We have accomplished an unbelievable amount of work, it is all in front of you.

I hope your vision for America resonates with our work. If you feel, this is what you have always wanted America to be, or what you want our nation to be, I welcome you to join the Center for Pluralism as a volunteer, donor (big or small), inspirer, encourager, and writer with all your heart mind and soul. Please feel free to send me an email or call me. It is worth your while to glance at the work we have done.

Towards the end of this article, I have included a few sample videos and profile links representing the diversity of our work. Each video has a description for you to choose what you want to watch.

Everything in life, both war and peace, and conflicts in the family, community, or nation begin with an individual’s dream and actions spurred by fears.

My personal mission is to open people’s hearts and minds towards fellow beings. I am committed to building cohesive societies where each member of the society feels secure with his/her faith, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, politics, shape, size, and other uniqueness.

Whatever we do, we do it wholeheartedly with all our heart, mind, and soul.

Mike Ghouse, President
Center for Pluralism

Shaping America’s Future

Ten years from now, you will not find a place of work, worship, playground, school, restaurant, theater, and other areas of public gatherings where you will not see people of different faiths, races, and ethnicities interacting, working, studying, intermingling, playing and even marrying each other. These interactions are bound to create conflicts and it is our duty to prevent such conflicts, so each American can live securely with his or her faith, culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

We have already witnessed how the natives (those who have been here for several generations) feel about the new Americans. It is not a phobia, but a natural feeling of losing one’s way of life, and one’s world.

A vast majority of us have heard things about each other from our family members, friends, news & social media, and our teachers. Our hearsay knowledge of others pushed us to instantly form opinions about others. As responsible individuals, we must strive to strip stereotyping and build pathways to ensure the smooth functioning of our society, whether it is the workplace or our neighborhoods.

We need to reassure each other, particularly the disconnected ones, that together as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. Together as Americans, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution; a guarantor of the way of life each one of us wants to lead.

The Center for Pluralism will continue to bring non-stop actions in bringing Americans together from different faiths, political affiliations, societies, and cultures and be a catalyst for a safe and secure America for each one of us, as we move through this transition.

As we learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Please visit our website and participate as a volunteer, sponsor, or donor. We are a Washington-based non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization.

The first step is taken

The first step is accomplished with the establishment of the Center for Pluralism. The next step is to establish a credit course in pluralism to coach political, civic, religious, and business leaders to shape our future with inclusiveness. The leaders would learn to respect the otherness of the other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of their constituents. They can dislike an individual based on their personal experience, but not because of an individuals’ race, faith, ethnicity, shape, size, or culture.

I am seeking fellow Americans to join me, who not only wish to see a world where people get along with each other and enjoy their lives at work and home but also want to be a catalyst for such a change. Employers want productive employees and not the ones who are tense and distrust the fellow worker because he/she is a Jew, Muslim, Christian or a Hindu, Mexican, Arab or Chinese, Black, or White. A tense free environment creates a peaceful person who will give 100% of his attention to the family when she or he is home with them instead of being occupied with getting even with the guys at work.

If you have a similar vision to see a world where each one of us lives securely, then prosperity comes to all, and particularly to you, the contributor, the donor, and the philanthropist towards creating such an environment.

Most of us admire Bill Gates. He is one of the rare humans who has become a billionaire by making millionaires out of the people working for him. He saw his prosperity comes by helping others prosper. I am of the belief that if we can create a safe world for each one of us, all of us will benefit in the end and live with contentment, after all, that is why we bust our tails at work.

Our organization is yours when you join. At the Center for Pluralism, we realize that the purpose of government, religion, or a social and civic organization is to ensure all its members will have an opportunity to live their lives in pursuit of their happiness regardless of their invincibility or vulnerability.

The process of positive change begins by “Respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us resulting in conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance.

All our activities at the Center for pluralism are geared to bring Americans Together in social, religious, cultural, political, business, civic and other settings. The more we know each other, the fewer the conflicts would be. We have programs in place to achieve this mission. We need your support to take it to the world.

One man can make a difference; indeed, all the good and bad things in the world are initiated or dreamt up by an individual, and others join in to create the movement.

Our work is not for a single faith, race, or community. Our Board Members are represented by different races and faiths and we are waiting to have more people join us, provided, they are “willing” to be prejudice-free. If I want to retire securely, and want my kids and grandkids to live worry free, I have to create a world where all are secure. My security hinges on the security of the people around me. It behooves me to invest my energies here.

Accomplishments

You feel happy when you see justice is served to everyone, You feel good at the end of most movies when the hero wins over the villainous characters. I am happiest when people open their hearts, minds, and souls towards fellow humans. A few quick examples from our workshops, lectures, and seminar are as follow:

Impact

We are pleased to share that our work has had its impact on bringing about a positive change. Through our Annual programs like the Unity Day, Holocaust, and Genocides, Thanksgiving Celebrations, Festival of Faiths, and other programs, individuals who had no idea about Hinduism began respecting Hinduism, and many have started reading Bhagavad Gita to understand Hinduism. Some of them dropped their bias against Atheism and started seeing their point of view without denigrating. A few started seeing Paganism as another tradition rather than looking down upon it. Many of them have accepted homosexuality as a part of society. Those who hated Islam started learning that they were misinformed and stopped being Islamophobes and living free from tensions. The closet anti-Semites woke up to common sense and start shedding their biases.

Americans from different faiths, races, and ethnicities attend the programs and walk out questioning their own biases and many have come out of it. Our goal is to open people’s hearts, minds and souls towards each other

One of the few complaints about God is that he forgot to include “Exclusion” and “Arrogance” as mortal sins. They are the root cause of all evil on the earth and he forgot these two and listed all other important stuff in all the religions of the worlds, both oral and written traditions.

If you are looking for instant results, you will be disappointed, it takes years for people to see the value based on one’s actions. Bhagavad Gita says, do the work as a duty and not for the fruit of it, God in the Quran says to Muhammad, your job is to give the message and it is up to me to give them the will to accept it and suggests him not to be frustrated. Indeed, I take that message seriously. The most critical value of life is free will.

