An Excerpt of an Essay on
the InterFaith Movement

and this InterFaith Settlement

provided by,

this InterFaith Student Group at the Jesuit Catholic University in University Heights

II. History of the InterFaith Movement 101

Parliament of the World’s Religions
The InterFaith Movement is conventionally considered to begin begun mas than one hundred years ago, in 1893ce, through the convening of the Parliament of World’s Religions at the World’s Colombian Exposition held in Chicago, Illinois. Up to this point, much of the tangible considerations of interFaith activity are facilitated through the meetings and writings of specific religious groups respectively within Eastern and Western civilisation. Within the Vedic Faith traditions, there is Swami Vivekananda, who participates in the first Parliament of World’s Religions and his teacher, Sri Ramakrishna, who emerges decades before the first Parliament of World’s Religions. Within the Abrahamic Faith traditions, there are the Unitarians Universalists. It is also during this time (~1277ie), that Baha’u’llah tangibly begins the Faith of the Baha’i that also emphasises the international cooperation between civilisations and religious traditions.

It is of note that this initial Parliament of World’s Religions is convened in conjunction with a comparatively secular and commercial World’s Colombian Exposition. Indeed much of the temporal interaction between religious traditions and civilisations is predicated upon the tangible search for resources and through the conventional advent of trade. Much of the temporal interaction between religious traditions and civilisations is predicated upon the fluctuations of conventional empires (including Greek, Chinese, Persian, Roman, Gothic, Nordic, Mongolian, Khmer, Songhai, Moorish, Zulu, Arowak, Aztec, Mayan, Incan, Iroquois, Lakotah, Ottoman, English, Français, Español, Japanese, Deutsch, Russian) and the expansion of previously established and respective religious Diasporae (including Judaic, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic) that emerges through these temporal fluctuations. Indeed, the Parliament of World’s Religions and the World’s Colombian Exposition, held in Chicago, Illinois, can be considered as one of the tangible progenerators (at least in self recognition and tangible realisation) of the contemporary phenomena referred to as globalisation.

International Association for Religious Freedom
One of the predominant religious organisations that cultivates the contemporary notion and tangible interaction of the InterFaith Movement is the International Council of Unitarian and Liberal Religious Thinkers (Boston, Massachusetts) facilitated through the conference of the Unitarian Association. Seven years after the initial Parliament, the organisation, Liberal Religious Thinkers, is formed with the specific premise of promoting the notion of interFaith dialogue and interaction. Religious organisations and religious individuals initially participating within Liberal Religious Thinkers include Brahmo Samaj, the Liberal Religious Movement in Japan, Liberal Roman Catholics and Protestants, Arya Samaj of India, Rabbi Charles Fleischer of Boston, Massachusetts, M Barakatullah, Friends of Protestant Freedom, Reform Judaism, and the Independent Church of Filipino Christians. After being formed in 1900ce Liberal Religious Thinkers is later given the name of the International Association for Religious Freedom, the interFaith institution that continues today. Religious institutions and individuals subsequently participating within IARF include the Japanese Free Religious Association, Evangelical Lutherans, International Union of Liberal Christian Women, International Religious Fellowship, Albert Schweitzer College, Konko Church of Izuo, Rissho Kosei kei, and the Tsubaki Grand Shrine. This is the oldest, continuously functioning interFaith institution involved within the InterFaith Movement.

Much of the initial concentration of the participants within the InterFaith Movement focuses on the abstract notion of interFaith cooperation and the tangible relevance that interFaith cooperation maintains within convention and civil society. In this respect, much of the tangible activity within the initial stage of the InterFaith Movement includes the convening of meetings and the writings of working papers pertaining interFaith cooperation; and much of the participation within this initial stage of the InterFaith Movement includes individuals of a comparatively intellectual and liberal nature with an inclination towards religious matters and religious doctrine.

