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Accomplishments
The Summit was a wonderful opportunity
to connect with old friends, make new ones, and have a great time. It
also resulted in many concrete accomplishments:
We came together
Representatives of a variety of Pagan organizations,
self-termed "curmudgeons," large and small egos, practitioners
of a variety of Pagan religions: we all came together in respect and peace
to dialogue and listen attentively. This is, we hope, a harbinger of greater
cooperation to come.
Many of us have experienced what
I termed "the soft underbelly" of the Pagan movement: "witch
wars," irresponsible communication, and personal attacks. Sometimes
it feels overwhelming and we wonder, "Why have I dedicated my life
to this movement?" What the Summit showed us was that this, too,
is the movement -- respect, dialogue, cooperation, and warmth. And together,
we can do anything!
Analysis of Pagan movement's needs
We cooperatively devised a remarkably coherent
analysis of the "state
of the Pagan union." Our main concerns are solidarity, efficient
use of resources, professionalism, and responsibility and accountability.
Brainstormed solutions
We brainstormed an extensive list of possible
solutions to the movement's needs. Those ideas will be posted here on
the site for others to take inspiration from as well.
Made personal commitments
We each made a personal commitment to take
this information back to our organizations and communities in some way,
whether as new projects or
just deepening our understanding and commitment to existing ones.
Bonded through ritual
We experienced a moving, beautiful, inspiring
multitradition Pagan ritual which respected the integrity of our respective
faiths while finding the unity within those traditions.
Walked the talk
We demonstrated that respectful dialogue
and the consensus process can work within the Pagan movement, even when
those participating have widely divergent spiritual beliefs and perspectives.
Had a lot of fun!
We talked, we laughed, we sang, we learned
charades for "focus," we ate, we drummed, we wept, we hoped,
we dreamed! And, perhaps most amazing of all, we stayed on schedule and
even (gasp) were ahead of schedule at some points! All in all, a fantastic
use of our 41 hours together.
Past accomplishments
Many of the people invited to the Summit
have worked together over the last several years to achieve significant
accomplishments:
The AP
project urged the Associated Press to update its Stylebook to include
information on Paganism
The dictionary
project urged dictionary publishers to update their Pagan-related
definitions to reflect current usage
We created and signed several joint letters, including one decrying
the racist co-option of Asatru and, more recently, the anti-Pagan
tone of the Bush administration
We responded in a coordinated, collective fashion to the attempts
of Rep. Bob Barr to end the practice of Wicca on military bases, by issuing
a joint press
release to international media on a scale never before attempted,
and publishing a brochure and flyer which Pagans everywhere could download
and post.
The Papal Apology project developed a letter signed by over 1000
Pagans to request that the Pope include Pagans in his Millennial Apology
We developed the Boilerplate
letter-writing site, building on the consensus we had already developed
for terminology and defiitions
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