The message of all the great souls like Moses, Jesus, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira, Abraham, Jesus, Rama, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah, and several others is for the entire humanity, they were not the exclusive property of anyone. They were as universal as the Sun and the Moon, their message should not be monopolized by any group, they are a guide to humanity. I thank God every day for falling the barrier between me and another human, there is so much joy in being free from prejudices.

Islam teaches me that God is not the exclusive property of anyone, rather, we are all his creation, he is the creator of the entire universe, so is Prophet Muhammad, the man who is a mercy to everyone in the universe, life, and matter.

Today in Dallas, we have 10 clergies from different faiths, who did the workshop with me on Quran – they read the truth first hand in the Quran, and have learned to separate the false charges that the Quran teaches violence or wants “to kill the infidels wherever you find them”. They see the Quran as a book of guidance to create cohesive societies. I want to do the same for all faiths. All faiths are equally dear to me.

You will be surprised to know that even Muslims have misunderstood the purpose and essence of Islam, the traditional educators keep repeating what is dished out to them by scholars from medieval times during the crusades. You will get to read what the scholars say, and also the peeled out version of Pristine Islam in the upcoming challenging book American Muslim Agenda, the information is at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

A few of the significant accomplishments are listed here; a full 60-page document with pictures, a summary of accomplishments, and links are available upon request.

CENTER FOR PLURALISM | 2021 GOALS
& WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED

Pluralism is respecting the otherness of the other.
Our work involves pluralism in politics, religion, society, the workplace, and standing up for the rights of fellow humans. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington and Dallas.

We hope your vision for America resonates with our work, and if it does, the ask is on the last page.

Our Mission is to build cohesive societies.
What is a Cohesive Society? A community or a nation where every member of the society feels secure about his/her ethnicity, faith, culture, and other uniqueness.
Our Vision is to see every human live without apprehensions through our programs.
Our goal is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other.
Shaping the future of America — Link
If we are together, our focus will be on the well-being of ourselves and fellow Americans’ peace and prosperity. Otherwise, we will be battling with each other and living in apprehensions. Our long-term security hinges on the security of the people around us. Our peace of mind depends on peace among people who live in our city, so it behooves us to work for such a society, even for a selfish reason.
The Center for Pluralism is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, your donations are tax-deductible.
Center for Pluralism is also known as the America Together Foundation. We have been operating since 1996 as the Foundation for Pluralism and incorporated in 2014 as the Center for Pluralism. Please donate generously after reviewing our work in the past and the plans for the future. https://centerforpluralism.com/donate/
Mother Teresa’s wisdom has inspired us, she said, “If you want to make peace with your enemies, go talk with them.” Talking among ourselves won’t change a thing. So, we reach out and talk with those who are perceived to be against us with significant success.

Bring Americans Together (precise work listed in the following pages)
Set up Council of advisors from different faiths & political parties
Workshops for Congressmen and Senators on pluralism
Workshops on Pluralism for the general public to learn about each other.
Pluralism prayers to open Congressional and Senate sessions
Workshops on Political Pluralism – how to run for political office
Workshops on building cohesive workplaces
Produce TV and Radio Shows about building cohesive America
Work on improved race relations through our programs.
India Campaign to urge the CEO’s, Senators and Congressmen to restore freedoms.
Campaigns to protect the rights of the minorities everywhere.
Busting myths about different religions
Essence of religions program to learn first hand about each faith.
Working on humans’ rights
Pluralism online newspaper is planned to start.
21^st Annual Thanksgiving Dinner
16^th Annual Holocaust and Genocides
17^th Annual Unity Day USA
3^rd Annual July 4^th Celebrations
2^nd Annual Festival of Faiths
Seek grants
Hire Exec Director
Pluralism Compendium

We have suggested the following actions to the White House for materializing President Biden’s dream of bringing Americans Together. If they choose, we may take up the work.

We are not affiliated with the Democrats or Republicans, however, we will work with anyone who works on the theme of inclusive America.

Actively reach out to the rural and blue-collar White population and bring them to the discussion table, including fellow Americans who did not vote for President Biden.
Dealing with the people on far-right.
Working with the right-wing Media.
From hostility to hospitality with violent groups.
Listening to very American in organized monthly meetings.
Interfaith activism to encourage participation from every religious group.
Civic activism to encourage frequent interactions between different races and ethnicities.
Offer seminars in religious, political, civic, and workplace pluralism across the nation.
Bringing Americans Together.
The side effect: The United States was listed as 19th on the International Happiness Index in 2017, and sadly we slipped to the 13th position in the last four years. Our work’s side effect ought to restore us back and perhaps go for the 10th position by mid-term.

If we can learn to respect the otherness of the others, and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge to move forward. I know what needs to be done in a given conflict or a situation, and have the time-tested instincts to do it right.

RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
To bring American’s Together©

1. Standing up for others: We have stood up for people’s rights from every major faith, including the Native Americans, Atheists, and the LGTBQ community. The idea was to encourage and inspire fellow Americans to stand up for the rights of others. Full report at www.StandingupforOthers.com, and a book is in the making on the subject.

We are a part of over 100 letter campaigns (2020) for religious freedom around the world from America to Vietnam and every nation in between.

2. 9/11 and our commitment – On September 11, 2001, right after the plane hit the first building, AM Radio 1150 called Mike to man the Radio to bring coherence to the chaotic day. For nearly seven hours, he took live calls from area Mayors, civilians, religious and community leaders, and the public to allay fears and give hope. During the show, interfaith prayers in different places of worship were set up, he drove people to donate blood and arranged fundraisers for the men and women in uniform who were saving lives that day. He brought hope and comfort to people in Dallas. The full story is at https://theghousediary.com/my-9-11-story/

3. Holocaust and Genocides commemoration. Restoring harmony in the world is our sacred duty. Since 2006, we have organized annual gatherings of people from different faiths to reflect on the Holocaust and Genocides. The purpose of this event is education, information, and activism. We hope to learn and acknowledge our failings and make a personal commitment to say, “Never Again.” Our guests have walked out of the event with a genuine feeling of becoming contributors towards building cohesive societies where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. www.HolocaustandGenocides.com

4. Security of Americans abroad. Following Pastor Terry Jones’s announcement to burn 2998 copies of the Quran in Mulberry, Florida, in 2013, the eruption of violence was expected. Our concerns were the security of Americans around the world including our servicemen in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. We decided to handle the issue and set the twin goals of defending free speech and creating a non-violent conflict mitigation model to prevent the burning of copies of the Quran.