World Congress of Faiths
Seventy years ago, in 1936ce, Ambassador Sir Francis Younghusband founds another interFaith institution that continues today as the World Congress of Faiths. Ambassador Sir Francis Younghusband is a political emissary for the British United Kingdom and maintains extensive travel throughout Asia. It is through his experiences in Asia that Ambassador Sir Francis Younghusband realises the significance for enhanced dialogue and cooperation between the respective religious traditions of Eastern and Western civilisations. In this respect, the World Congress of Faiths is formed to facilitate such dialogue and cooperation. Proceeding the Religions of Empire Conference (1924ce) and the World Fellowship of Faith First International Congress (1933ce), Ambassador Sir Francis Younghusband convened the first congress of the World Congress of Faiths with participation from numerous religious leaders, civic leaders, academic scholars, religious adherents, and additional institutions and individuals, including Yusuf Ali of the Islamic College at Lahore, Dr D T Suzuki of Otani University in Kyoto, Professor Malalsekera of Ceylon, Professor Nicolas Berdiaeff of Russia, Dr S N Das Gupta, Ambassador Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan of Oxford University, Professor J L Magnes of Hebrew University, Ambassador Sir Abdul Qadir of India, Dirdar Mohan Singh from Punjab, Sensai S I Hsiung, Dr J S Whale of Cambridge University, Reverend P T R Kirk of the Industrial Christian Fellowship, and Shoghi Effendi of the Baha’i.

World Conference of Religions for Peace
During the emergence of the United Nations and the respective administrations of Ambassador Secretary General Trygve Lie of Norway and Ambassador Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden, the InterFaith Movement increases its breadth of participants to include an additional number of religious leaders, religious adherents, as well as conventional political leaders and leaders of civic society. A few decades later, within the timeframe of the respective administrations of Ambassador Secretary General U Thant of Mynmar and Ambassador Secretary General Kurt Waldheim of Austria, the World Conference of Religions for Peace is formed as a means of enhancing the direct connexion between the collective efforts of the religious leaders, groups, individuals, and institutions within the InterFaith Movement and the political institutions of conventional and civic society, particularly the United Nations. In addition to the direct leadership of Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath of the Union of Hebrew Congregations, Dr Dana McLean Greeley of the Unitarian Universalist Association Bishop John Wesley Lore of the United Methodists, and Roman Catholic Bishop (later Cardinal) John Wright, initial participation includes the Baha’i; Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism; Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christianity; Confucianism; numerous denominations of Hinduism; numerous, respective indigenous traditions; Shiite and Sunni Islam; Jainism, Reform Judaism; Shintoism; Sikhism; Zoroastrianism; and additional, comparatively newer religious traditions. The lead offices for the World Conference of Religions for Peace are established, and remain, within direct proximity to the United Nations offices located within New York, New York. The World Conference of Religions for Peace is described as the largest interFaith institution and maintains a number of political leaders and religious leaders within its structure of governance.

Temple of Understanding
Also during this time, the Temple of Understanding is formed through the leadership of Juliet Hollister (and the participation of her son, Dickerman Hollister) and eventually establishes operations in New York, New York after initially being established in Washington, DC. Prominent World leaders including Ambassador Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the 14th Dalai Lama, the Bishop of Rome John XXIII, Reverend Thomas Merton, Ambassador President Nassar, Ambassador President Jewahurul Nehru, Ambassador Anwar El Sadat, Sarala and B K Birla, and Dr Albert Schweitzer, provide immediate support for the establishment of the Temple of Understanding to provide a forum, guidance, and educational resources that contribute to proficient interFaith cooperation.

Centennial of Parliament of World’s Religions
A number of years later, in the progressing administrations of Ambassador Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru, Ambassador Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali of Egypt, and Ambassador Secretary General Kofi Annan of Ghana, there is a substantial augmentation in the scope and function of the InterFaith Movement. Approximately fifteen years ago, a number of religious leaders from different Faith traditions (including monks from the Vivekananda Vedanta Society) begin to organise an initiative to commemorate the centennial celebration of the first Parliament of World’s Religions. In this respect, the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions is formed and in 47 (1993ce), an international conference (similar to that of the first Parliament of World’s Religions) is convened in Chicago, Illinois. This centennial conference represents the tangible progression that is made within the InterFaith Movement as evidenced by the breadth of participants, from religious adherents and other interested individuals, to religious leaders and leaders of convention and civic society. The conference also illustrates the progression of the InterFaith Movement to facilitate comparative conventional moderation (including liberalism and fundamentalism, concentrating upon rights and responsibilities) through the production of a focal document entitled, Declaration towards a Global Ethic, written by Dr Hans Küng of Welt Ethos.

