Philip Isely (October 16, 1915 – June 26, 2012) was an American

peace activist A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world peac ...

and writer best known for writing numerous books and founding the Global Ratification and Elections Network (GREN) (now known as Earth Federation Movement (EFM)) and World Constitution and Parliament Association (WCPA) along with his wife Margaret Isely, in 1955. He was also co-founder of the health food chain Natural Grocers (formerly Vitamin Cottage store).

Early life and education

Born as Henry Philip Isely on October 16, 1915, the son of James Walter Isely and Jessie M. Owen, he grew up in

Montezuma, Kansas Montezuma is a city in Gray County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 975. History Montezuma was founded in 1879, and relocated in 1912 to the Santa Fe Railroad. It was named for Moctezuma II, ruler ...

. In 1934–35, he attended South Oregon Jr. College in Ashland and from 1935 to 1937, he studied at Antioch College. In 1939, while pursuing his degree at Antioch College, Philip's path crossed with Margaret Ann Sheesley and they married in 1948.

Co-founder of Vitamin Cottage

After following organic diet, Philip's wife Margaret's health improved significantly, they recognized the potential health benefits of natural eating and began distributing nutrition books and taking supplement orders door-to-door, laying the foundation for their business. In 1958, they opened their first health food store in

Lakewood, Colorado The City of Lakewood is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 155,984 at the 2020 U.S. Census making Lakewood the fifth most populous city in Col ...

and in 1963, the Iselys converted a cottage-style house into their new store, inspiring the name change to "Vitamin Cottage". Now it is run by the second-generation siblings Zephyr, Kemper and Heather with more than 160 retail grocery stores in around 20 states of US.

Political career

In 1958, Philip ran as a Candidate for the U.S. Congress.

Birth of World Constitution and Parliament Association

The World Constitution and Parliament Association (WCPA) emerged from the Campaign for World Government (CWG), a movement that gained momentum in the aftermath of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Recognizing the urgent need for a comprehensive constitution to safeguard the planet, Philip and Margaret Isely, prominent advocates based in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, became key figures in the push for a

world parliament A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) is a proposed addition to the United Nations System that would allow for greater participation and voice for members of parliament. The idea was raised at the founding of the League of Nations in ...

and global law. In the mid-1950s, they joined the CWG at its Chicago offices and, in 1958 alongside individuals like Thane Read, Guy Marchand, and Marie Philips Scot, they formed the "World Committee for a World Constitutional Convention." In 1961, the committee relocated to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

and issued a public call for the convention, garnering committed delegates from 50 nations and endorsements from several heads of state. In 1966, the organization was renamed the World Constitution and Parliament Association (WCPA), with Philip Isely serving as

Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

and Margaret Isely as

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

. Notably, their extensive correspondence with influential figures such as Dr. T. P. Amerasinghe of Sri Lanka and Dr. Reinhart Ruge of Mexico contributed to the growth and development of WCPA, eventually leading to their appointment as co-presidents. Together, they dedicated their efforts to advancing the cause of a

world constitution A world constitution refers to a proposed framework or document aimed at establishing a system of global governance. It seeks to provide a set of principles, structures, and laws to govern the relationships between states and address global iss ...

in their respective roles for many years. After the death of his first wife in 1997, Philip remarried in 2001, and he left WCPA in 2003, with Glen T. Martin assuming the role of Secretary-General. During their active years, their home was picketed after a local newspaper (Jefferson Sentinel) accused them of being Communists. However, according to Margaret, "One of our neighbors had us investigated because we passed out literature for the Peoples World Parliament, but the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

gave us a clean slate as harmless

pacifists Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigne ...

Publications

Philip Isely authored numerous books, including:

Books

* ''The people must write the peace'', 1950 * ''A call to all peoples and all national governments of the Earth'', 1961 * ''Outline for the debate and drafting of a World Constitution'', 1967 * ''Strategy for reclaiming Earth for Humanity'', 1969 * ''Call to a

World Constituent Assembly The World Constitutional Convention (WCC), also known as the World Constituent Assembly (WCA) or the First World Constituent Assembly, took place in Interlaken, Switzerland and Wolfach, Germany, 1968. The convention aimed to foster global coopera ...

'', 1974 * ''Proposal for immediate action by an emergency council of World Trustees'', 1971 * ''Call to Provisional World Parliament'', 1981 * ''People who want peace must take charge of World Affairs'', 1982 * ''Plan for emergency Earth Rescue Administration'', 1985 * ''Plan for Earth Finance Credit Corporation'', 1987 * ''Climate Crisis'', 1989 * ''Handbook for Planet Earth'', 1993 * ''Technological breakthroughs for a global energy network'', 1991 * ''Bill of particulars: why the U.N. must be replaced'', 1994 * ''Manifesto for the inauguration of World Government'', 1994 * ''Call to the Fourth Session of the Provisional World Parliament'', 1995 * ''Critique of the Report of the Commission on Global Governance'', 1995

Co-author

Philip also co-authored and edited several works, including "A constitution for the Federation of Earth" (1974, revised edition 1991) and ''Plan for collaboration in World Constituent Assembly'' for 1991. He was also the author of several world legislation measures adopted at the Provisional World Parliament.

Death

Philip Isely died on June 26, 2012.

Awards

In 1989, obtained a research doctorate in education. He received the Honor Award of the International Association of Educators for World Peace in 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isely, Philip 1915 births 2012 deaths American businesspeople in retailing American retail chief executives Businesspeople from Colorado Retail company founders 20th-century American businesspeople Peace award winners Founders 20th-century American writers American activists