We appealed to Muslims to adhere to Prophet Muhammad’s model of praying for the miscreants instead of taking revenge or getting even. It was also a reminder to Muslims that free speech is an Islamic value and a suggestion to fellow Americans that violence was not Islamic but an act of the mischief mongers. We are seeking producers to make a documentary to change Muslims who resort to violence when Prophet Muhammad’s cartoons or such incidences occur while letting fellow humans know that it was not Islam. The State Department followed our work during that episode documented here; https://quranburningpastorterryjones.blogspot.com/

5. From Hostility to Hospitality – dealing with violent groups. In October 2015, a gun-toting Supremacist group was planning to hold anti-Muslim demonstrations across 19 mosques in the United States. At a meeting of 30 plus Muslim leaders, chaired by former Congressman Keith Ellison at CAIR’s national headquarters, they decided to close the Mosques and not deal with the gun-totters. Mike spoke up and suggested to keep the Mosques open and give the gun-toting men a warm welcome with water, hot dogs, and American flags. Indeed, it was a God-sent opportunity to change their perception by hospitality instead of hostility. A press release followed it – The supremacist group canceled the program, knowing that there will not be resistance but a welcome with genuine hospitality.

6. Dealing with far-left – No doubt the people on the left bring about changes disregarding the sentiments of the people on the right. You cannot uproot anything overnight; changes have to be gradual. The conservatives of yesterday are liberals of today. We are developing strategies in working with the far-left.

7. Dealing with far-Right – A majority of people from among the far right are open to dialogue if we make the right effort, the change cannot be expected immediately, it is a long-term project. If we want them to be inclusive, we have to be inclusive first. Mike has successfully dealt with people on the far right and ironically some of them acknowledged that they have to come to the center. The following five items are among many of our accomplishments with the shortest possible description, details are in the links.

8. Sean Hannity stopped bashing the Quran after a long conversation with him – Mike had a total of 110 appearances on his TV show on Fox News. It was not easy, but we accomplished the desired result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd-mgSFziII

9. Stuart Varney at Fox News pledged and maintained not to use the phrase Muslim Terrorists after a successful demonstration against ISIS at the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial and reasoning with him that religion is an intangible item https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGSti7f9F-A

10. Grizzly Joe hated Democrats, Mike caught him at a C-Pac meeting, and after a difficult conversation, he read Mike’s letter addressed to Trump on camera and declared, the right has to come towards the center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMdYr0UiPR8

11. Congressman Peter King – changed his tone on April 15, 2013, on the Boston Marathon Bombing occasion. After a Hannity show in February, Hannity said to Mike that it is not all Muslims but a few radicals he had a problem with and said, “Mike, you are my first Muslim friend, and I respect you, and will not bash Muslims but radicals to please you.” upon which King had clapped. On April 15, on CNN Camera, King said, 96% of Muslims are good, which is a significant change in his tone – it was not Muslims, but only 4% he had concerned with.

12. Daniel Pipes at Mike’s prompting, Pipes corrected a speaker that Muslims do not curse Jews five times a day. https://centerforpluralism.com/anti-muslim-advocacy-day-tarek-fatah-was-pushed-back/ Annual Unity Day USA – We established Unity Day and have had over 600 participants in the peak years. The people of the United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture, and background gathered to express their commitment to the co-existence, unity, prosperity, and well-being of our nation. The purpose of the event was to bring Americans together to rededicate our pledge to one nation with liberty and justice for all. We have some dramatic impact from the interactions and people walked out believing that we are all in this together to build a cohesive America. We have been organizing this event since 2005. www.UnitydayUSA.com

13. Annual Thanksgiving Celebrations. A time of gratitude and celebrations of cultural pluralism and appreciating men and women amidst us who have learned to accept each other as they are’ and express their joys through their unique cultural dances since 1994. The impact of the program was the acceptance of different cultures and opening up to others. http://thanksgivingcelebrations.org/

14. Busting Myths about different communities. The ongoing workshops on shedding myths about others and learning first hand that they are no different. Myths continue to prevail between Jews and Christians, Muslims and Hindus, Christians and Muslims and Muslims and Jews. The purpose of the event is to remove the barriers and free people from prejudices. It is a bridge-building event. https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops/Wisdom of Religion – Radio shows on learning the wisdom of different faiths – Mike did 780 hours of talk shows explaining each major religion’s wisdom and how they contribute to building a cohesive America. Info: http://pluralism.org/news/dallas-hosts-new-multi-faith-radio-show/
Info: https://www.smu.edu/Perkins/News/News_Archives/Archives2012/Faith_Forum_Panel/GhouseInfo: https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-dallas-morning-news/20090614/281968898661320

15. Workshops on the essence of religions. 13 Religions in 13 months, four sets of live workshops were conducted for fellow Americans to understand the essence of other religions. When we live as neighbors, fellow workers, students, activists, and inhabitants of the same city, it behooves us to learn about each other’s beliefs, motivations, moments of celebrations, devotions, or commemorations. The more we know about the other, the less mythical they become, creating a friendly environment for us to function efficiently in whatever we do. Knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance of others’ otherness, taking us into living with fewer tensions and becoming a catalyst for sustainable prosperity.