Within the past two decades since this centennial conference of the Parliament of World’s Religions, many additional interFaith institutions, organisations, groups, and initiatives are formed; each with distinct concentrations and objectives within the comprehensive scope of the InterFaith Movement. Some of these interFaith institutions include the Foundation der Welt Ethos, the Peace Council, the World Council of Religious Leaders, United Religions Initiative, and the InterFaith Youth Core. And additional documents, papers, and policy consultations are made, including the production of ‘A Call to Our Guiding Institutions,’ provided in the subsequent Parliament of World’s Religions held in Cape Town, South Africa in 53 (1999ce).

Progression of the InterFaith Movement
The InterFaith Movement continues to provide intangible insight towards the preservation and cultivation of Peace, mutual understanding, and mutual wellbeing amongst the many religious traditions of the World. The breadth and scope of the InterFaith Movement is substantially comprehensive. And there is a considerable amount of specialisation within this comprehensiveness, enabling the specific needs of specific communities to be increasingly and mas appropriately addressed. This includes the emergence of the InterFaith Encounter Association of Israel to address the specific religious issues that exist amongst the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic communities in Israel. This includes the numerous religious institutions and interFaith institutions and interFaith initiativives in India, like the Ramakrishna Mission and the annual observance of InterFaith Day, that address the specific religious issues that exist amongst the Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian communities in India. This includes the interFaith initiative of the United Nations entitled, ‘Alliance of Civilisations.’ This includes the many different local groups, regional organisations, service programmes, online fora, educational institutions, and additional initiatives that augment the traditional conferences and working papers of religious intellectuals and religious leaders upon which the InterFaith Movement is tangibly established.

All this progression provides an indication of the intrinsic benefit that exists within the aggregate of the InterFaith Movement, and indeed, the intrinsic responsibility that also exists.

Summary
100 Years Ago and Beyond

Initially, InterFaith Movement consists of groups of liberal intellectuals with religious inclinations.

The premise of the InterFaith Movement effectively involves a Christian religious foundation with secular notions of liberty in a Western context of civilisation.

There is a progression expansion of focus to intentionally include, and augment the participation of, religious adherents of additional religious traditions, particularly the Eastern religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

The nature of interaction is primarily pontifical with discussions of the abstract notions of religious freedom and cooperation between different religious traditions.

50 years ago

There is gradual progression within the InterFaith Movement towards pragmatic interaction with conventional society, including the participation of conventional religious leaders with respective congregations of religious traditions, and consultation with government entities, specifically the United Nations.

25 years ago and present

There is an expansion of activity from discussion to discussion and action.

There are regular conferences (IARF, WCF, CPWR).

There are religious leadership conferences (Peace Council, WCRL).

There are consultations with government entities (WCRP).

There are interventions within conventional disputes (AoC).

There are joint service programmes (IARF).

There are microlevel religious initiatives, including local discussion groups, programmes, initiatives (URI).

There are youth initiatives (IFYC).


III. InterFaith Institutions and Activity

As previously described, the activity within the InterFaith Movement is a progression of the substantially intellectual pursuits of religious thinkers and religious adherents over one hundred years ago. In addition to regular annual to quintennial conferences amongst the intellectually religious, interFaith institutions maintain a broad spectrum of continual and expanding initiatives that involve people respectively of different levels of religious participation, from agnostic to substantially prominent religious leaders.

These activities include the proceeding:

Conferences
Many interFaith institutions convene conferences on a regular basis. The frequency of these conferences varies amongst interFaith institutions, generally from being held annually to quintennially. These conferences are usually organised by the respective secretariat of an interFaith institution with attendance being maintained by members of the respective governing council (or the equivalent thereof), general membership, representatives of other interFaith institutions, representatives of other religious institutions, civic leaders, and a further extending group of comparatively autonomous individuals an institutions interested within the basic premise of the InterFaith Movement and/or the specific focus of the respective interFaith institution. The participants within these conferences usually maintain a global representation.

These conferences also provide the leadership of an interFaith institution, the governing council or equivalent, to meet with each other and plan the progression of the respective interFaith institution. These conferences are usually convened around a specific theme of concentration and involve professionals (members or colleagues) involved in the immediate occupational fields involved within that specific theme. These conferences also provide members and colleagues the opportunity to meet with each other, in a comparatively direct and informal manner, to communicate their respective experiences in facilitating the notion of interFaith understanding and interFaith cooperation.

