasingly appropriate for some traditions compared to others, I find each of the Holy Scriptures inspirational, enlightening, and compelling.  Studying each 1 becomes a tangible, life-transforming experience, as I find myself encountering the Prophetic figures, narratives, and teachings within my very own life experiences.  I begin to awaken to my Mystic spirituality even though, at that initial point, I have yet to find the words for it.

During this same period of study, I also yearn to find our InterFaith Movement, even though at that initial point, I am also rather oblivious towards its existence.  Whilst google is still developing its efficacy, I painstakingly visit local libraries, enlist directories, and research any organisation that self-identifies as “interFaith,” “interreligious,” or “international,” with a focus on “Peace” or additional benevolent endeavours.  After many discontinued links, emails, and other references, I find a few international interFaith organisations, including the Council For A Parliament Of The World’s Religions. 

I study the websites, I participate on the fora (forums), I exchange emails, and I become increasingly versed within the framework of our international InterFaith Movement.  I grow increasingly enthusiastic as I find my purpose and calling within life.  However, I am also cautiously guarded.  I have previous experience within social activism, and I am familiar with the status quo tendencies of well-intentioned progressives and self-perceived radicals.  I intentionally abstain from approaching any US organisations as I perceive that Americans, during that period, are too enveloped within reactionary fear and hostility, or within the complacency with such. 

I learn about the Barcelona Parliament shortly before its convening, and thus I am unable to attend it directly.  However, I do participate in the online forum that is established through the auspices of the Parliament.  It is my 1^st experience of “interacting” with a group of friends from different religions and actually talking about religion;  before, within my comparatively Secular-based diversity outreach, religion is frequently the “elephant in the room.”  This online forum demonstrates the potential that exists within pluralistic community-building.

So from this experience, I venture to build a local, pluralistic community in Northeast Ohio.  The concept progresses through stages of development.  And during this process, I am lead to become increasingly reconciled with the Americans who surround me.  My spiritual teachings emphasise the paramount nature of forgiveness of others, of maintaining humility amidst my own imperfections, and of cultivating forgiveness for myself.  It abstains from happening overnight (particularly amidst repeated assaults);  but the seeds of my reconciliation and harmony with America and the Universe begin to sprout.

After a couple years, I am able to release enough of my youthful anger to attend an interFaith conference in the United States:  the 5^th annual conference of the InterFaith Youth Core.  It is a beautiful experience.  And I am encouraged to engage further with my local community.  I join a local interFaith council in my immediate area, and I begin working with the large metropolitan interFaith organisation in our Cuyahoga area.  I visit dozens and dozens of religious congregations:  Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Baha’i, Unitarian Universalist, Sikh, Jewish, Confucianist, Taoist, and additionally.  I finally attend the Parliament in Melbourne;  and I attend gatherings of the North American InterFaith Network, Global Conference Of The World’s Religions, as well as build with friends from numerous, additional, international interFaith organisations.

As I do this, the concept of a local, pluralistic community evolves;  is humbled and modified.  Today, the project is called “अΣOאن冬宮” (Asona Ashram).  It is offered as a gathering place for families and friends from our many different religions and cultures.  Presently, we operate out of my residential flat, and we are working to move to a house to host our activities. 

Additionally, I am working to convene “अΣOאن 保护区” (Asona Retreat), a spiritual gathering that includes instruction from Mystic teachers from many different religious traditions and lineages.  This is inspired from the documentary, “With 1 Voice.”

These 2 endeavours exist within a spectrum of interconnected projects and initiatives that are dedicated towards improving the wellbeing of all beings throughout the Universe.  My politics may be described as Rainbow Nationalism:  advocating the sovereign autonomy of local communities that respectively utilise different methodologies of politics.  I personally advocate the process of egalitarian, democratic, consensus decision-making (as opposed to majority rule).  I am also a socialist.  I consider it essential that we recognise our historic reliance upon systems and institutions that cause harm towards others and ourselves;  that we build increasingly compassionate and productive systems and institutions;  and that we gradually transition from the antiquated, harmful systems and institutions, towards the systems and institutions of Love And Peace.

When we look at the behemoth imposition of convention, this may seem implausible.  Yet, simply maintaining status quo is increasingly implausible.  Rather than “if” we will change, the question is:  how will we change?  And as our teachers tell us, the origin of that change exists within us.  We are the solutions.  And when we become quiet and observe the circumstances of the Universe, we find that the solution already arrives.  What lies before us is simply the glory of the victory.