16. Festivals of the world – A series of explainer writings about festivals of major faiths were published in 1994 for fellow Americans to understand why and how other people celebrate their joys. As we learn about others, we open up to them. https://centerforpluralism.com/festivals/How to run for Public Office. Monthly workshops on how to run for public office (Political Pluralism) – The purpose is to orient future politicians with inclusive, pluralistic attitudes. https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops/

16. Busting Myths about different communities. An educational series of conversations to bust myths between Jews and Christians, Muslims and Hindus, Christians and Muslims, and race relations. https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops/

17. Pre-empting reactions to the Quran Bashing. Pastor Robert Jeffress said to his 3000-member congregation in the First Baptist Church of Dallas – “Quran is a false book written by a false prophet.” Before anyone could react to it, Mike decided to deal with it squarely and presented a Quran Workshop explained by ten leaders from different faiths. It had a significant impact; fellow Americans got to know that the Pastor was false, the Quranic verses encouraged pluralism and respect for other religions. Full information at http://quraanconference.blogspot.com/

18. July 4th Celebrations: Bringing Americans together on July 4th Celebration is an enriching experience. It is about the display of unity among Americans. We need to start thinking and acting as one people. July 4th is an excellent opportunity for Americans to come together and celebrate our freedom. https://centerforpluralism.com/happy-july-4th-muslim-contributions-to-america/

19. Veterans Day – We are grateful to the men and women in uniform who risk their lives defending our freedom and guarding our safety. Mike has participated in the Veterans Day Parade and has spoken at homeless Veterans centers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q43qnhfZ93A&t=20s

20. Memorial Day – We have joined in the tradition of honoring our Veterans on this Memorial Day by visiting the Cemeteries for a short prayer for the last eight years. It is an annual event, and he hopes to bring interfaith gatherings to honor our men and women. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUCHWggiwqw&t=28s

21. Ground Zero Mosque – America missed an opportunity to lead the world and set the tone for a world of co-existence. The Cordoba Center was to become a Mecca for teaching Pluralism and a model for other nations to emulate. Mike fought with Pamela Geller about her demonstrations against the mosque on the Radio. Mike was on Hannity for a whole week. While the tragedy will never fade from our memories, we have to consider the political opportunists who opposed the Muslim Center near Ground Zero. It was an abuse of patriotism for political gain. Mike was fully involved in the conversation. http://groundzeromosque.blogspot.com

22. Dallas Morning News – Thanks to Dallas Morning News’ Texas Faith Column, where Mike wrote 250 pieces over a period of 5 years, each article weaves thru several faith traditions, it is a common road that all religions travel upon. No tradition was excluded. The readers cherished the articles as they started seeing the essential values of their faith in other faiths.

23. Huffington Post – About 125 Articles over a period of 10 years, mostly interfaith pieces. Our fellow Americans start seeing the beauty of each festival in each religion and started relating to it. When you do that, the biases evaporate into thin air. Link: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/mikeghouse-302 Link: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/mike-ghouse

24. Other Newspapers – About 300 Newspapers have published our work including the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Statesmen, Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Times of India, Op-Ed News, Indian Panorama, The Daily Arab News, Korean News, and a host of other papers around the globe. And all South American Newspapers carried our picture on their front page when I walked into Farmers Branch Mayor’s office with fellow Americans to protest against the draconian immigration policy the City wanted to pursue.

25. Circumcision – The City of San Franciso and Santa Monica in California initiated a referendum to ban circumcision, and we immediately wrote an article that it was not a cult practice, but a 3000-year-old religious practice done openly. It was followed by two more articles by Rabbis at Huffington Post. The referendum was removed and our article was cited in it. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/circumcision-satire_b_872270

26. Who Owns Allah – Malaysia was troubled by the fundamentalist and wanted to prevent usage of the word “Allah” other than Muslims. The Sikhs and Christians used Allah to refer to God, the battle was raging, and thanks to God the Malaysian Newspaper published our article, who owns Allah, followed by others and the case was resolved. The fundamentalists backed off. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/who-owns-allah-the-god-th_b_4143551

27. President Trump – Reaching out to President Trump – Mike produced a simple 4 paragraph dream letter for President Trump to review. He was at the C-PAC meeting and passed the message to Matt Schlapp, president of the conservative Union, he read it, it is on video, and said, he will give it to President Trump. The next day, I handed the letter to VP Pence, emailed or texted Trump’s men and women – Then on the first address to the joint house, he started his speech, the first two sentences were an expression in my letter. I had asked him to speak for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and the Mexicans, he excluded Muslims and Mexicans from the speech.

“Fellow Americans, you chose me to be your President, and now help me do the right thing. Listen carefully, stop those ‘few’ guys who are a threat to fellow Americans, particularly the bomb threats against the Jewish Community Centers which is not acceptable. We will hunt them down and punish them accordingly.

Stop the radicals from harassing the Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Immigrants, African Americans, or anyone for that matter, the actions of those few are a terrible reflection on my administration. I will not tolerate anyone messing with fellow Americans under my Presidency, neither should you? Stop them now.” “CFP delivers the letter to President Trump.” https://centerforpluralism.com/cfp-delivers-the-letter-to-president-trump/

28. Hillary Clinton – Two days before the election on 11/06/16, Mike wrote a Dream Speech for Hillary at Huffington Post. What is unique about that speech is the inclusion of fellow Americans who were ignored, had Hillary listened to me, she would not have lost elections. What is rewarding is, Peggy Noonan wrote the same idea two weeks after the elections and received the Pulitzer prize for it. She needs to share that with me! Here are a few excerpts

My priority is to reach out to my fellow Americans who had it right until the disaster from wars brought misery to them; the white Americans. We are going to find ways and means for them to recover from the difficult times they have endured, while other Americans have prospered.

Believe me, the White Americans, Black Americans, Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans, immigrant Americans, and all other Americans want each one of us to prosper, particularly the disaffected White Americans. Our prosperity hinges on the prosperity of people around us. None of us will succeed if some of us are left behind.

I am committed to restoring justice to my fellow Americans who lost their jobs in manufacturing, who live on farms, and to fellow Americans who do not have an education or technical skills. All the men and women who are plumbers, electricians, repairmen, drivers, janitors, and small business owners, and taking care of them is a priority of my administration. We will restore our glory days, and in the end, no American will be left out.

Hillary’s last-ditch effort – the final speech – https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillarys-last-ditch-effort-the-final-speech_us_581f90f8e4b0102262411963

More items at https://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/

We have conflicts with each other because we have not taken the time to know each other and go by the myths piled up on each other. The purpose of all these events is to bring Americans together; the more we learn about each other, the fewer the conflicts.

AND FINALLY,

Nothing has ever happened without someone taking an initiative. The wars have begun with an individual’s drive, the and bad things also start with an individual. The good things also start with someone taking an initiative and that is shaping the future of America. You may subscribe to Margaret Mead’s statement “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Goethe, “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy… Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.… Whatever you can do or dream that you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Mike Ghouse, ” Whatever you do in life, do it wholeheartedly, there is joy in it for everyone around including ourselves”

Mike has put all his funds, effort, and time into building the first Institution in America to teach the values of Pluralism in politics, religion, society, and the workplace. He is totally committed to it.