There is an aggregate context of interFaith cooperation within the InterFaith Movement, whereby respective leaders of different interFaith institutions participate and even contribute to the facilitation of the conference of another interFaith institution (the ‘multiannualness’ of these conferences substantially contributes to this cooperation). Indeed, many individuals simultaneously maintain an active involvement and/or official leadership position within mas than one interFaith institution. These conferences also include the involvement, officially or unofficially, of numerous religious institutions. Much like the interFaith institutions, these religious institutions usually maintain some form of advocacy and an international constituency.

In addition to conferences that welcome the direct participation of members and generally interested individuals, there are conferences that specifically solicit the direct participation of a select group of individuals. Such selected groups of people respectively include specific religious leaders, government leaders, civic leaders, and/or respective interFaith institutional leaders. These types of conferences seem to concentrate upon a comparatively specific issue or objective to be implemented through the continuing efforts of the interFaith institution convening the conference and the individuals and institutions directly participating within the conference.

Micro Level Initiatives
There are also a number of interFaith institutions that respectively facilitate activities that involve people in immediate locations and on a micro level. This includes coordinating involvement amongst individuals respectively located within specific cities, neighbourhoods, villages, rural areas, et cetera. This also involves different forms of activity, including interFaith discussion groups amongst individuals, regular interFaith meetings between representatives of different religious congregations, interFaith educational initiatives in schools, and additional interFaith programmes. Much of this activity is maintained by the respective members of such interFaith institutions, whilst the respective coordinating staff of these interFaith institutions appropriately provide necessary insight, contacts, resources, and additional support required for the activities. Many of these initiatives involve establishing an example that can be shared with other members and can be implemented within other locations. The aggregate of these micro level initiatives provide much of the tangible progression of increased interFaith understanding and improved interFaith cooperation that exists within the aggregate global population.

Service Programmes
Many of the local initiatives facilitated by interFaith institutions maintain the form of a service programme that provides an immediate and tangible benefit to a specific community. These immediate and tangible benefits include helping within the construction of a House of Worship, removing the rubbish from a neighbourhood, providing food to local residents, and sharing educational lessons with school children. Some service programmes focus upon the completion of a specific objective and then are respectively concluded. And some service programmes focus upon the continual provision of a specific benefit. There are also specific service programmes that coincide with the convening of the respective conferences of certain interFaith institutions.

Government and Civil Society
Some interFaith institutions concentrate specifically upon advocating interFaith cooperation amongst leaders respectively involved within government and civil society. This includes regular consultation with the United Nations and other international institutions. Indeed, a number of interFaith institutions maintain general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations as well as maintain offices in proximity to the headquarters, and additional locations, of the United Nations. Much of the work within this concentration involves coordinating with government officials and civic leaders to establish, adhere, and enhance UN resolutions and other international policies and directives that promote tolerance and cooperation amongst the respective religious adherents of the many religious traditions of the World. This work also involves communicating these UN resolutions and international policies and directives to the respective constituencies within the InterFaith Movement, the respective congregations of religious traditions, involved organisations and institutions within government and civic society, as well as the general population. This communication increasingly facilitates the effective implementation of the respective UN resolutions and international policies and directives and the consequential benefit therein.

There are also a number of interFaith institutions and interFaith initiatives that directly address specific incidents of intolerance or violence that have emerged within a specific location, territory, or region. There are also interFaith institutions and interFaith initiatives that are specifically established to prevent the occurrence of such intolerance and violence within specific locations, territories, and regions.

Youth Initiatives
There are also a number of interFaith institutions that maintain initiatives to increase and enhance the participation of young people within the respective concentrations of these interFaith institutions. There are youth initiatives that are continual and guide youth to regularly participate within a specific service programme that benefits the community. There are also continual youth initiatives that facilitate ongoing seminars and workshops that specifically pertain to interFaith cooperation. Some interFaith institutions maintain an international network of young individuals, youth groups, and youth institutions, and facilitate communication and cooperation amongst these young individuals, youth groups, and youth institutions to further the respective objectives of each as well as the coinciding objectives and activities of the respective interFaith institution.

There are also youth initiatives that involve comparatively autonomous projects such as tours of religiously diverse locales, visits to religious shrines and Holy places, or participation within a specific religious event. These comparatively ‘autonomous’ youth initiatives are designed to cultivate the notion of interFaith cooperation within the youth participants and encourage the youth participants to become involved within additional, continuing initiatives and activities within the InterFaith Movement.



IV. A Partial List and Description of InterFaith Institutions

International Association for Religious Freedom
IARF (Oxford, England), www.iarf.net

+Conferences (religious adherents and religious leaders)
+Local Initiatives (group and individual membership with local chapters)
+Service Programmes (direct organisation of programmes throughout World)
+Government and Civil Society (consultative status with ECOSOC)
+Youth Initiatives (continuing youth programmes)

Current Duration of Operations:

106 years

Structure of Leadership:

Jewish Religious Leaders, Buddhist Leaders, Christian Leaders, Civic Leaders

Secretariat

Membership and Local Chapters

Resources:

Donations

Grants

Members contributions

Publications

World Congress of Faiths
WCF (Oxford, England), www.WorldFaiths.org

+Publication (Interreligious Insight)
+Conferences (religious adherents and religious leaders)
+Local Initiatives (national) (international membership)

Current Duration of Operations:

70 years

Structure of Leadership:

Patrons:

Jewish Leaders, Hindu Leaders, Buddhist Leaders, Christian Leaders, Muslim Leaders

Secretariat:

Religious leaders, Academic Scholars, and Religious Adherents

Resources:

Partially through Membership, Publications

Temple of Understanding
(New York, New York), www.Templeofunderstanding.org

+Service Programmes
+InterFaith Education and Guidance
+Youth Programme
+UN Representative (Consultative Status)

Current Duration of Operations:

46 years

Structure of Leadership:

Trustees:

Jewish Leaders, Jain Leaders, Buddhist Leaders, Christian Leaders

Secretariat

Resources:

Donations

World Conference of Religions for Peace
WCRP (New York, New York), www.wcrp.org

+Conferences (religious adherents and religious leaders)
+Government and Civil Society (direct offices with United Nations)

Current Duration of Operations:

45 years

Structure of Leadership:

Honourary Presidents and Trustees:

Civic Leaders, Christian Adherents, Buddhist Leaders, Christian Leaders, Muslim Leaders, Jewish Leaders, Academic Scholars, Muslim Adherents, Hindu Adherents, Sikh Leaders,

Government Leaders, Muslim Adherents, Christian Adherents, Civic Leaders, Academic Scholars, Buddhist Leaders,

Secretariat:

Academic Scholars, Buddhist Leaders

Global Affiliates (Regional and National Offices)

Resources:

Donations

Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions
CPWR (Chicago, Illinois), www.cpwr.org

+Conferences (religious adherents and religious leaders)
+Local Initiatives (membership network, online forum, Chicago initiatives)

Current Duration of Operations:

13 years

Structure of Leadership:

Trustees:

Hindu Leaders, Christian Leaders, Academic Scholars, Jewish Leaders, Muslim Leaders

Advisory Committee:

Buddhist Leaders, Hindu Leaders, Jewish Leaders, Christian Leaders, Academic Scholars, Government Leaders, Civic Leaders

Secretariat:

Christian Leaders

Resources:

Donations (Individual and Institutional)

International Committee for the Peace Council
Peace Council (Madison, Wisconsin), www.Peacecouncil.org

+Annual Conferences (religious leaders)
+coinciding service programmes

Current Duration of Operations:

11 years

Structure of Leadership:

Peace Councillors:

Hindu Leaders, Academic Scholars, Civic Leaders, Muslim Leaders, Christian Leaders, Buddhist Leaders, Jain Leaders, Jewish Leaders

Trustees:

Christian Leaders, Academic Scholars, Civic Leaders, Muslim Leaders, Buddhist Leaders

Resources:

Donation and Grants

World Council of Religious Leaders
WCRL (New York, New York), www.millenniumPeacesummit.org

+Conferences (religious leaders)
+World Youth Peace Summit
+Service Programmes
+government and civic society (UN)

Current Duration of Operations:

6 years

Structure of Leadership:

Buddhist Leaders, Jewish Leaders, Muslim Leaders, Taoist Leaders, Civic Leaders, Government Leaders, Christian Leaders, Hindu Leaders, Academic Scholars, United Nations Representatives

Resources:

Donations

United Religions Initiative
URI (San Francisco, California), www.uri.org

+Local Initiatives (Cooperation Circles and Affiliates)
+Conferences (religious adherents and religious leaders)
+Youth Initiatives (Network)
+InterFaith Education
+Service Programmes (Peace advocacy)
+civic society and government (representative to UN)

Current Duration of Operations:

6 years

Structure of Leadership:

Global Council:

Christian Leaders, Buddhist Leaders, Academic Scholars, Muslim Leaders, Jewish Leaders

Secretariat

Regional Support

Membership (Local Cooperation Circles and Affiliates)

Resources:

Membership

Donations (Individual and Institutional)

InterFaith Youth Core
IFYC (Chicago, Illinois), www.ifyc.org

+Youth Initiatives
+Service Programmes
+Local Initiatives (expanding network of paradigm)
+Youth Conference

Current Duration of Operations:

8 years

Structure of Leadership:

Academic Scholars, Civic Leaders, Jewish Leaders, Christian Leaders, Muslim Adherents

Staff:

Academic Scholars, Christian Leaders, Muslim Adherents

Resources:

Donations

MultiFaith Centre, University of Derby
MFC (Derby, England), www.multiFaithnet.org

+Service (resources and programmes to facilitate interFaith dialogue and cooperation)

Current Duration of Operations:

15 years

Structure of Leadership:

Trustees:

Christian Leaders, Academic Scholars, Jewish Leaders

Staff:

Academic Scholars

Resources:

University of Derby

Religious Congregations

Donations (Individuals and Institutions)


V. This InterFaith Settlement

Tangible Beginnings
This InterFaith Settlement comparatively begins eight years ago whilst Peter F Womack maintains the Ralph J Bunche Fellowship with the Mid Atlantic office of Amnesty International. The initial notion is an international exchange programme to provide university students from different traditions with the opportunity to learn from each other whilst pursuing their respective occupations.

Peter F Womack continues to matriculate to Georgetown University Law Centre where he augments a previously established international network and builds working connexions with colleagues from throughout the World, including six continents, and all five areas of civilisation. Six years ago, with love for his family, with love from his family, after having earned a BA in Economics, an MBA in Entrepreneurship, having respectively worked within a banking corporation and an international human rights institution, and having maintained professional studies on three continents, Peter F Womack begins to communicate with colleagues and advisors to establish Asona.

Formation of Asona
Five years ago, Asona is initially established as a benevolent organisation to support the respective efforts of the comprehensive collection of groups and institutions within Washington, DC that advocate specific historic and cultural traditions. Asona is designed to provide a quarterly journal as well as continuing consultation with advocacy groups and institutions, student activists, academic scholars, civic leaders, and additional individuals and institutions. Amidst the increasing awareness of global consciousness, the consideration is to enhance the intrinsic and comprehensive benefits within globalisation; and the primary objective of Asona is to encourage cooperation, as well as mutual tolerance, understanding, and amicability, across previous historic and cultural divides.

Four years ago, the direct participants within Asona agree to continue to pursue their respective occupations whilst maintaining simultaneous involvement with Asona and whilst the necessary adaptations are made within the organisational method and approach of Asona. The consideration is to communicate and encourage the long term benefits that coincide with continuing cooperation.

Peter F Womack completes his legal studies with a JD in International Governance, continuing into international diplomacy and specifically working for an emerging nation seeking official recognition with the United Nations.

Discovery of Religious Traditions
The immediate and Universal relevance of religion becomes increasingly evident and Peter F Womack begins to study the respective religious traditions of the World, including Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. This includes reading through respective Holy Scriptures of the Torah, Nevim, and Ketuvim of Judaism; the Bhagavad Gita and portions of the Rig Veda of Hinduism; the Dhammapada and the first volume of the Digha Nikâya, both of the Tripitaka of Buddhism; the Gospels and the New Testament of Christianity; and the Koran and additional Hadith of Islam. Peter F Womack continues to adhere to the respective religious teachings of these respective Holy Scriptures through observing specific practices respectively shared within these respective religious traditions. In addition to daily prayers and meditation, this includes the observance of Shabbat, Holy Communion, (acknowledgement of Jumuah and Sunday Worship), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Diwali, Ramadan and Eid Fitr, Chanukah, Christmas, Eid Ul Adha, Magha Puja, Lent, Wesak, Holi, Pesah, Good Friday, Easter, and Dharma Day. This also includes continual reading and studying of the respective Holy Scriptures to enhance the proper manner of practising the respective, previously described religious observances. There is intended further studies and reading of additional Holy Scriptures, including the Talmud of Judaism; the remaining portions of the Rig Veda, the additional three Vedas, and Upanishads of Hinduism; the remaining two volumes of the Digha Nikâya, the Lotus Sutta, and the Abhidamma of Buddhism, the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocrypha, and additional recognised writings of Christianity, and additional Hadith of Islam.