Mike connects with the Democrats as well as the Republicans; he even attends c-PAC meetings and watches MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News to understand different perspectives and offer pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Mike lives in an all-African American community to live his practice of pluralism and his articles have been published in Black Newspapers. https://centerforpluralism.com/black-neighborhood-is-my-neighborhood/

YOUR ROLE

I am asking you to consider becoming a part of shaping the future of America. Every American has to feel secure about his/her ethnicity, faith, race, national background, culture, and other uniqueness. We must retire without apprehensions.

We hope your vision for America resonates with our work, and if it does, please consider becoming a part of shaping the future of America.

Please feel free to call me.

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 | [email protected] Office (202) 290-3560

************************** work in process below *********************

29. AMBASSADOR BROWNBACK

The Ambassador for Religious freedom has a great group of people updating him on religious freedom across the world. I am one of the many signatories to several letters sent to different heads of the government to preserve the religious liberty of the people, including India.
Google: Brownback Ghouse, you will find several articles.

30. INTERFAITH WEDDING OFFICIANT

Interfaith marriages are becoming the new norm of society. In a few years, one out of two unions would be of interfaith. Yes, this is across the board, whether you are a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Baha’i, Atheist or the other. According to the Pew survey, 40% of people of faiths will be marrying a person of another religion, it is higher among Jews, it’s 50%.

I am blessed to have officiated secular ceremonies for a few, and religious interfaith ceremonies for Jewish-Christian, Hindu-Christian, Bahai-Jewish, Hindu-Jewish, Atheist-Jain, and several other combinations. Being a Muslim, I am pleased to have officiated weddings for Muslims in a variety of combinations; Muslim-Christian, Muslim-Jewish, Muslim-Hindu, Muslim-Mormon, Muslim-Sikh, Muslim-Jain, Muslim-Buddhist and Muslim and an Atheist.

Website: http://interfaithmarriages.org/

31. SHARIA LAWS

Summary: As Americans, we are apprehensive about the Sharia laws and the fears are real for some people. I say, fear not, American Muslims have no appetite for the Sharia as practiced in a few orthodox nations, and no American Muslim wants the Public Sharia, except the Private Sharia which is between an individual and God. Sharia serves as the constitution in other nations, and it badly needs amendments like our constitution.

Info: www.ShariaLaws.com
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBcUVQmi6dU&t=102s

32. BLASPHEMY LAWS

Summary: Blasphemy laws have no basis in the Quran, God is about justice and mercy, and not cruelty and tyranny. Those who claim to defend the dignity of God, Prophet, Quran, and Islam really do not have faith in them. They are afraid God, Prophet, Quran, and Islam will disappear from the face of the earth without their protection. They are wrong! We are bloody mortal beings here today and gone tomorrow, whereas God, Prophet, Quran, and Islam have been around and will always be there. There should be no punishment for Blasphemy, it is not in the Quran and it was not practiced by the prophet.

Info: http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/
Video:

33. ISRAEL PALESTINE DIALOGUE

Summary: to be updated – everything about the issue.
Website: http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/
Video:

34. PLURALISTIC ETHOS OF INDIA

Summary: to be updated
Website: http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
Video:

35. INTERFAITH WEDDING OFFICIANT

Summary: to be updated
Website: www.InterfaithMarriages.org
Video:

36. CRICKET

In 1996 we held an Exhibition Cricket Match between the Ambassadors (or someone from the Embassy) of Cricket playing nations represented by UK, India, Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, NewZealand, South Africa, Jamaica, and others. Putting Dallas on Cricket map of the world. When I was the president of the North Texas Cricket Association, the organization grew from a team of 6 to 30 teams, and I secured several cricket grounds from different cities including four in Plano. I also instituted the first ever Cricket development program – where all the players had to go through mandatory continuing education through renowned umpires including Greg Chapel. Our organization won the award for Best Cricket development in the Western Hemisphere.

Info: to be updated

37. ACTIVISM

My heroes are the activists, who get out on the street and demonstrate against injustice to anyone anywhere. These demonstrators are the reason we have the freedom and democracy in our nation. Over the last 25 years, I have taken part in many demonstrations and have organized a few. Had we listened to Michel Moore and Cindy Sheehan, we would have saved nearly a million people’s lives.

I thank God and Mother Teresa for inspiring me with her words, “If you want to make peace with your enemies,” she said, “go talk with them.” I thank God and my parents for instilling guts in me to speak up and reach out to the most difficult people on the planet. I have spoken and participated in the Gaza Rally, which a few of my right-wing Jewish friends had difficulty with. And in the same year, I participated, spoke, prayed and stood with the Jewish community at the Holocaust Museum, two Synagogues, Texas Jewish post, and Akiba Academy, and of course, a few right-wing Muslims had a problem with that. What they fail to see is what their holy books say -Saving a life is like saving the whole humanity.

38. WORLD MUSLIM CONGRESS

WMC is a think tank formed in 2001 with the intent of restoring Islam to its pristine nature and stripping all the cultural elements from it. We had a strong yahoo group called WorldMuslimCongress with 1800 members from across the world vigorously debating about the issues. More at www.WorldMuslimCongress.org

39– 67 Items will be uploaded asap.

I am grateful to many many people who have been an influence in my life, from my parents, sibling, kids, spouses, friends, bosses, co-workers, customers, clients, vendors, patrons, fans and well wisher and just the people I know. One of these days, I will list all their names as an expression of gratitude. My sister Dilshad has been the most steady influence in my life.

No one wanted to be the first, and I have done things that no one has done before. One of the 67 examples listed below is holding a Demonstration against ISIS on the steps of Lincoln Memorial – Fox News supported and lauded it, and right after that, 11 other demonstrations took place within a month. They were hesitant, once one paves the way, others will follow.

In my English class at Central College in Bangalore, my friends called me Everready. That has stuck to me and has become a part of me. I am never hesitant to be the first one to raise the hand, clap or volunteer and take the lead. A few may resent that, but that is me. I have been sitting on the front bench most of my life.

My whole life is an experience of taking on challenges whether it is business or social work or even sports and entertainment. Nothing I have done has been done before. Whatever I do, I do it wholeheartedly. I take failure as necessary stepping stones for accomplishing the mission.