Resulting from these studies, Peter F Womack adheres to a compilation of the basic principles specifically taught within the respective religious traditions of Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. These basic teachings are simply referred to as the Universal Principles of Faith:
Universal Principles of Faith


We shall only praise the one True God.

We shall only utilise the Name of God in Truth.

We shall abstain from making any graven image of that which is in Heaven, on Earth, or in the Sea beneath the Earth.

We remember Shabbat; we keep it Holy.

We honour our fars and our mors; so that we may have long life.

We shall abstain from killing.

We shall abstain from stealing.

We shall abstain from committing adultery.

We shall abstain from bearing false witness against our neighbour.

We shall abstain from coveting the house of our neighbour, the wife of our neighbour, the manservant of our neighbour, the maidservant of our neighbour, the ox or ass of our neighbour.
We progress Right Belief, Right Aspiration, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Thought, Right Meditation.

We do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

We abstain from the consumption of animals.

We abstain from intoxicants.

We abstain from games of chance.


Peace
Discovery of the InterFaith Movement
There is also the offering of comparative religion study sessions each Friday Jumuah from midday until sunset and the beginning of Shabbat.

The understanding from this religious study and religious adherence provides the acknowledgement of the necessity for fundamental tolerance amongst the many religious traditions of the World. In this respect, the international approach of Asona is increased to specifically concentrate upon historic divides that have existed between respective religious traditions. Three years ago, the Asona Ashram is established as an organisation within the InterFaith Movement, interacting with interFaith institutions and religious institutions.

The Asona Ashram is inspired by the example and teaching of Mohandas K Ghandi, providing a pragmatic example of humility and effective interaction with conventional society. The Asona Ashram is initially established with the intent of maintaining an interFaith residential and working centre that adheres to the Universal Principles of Faith and maintains consultation with interFaith institutions and religious institutions, as well as benevolent institutions, advocacy institutions, government institutions, and additional individuals, groups, and institutions within civic society.

In keeping with the comprehensive premise of interFaith cooperation, Peter F Womack receives the title of Imam, signifying a comparative (albeit comparatively new and modest) understanding of the respective Holy Scriptures previously described. After consultation with a number of religious leaders and adherents, specifically and respectively of Hinduism and Islam, the specific terms, ‘Ashram,’ and, ‘Imam,’ are abstained from being utilised to describe the operations of Asona and Peter F Womack, respectively, as a means of preventing the perception of such utilisation having been inaccurate or misleading. Instead, the term, ‘Magofe’ (mah · GO · fee), is utilised in addressing another individual with whom one is interested in expressing an equitable and endearing form of respect.

Three years ago, through the efforts of Asona, the Draft Charter of Asona University and the Draft Constitution for the Sovereign Nation of Afrea are established. Within the previous year, the Draft Humble Constitution of the United Nations is established as well. Also within the past year, Peter F Womack makes the decision to renounce the holding or exchanging of money.

Formation of This InterFaith Settlement
Through continuing interFaith and interreligious dialogue within the past three years, there is an increasing consideration of providing a pragmatic example of interFaith cooperation. One year ago, the approach of Asona as an interFaith residential and occupational centre is expanded into establishing an interFaith intentional community; thus, this InterFaith Settlement emerges.

This InterFaith Settlement is a forming intentional community that welcomes respective adherents of the many religious traditions of the World, including Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. This InterFaith Settlement is established as a means of providing an immediate and pragmatic example of how respective communities from different religious traditions can mutually rely upon each other and prosper whilst adhering to their respective religious traditions and beliefs.

The realisation of an idea involves temporal politics. With respect to this InterFaith Settlement, these temporal politics particularly pertain to location. Amidst a substantial consideration of the most amenable circumstances pertaining the establishment of this InterFaith Settlement, the specific location of Salt Fork Park, in Oyo (Ohio), is identified as the location for this InterFaith Settlement. The basic consideration in this identification is that establishing this InterFaith Settlement within a previous public park with a previously established infrastructure, is the least intrusive and least obstructive means of establishing this InterFaith Settlement.

The process of establishing this InterFaith Settlement within Salt Fork Park can be compared to the coinciding experience of the tribes of Israel wandering through the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land and a Buddhist monk walking the roads of Asia with his beggar’s bowl.