Let me share the secret – Bruce Williams, a Radio talk show host in the early ’80s blasted me for asking if I can “try” working part-time in business to see if that works. He said either you do it or you don’t, the idea of trying is nothing but setting up for failure. That was the best advice I have received in my life in contrast to the story of Temoor Lung’s story of try, try again. Tariq bin Ziyad’s story of burning the ships when he crossed the straights of Gibraltar has deeply influenced me, his message was crystal clear; there is no going back. A commitment is a commitment! This has been my life, I jump with two feet in whatever I do with all of my mind, heart, and soul into it.

Mother Teresa’s wisdom has helped me deal with people on the extreme left and the right. I meet people with the attitude that I have no enemies and no one is out to get me. If I am biased, then I cannot blame the others for their bias, if I am not inclusive I cannot ask others to be inclusive. That is the reason I can sit with Sean Hannity, talk with Pamela Geller and walk with Brigette Gabriel or deal with anyone on the extreme left or right because I don’t see them as a threat to me, they are not my enemies. In John McCain’s words, we are fellow Americans that differ.

Back to Mother Teresa, she said, “If you want to make peace with your enemy, go talk with them.” Talking among friends does not change the equation, talking with the ones opposed to you has a chance of putting a dent into the relationship. The Quranic verse 41:34 beefs it up when it says, treat your enemy with kindness, who knows, they may become the best of your friends. it is has happened to me several times. The Chinese proverb fits right in with this if you want to eliminate your enemy for good, make friends with them and that is what Jesus must have meant, love your enemies. The purpose of all their effort is to create cohesive societies, where no one has to live in fear of the other.

Goethe’s wisdom runs in my veins now, “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy… Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. Whatever you can do or dream that you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Ray Bradbury, “If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.”

That is what I have done, jump off the cliffs, been hurt a few times, but overall, I am happy with my life. I have one life to live and want to live it in full and live purposefully.

Dr. Abdul Hamid Abusulayman “There is a clear distinction between doubts and problems. Doubts provoke obstruction, frustration, and discouragement, whereas problems inspire motivation, action, and diligence.

And I have formed my own quotations, one of them is, ” Whatever you do in life, do it wholeheartedly, there is joy in it for everyone around including ourselves” I give credit to my younger brother Shan for this attitude, Kaleem for the phrase “Life is a time pass” and it is, the youngest one, Farooq for his caring attitude towards the family. Of course, my sister Dilshad has been a stable positive influence in my life. I have learned from my daughter Mina and son Jeff as well and frequently mention them in my workshops what I have learned from them. One of them is “Gee Dad, God can be worshipped in so many ways.” I am blessed with my friends Abusaleh Shariff, Adil Khan, and Zafar Iqbal from Delhi, Dallas, and DC respectively.

Doing things wholeheartedly is one of the many motivational talks I give along with Michami Dukadam, i.e., cleaning each other’s slate and starting over.

Videos: A sampling of diverse, small to large events.

There are about 2000 videos with over 350 on National TV. Just place Mike Ghouse Videos in Google Search and you will get most of them and I am trying to list them all at https://mikeghousevideo.blogspot.com/

Dallas Immigration Rally for Immigration Reforms

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Annual Holocaust and Genocide event – Since 2006

We have to learn to acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other, and we have to commit to resisting the temptations to be prejudiced or to stereotype others. We cannot demand peace unless we are peaceful ourselves.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=uneRYgYfgWI%3Fstart%3D61%26feature%3Doembed

Festival of Faiths – Celebrating America
When we live as neighbors, we might as well learn about each other. The best way to build cohesive societies is for its members to understand each other’s sorrows and joys, and festivities and commemorations. Wouldn’t it be nice if you know a little bit about your neighbor’s festival and perhaps invite them to your celebrations to start safe neighborhoods by understanding each other? Every human and every religious group celebrates something or the other in their way, each one is different, but the essence is the same; celebrations and commemorations. A simple language is used for most people to get a gist of it.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2vAwvoqz01I%3Fstart%3D163%26feature%3Doembed

Positive Power of Engagement with Sean Hannity and Fox News
Many people have difficulty with Sean Hannity, some of them hate him, if you watch my interactions with him, he is another fellow with different information, if you see his point of view with patience, then he will see your point of view. Don’t expect the results in one or two interactions, it took me four years, and the humiliation I endured, in the beginning, was worth it at the end.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gd-mgSFziII%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Apology to Jews, Christians, and Hindus
This is the story of the Quran mistranslations, how politicians and the insecure men seek the change through false information. My sincere apology to Christians, Jews, Hindus and others who have read the wrong translation of the Quran. It is also the story of how Bhagavad Gita was a catalyst in choosing Islam to be my faith along with Karen Armstrong’s book on Muhammad.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5ZOFLQSAOhA%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Native Americans Greetings
Religious greetings from major religions, religious greetings are the icebreakers, they break the apprehension that comes with a stranger.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=u27uKQm60iI%3Fstart%3D36%26feature%3Doembed

At Capitol Hill with Congressman Don Beyer

Now, thank God, I know many Senators and Congressmen and have held several events on Capitol Hill – and a few more to be held this year. To me they are our representatives, they are not Republicans or Democrats to me. I reach them as Americans. I am at equal ease with both the parties.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=if1cjK1ABXw%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Sikh Community Honored
Our annual Unity Day event honors exemplary individuals and organizations for their work in promoting peaceful methods in resolving conflicts. The Jewish Community, the African American Community, and the Muslim communities have been honored over the years and here is the Sikh community of Dallas was honored for the exemplary role in dealing with the Wisconsin Shooting.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-usoXuTrclI%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Veterans Day
It is a tradition among many faiths to pray for humanity and seek blessings for those who sacrificed their lives for the benefit of all, and many an American will be visiting the cemeteries around the country to pay their homage. Annual visits to Veterans Day parade and speak at Homeless Veterans Luncheons, visit them at VA Hospital.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vdLB5X1E54g%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Memorial Day
“The freedom that you and I cherish did not come to us on a platter, and was not ‘a given’ either; it was earned for us through the sacrifices of men and women who fought for it. It is particularly an important day for all the immigrants who enjoy the freedom and all the opportunities America offers, and owe that gratitude to our veterans. Every Memorial Day, as an American and a Muslim I stop at different veteran Cemeteries, in 2010 I drove from Louisville, Ky to Dallas, Texas and stopped at every Veteran’s Cemetery in the 850 Miles drive.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KUCHWggiwqw%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Dr. Frank Islam interviews Mike
When I moved to Washington DC, Dr. Frank Islam honored me with an interview on his show, here I laid out the goals I wanted to achieve with my move.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4Qalk61ob18%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Civil Dialogue Explained
There is a chapter in the Quran, a model for teaching how to conduct civil Dialogue. A full chapter is included in the upcoming book, info at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

https://youtube.com/watch?v=bCRJSBfl58Y%3Ffeature%3Doembed

To President Obama – Say yes to Palestine
It was during the UN vote to recognize Palestine. The United States made a mistake by not recognizing Palestine, it would have paved the way for peace and relieved Jews from the pangs of the conscience they endure between being just and secure.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oNYmI6MlhZw%3Ffeature%3Doembed

What is Unity Day?
I wrote the full story of 9.11, I was on Radio on that day trying to bring coherence to the chaos of the day. Which was read by over 1.5 Million people? It is a day to…. hear it on the vide in 59 seconds.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=U1Wxo-vSMjc%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Muslims are an integral part of America from the very beginning
Muslims are a part of America from the very beginning, watch the video

https://youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries%3Flist%3DPLRSNqW6IK-6Jg7m8nlaWc_EvYsByfedaB

Symposium: Are Religious Scriptures a source of conflict or harmony?
A Rabbi, Imam, Pastor, and a Pundit respond at Capitol Hill event – At CFP, our seminars are in-depth and going beyond the politically correct surface polishing. https://staticxx.facebook.com/connect/xd_arbiter/r/j-GHT1gpo6-.js?version=43#channel=f626e10f04479&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theghousediary.com https://www.facebook.com/v3.2/plugins/video.php?app_id=&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2Fr%2Fj-GHT1gpo6-.js%3Fversion%3D43%23cb%3Df15c52cbcb6d%26domain%3Dwww.theghousediary.com%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theghousediary.com%252Ff626e10f04479%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=729&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDr.MikeGhouse%2Fvideos%2F10160745332295249%2F%3Ffref%3Dmentions&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&width=625

Intra-faith Dialogue
For the first time in the United States, we held an intrafaith dialogue between Sunni, Shia and Ahmadiyya Muslims at Rice University in Houston. Since then, we have done three more programs.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TNGfBUXGm4I%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Dealing with Quran Burning Pastor Terry Jones
We hope to make a documentary on this, it will make a very exciting movie – What is sacred? Holy books, Mother, Prophet, Flag, and Freedom of Speech and…?

It is a successful real-life story set in Mulberry, Florida coupled with a compelling romantic saga woven around the Quran burning event, filled with human aspirations, relationship issues, suspense, humor, action, and disappointments. It has all the ingredients of a successful Hollywood film.
The script is ready, we need funding!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=p5Y5bPD17iA%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Sharia Explained
Even Muslim have misunderstood the origins of Sharia, it is not divine, as it is believed to be, it is a human effort created to serve justice, and since it is human, it has its own flaws that need fixing. The upcoming book has a full chapter on this – info about the book at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

https://youtube.com/watch?v=XBcUVQmi6dU%3Fstart%3D355%26feature%3Doembed

Fox News with Stuart Varney – Stuart said that he will not use the phrase Muslim Terrorism any more after he understood that individuals commit the crime and not religions

https://youtube.com/watch?v=aGSti7f9F-A%3Ffeature%3Doembed

$5 MILLION DOLLARS TO MIKE GHOUSE https://www.facebook.com/v3.2/plugins/video.php?app_id=&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2Fr%2Fj-GHT1gpo6-.js%3Fversion%3D43%23cb%3Df2d70464e063e64%26domain%3Dwww.theghousediary.com%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theghousediary.com%252Ff626e10f04479%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=729&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMikeGhouse%2Fvideos%2F1438210749532124%2F&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&width=625

God can be worshipped in so many different ways

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c7CfJaOpzyU%3Fstart%3D251%26feature%3Doembed

Defending Obama Care (note, I was a Republican then, but an independent since 2014)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kWQrVPyeaqI%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Motivational Talk on Gratitude – The Appaiah Story

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wyDBHp4GQaM%3Fstart%3D24%26feature%3Doembed

Dealing with Quran Burning Pastor in Urdu/Hindi Language

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xxa69A5Xn3o%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Honoring Reverend Moon and Neil Armstrong

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lkBCBRDV_Mo%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Address the Annual Convention of Muslim

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AXNS365UEw4%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Gurdwara Garland

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vNxrf8fFU0I%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Quran Workshop in Dallas

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hClTnD2kXaQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Quran Bashing Pastor Challenged – Part I

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LMN8Zy1kc64%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Fox News with Megyn Kelly about beheading in Oklahoma

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eWczluM5l8o%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Fox News with Greg Gutfield about Bikini wear in Indonesia

https://youtube.com/watch?v=O0bgdrRDgdk%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Fox News with Laura Ingram about Pamela Geller and blood Libel

https://youtube.com/watch?v=P8Wn6EwlWWA%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Ghouse Defending Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London on Fox News

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-_p9-mZ88iM%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Mike Ghouse upon Bil Laden’s death

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LaHbotHwTck%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Americans Together – A documentary to be made upon funding… here is a sampler

https://youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Forgotten video – Part I

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HCrNhDrFYL4%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Part II – My story

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mLiQeOo9oEs%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Hannity, Mike Ghouse on Fox News ( 1 of the 300 videos)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HiEHbdK84Gk%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Addressing Salana Jalsa at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Lvc8fTIoKUg%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Assorted Clips

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oZQ-FT8GfiQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed

What is a Cohesive Society, and how does it help America?

Take the human body as an example – to function normally, all our body parts and organs have to work in coordination, and they function their role if we feed them the right energy. What if we don’t eat right? When we have a headache or heart problem, we cease to function cohesively, right?

Extend this to the social aspect of our lives, i.e., our interactions with other people. In a given family, or at a workplace, community center, our states, and our nations, we do not act as one nation. If we lose the common objective, we tend to go in different directions instead of finding solutions.

Chief Seattle, a Native American said this correctly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself.”

Examples – the community is a bus!
America is God’s own country. Indeed it is. It is a representation of everything God has created on this planet from the sea to the shining sea. We have green pastures, rivers, mountains, deserts, snow, rainfall, storms; we have a cold to hot climates.

We are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture, and religion.

We are blessed with every possible faith that you can imagine on the earth, there is no other nation represented by this many faiths. Together as Americans, we believe in one God, no God, and many God representations; we think him to be male, female and genderless; we believe it to be a being, non-being, and everything; unknown and innumerable names.

We have families who opt to live a simple life with no modern amenities and us families who live in the lap of luxury that is unmatched anywhere.

We believe in our constant declaration of independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

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What does inclusion mean? How does it benefit the common man?

Do you remember the hurt you felt when a group of associates huddled in the corner and did invite you to the conversation? Do you remember two of your family members were talking together, and when you walked in they stopped talking… you feel frustrated when you are excluded. You lose interest…. you are onto a project, and your spouse is not aware of it, you know how he or she feels?

Inclusion is inspiring, it breeds enthusiasm and commitment to the common purpose.

Two days before the election in 2016, I wrote an imaginary speech for Hillary Clinton and published it in the Huffington Post. It called for her to “Include” the disaffected Americans, mainly the suburban and the ones who lost their jobs in manufacturing. Had she done that, Trump would not have earned their sympathy.
Inclusion is important.
=============================
Does Pluralism beneficial to the business?

Absolutely! Every business, religious, political, and community service organization wants people to get along with each other, be productive and live out with least tensions.
Let me share a quote from Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

And when they feel bad, their productivity goes down, and it is infectious, others will crawl too. You switch gears to go into either “getting even” mode or resentment towards the other. This consumes you at the workplace, Then you carry the tension home, and you don’t give 100% to your family it deserves, neither you nor your family or the people at work are happy.

But when we learn about Pluralism, most things can be shaped to reach our goals of cohesion and one nation.
When you have a conflict with someone, don’t carry it with you, sit down and have a conversation – the pain from that conversation is worth the freedom you will have for a long time to come.

Real Example: 4 work associates going for lunch, two scenarios!
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7. What is the most significant contribution of CFP to America?

It will be instrumental in shaping the future of America.Ten years from now, you will not find a place of work, worship, playground, school, restaurant, theater and other areas of public gatherings where you will not see people of different faiths, races, and ethnicities interacting, working, studying, intermingling, playing and marrying together. The future is bound to create conflicts, and the CFP is determined to shape that future where all of us can live without apprehension and fear of the other.

=============================

The workshops and radio shows on understanding the essence of religions is continued to be appreciated by those who benefited from it by ridding the poison of ill-will towards others. If you have an interest in enlarging this work, please join the Center for Pluralism with your spirit, energy, time and money. The only condition for membership is your ‘willingness’ to be bias-free towards any human including Republicans and Democrats.

MY PERSONAL MISSION

My personal mission is to open people’s hearts and minds towards fellow beings. I am committed to building cohesive societies where each member of the society feels secure with his/her faith, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, politics, shape, size and other uniqueness.

Please do not judge me by seeing pictures, videos, or articles on the internet with people on the extreme left or the right, alt-right conservatives, and progressives, and with members of every faith from Atheism to Zoroastrianism, Native American and LGBTQ communities. I meet them with the express purpose of knowing and understanding different points of view to develop pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Our problems erupt from the fact that the majority bulldozes the aspirations and hopes of the minorities when it is their turn. Bulldozing the Affordable Care Act by Trump Admin would not have happened, had Obama sought the Republican votes to pass the act in the first place even though it was not needed. One of my policymaking goals is to advance the idea that critical bills in the House and the Senate must be passed with 66.67% majority to gain wider consensus, thus representing a larger swath of Americans, offering sustainability and stability of policies formed by either Democrats or the Republicans.

Real conflicts come into play when someone robs your space, grabs your food or hurts your loved ones, these are real conflicts, other than these all other conflicts are imaginary and can be handled through dialogue. You can Google search my name with the name of any religion, or a major festival, and you will find ample information, it is all voluntary effort for people to learn about each other. I respect and accept all religious, political and cultural traditions as valid to its followers. Culturally, I respect the otherness of other cultures and hold programs to express that. I have no barriers between another human and me and I don’t consider anyone to be my enemy either, nor do I believe anyone is out there to get me. I am content and peaceful with who I am.

I am blessed to witness the fruits of my work and will continue to offer pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media, religious, civic and political leadership. Much of my work in pictures and video links are put together in a 60-page document appended with my profile at linked in. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/ and here is a summary of the different things we have done on behalf of the Center for Pluralism, formerly the Foundation for Pluralism.

I hope your vision for America resonates with our work. If you feel, this is what you have always wanted America to be, or what you want your nation to be, I welcome you to join the Center for Pluralism as a volunteer, donor (big or small), inspirer, encourager, and writer with all your heart mind and soul. Please feel free to send me an email or call me. It is worth your while to glance at the work we have done.

Towards the end, I have included a few sample videos and profile links representing the diversity of our work. Each video has a description for you to choose what you want to watch.

Everything in life, both war and peace, and conflicts in the community or nation begin with an individual’s dream and actions, and people join in and make a movement. We have accomplished an unbelievable amount of work, it is all in front of you.

My personal mission is to open people’s hearts and minds towards fellow beings. I am committed to building cohesive societies where each member of the society feels secure with his/her faith, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, politics, shape, size, and other uniqueness.

Whatever we do, we do it wholeheartedly with all our heart, mind, and soul.

Mike Ghouse
[email protected]
(214) 325-1916

Our mission is tied to Pluralism in politics, religion, societies, and the workplace, as well as standing up for the rights of fellow humans and speaking out wherever religious freedom is violated. Please know that when we become a very big organization, you can count on us to speak out about every violation in the world, but now, we do it within our limited resources and capacity.

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a public speaker and the founder and President of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/ and http://www.theghousediary.com/mike-ghouse-my-mission/ and www.MuslimSpeaker.com and www.interfaithspeaker.com