A CALL TO ACTION
Approved
and Published in 1999 with a few corrections added 4/23/20
Many Pagans, mystics, and other Earth Religionists have suffered job, housing,
and other discrimination because of misrepresentation and prejudice concerning
their beliefs and practices. Some have lost custody of their children, suffered
police harassment, vandalism, unfair zoning, etc. Most Earth Religionists keep
their religion secret because they fear reprisals. Fortunately, our attorneys,
activists and organizations have been networking; our communities and
activities have been growing; and we have the power and information needed to
win against discrimination. What it takes is communications (so that those who
need help know where to find it, etc.), and the will and effort to get the job
done.
At the National Level, an alliance (called the Sacred Earth Alliance) formed between major Earth Religion Rights and information leagues (ERLAN, ERAA, CLA, CRF, DL, LLL, NRADG, PACT, PEN, PILG, RLLN, TCP, TWV, UFP, WARD, WPN, etc.). We now call upon our combined membership, and other Earth Religion Rights activists, to get to know each other and organize at the local and state level, get the word out on where people can find help, join in national networking with others who share your interests, and pool and share our information resources. By working together, and forming alliances with others who share our goals, we can and will succeed.
You will find a combined directory of public Earth Religion Rights contacts, sorted by State and Zip Code at http://www.erlan.org/directory.htm. Please copy this directory and distribute it to Earth Religionist organizations, publications, stores, covens, groves, etc., and encourage further distribution, so people facing discrimination will know where to find help. A version in MS Word or PDF format, set up for efficient printing, is can be obtained by contacting Larry Cornett at hugnome42@yahoo.com.
Also, contact the people listed in your vicinity and in your state, get to know what each other does, and build the type of networking and organizations needed at the grass roots level to take effective action when our people are facing religious discrimination or our beliefs are slandered. We also encourage you to find locally licensed attorneys to work with and to build working relationships with the ACLU and other such organizations in your state that may be able to help from time to time.
All public contacts listed in the directory in June 1999 were sent a draft of the Combined Directory of Public information on Earth Religion Rights contacts at that time and asked to provide corrections. Many did. Some addresses and positions in organizations have changed since then. Although we have endeavored to keep the directory up to date by processing information sent to us, much of our information is incomplete.
Another major distribution and updating of the directory are being planned, along with, eventually, a much more robust database. If you are an Earth Religion Rights activist and the information in the directory about you is inaccurate, incomplete or missing, please send exactly how you would like to be listed to Larry Cornett at hugnome42@yahoo.com. Please try to format your listing in a manner similar to the other contacts listed. A sentence or two describing pertinent skills, licenses, or contacts that you have (such as Pagan-Friendly attorneys licensed in your state) would be especially appreciated.
If you are on-line, please consider joining e-mail lists addressing topics with which you are involved, including:
* ERAL, an e-mail list focused on fighting religious discrimination using
the law and making pertinent information available to other activists. For
details, see: http://www.erlan.org.
* AREN (formerly WADL), WARD, PACT, and some other organizations also have
mailing lists that deal with all of the above issues. Subscriptions used to be
available through http://aren.org/elist.html
but the group may no longer exist
We are also asking you to help establish statewide Legal Archives, and to
also send information that may be helpful to cases (especially evidence
and arguments that have won cases and legal records) to Wren Walker
(Wren@witchvox.com), of the Witches Voice, who established a national archive
at:
http://www.witchvox.com/ which is
in the process of being updated
Wren Walker
P.O. Box 4924
Clearwater, FL 33758-4924
News of some cases and concerns is available on the Internet at Lady Liberty League News On-line (http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/index.htm) and at the Witches Voice website (http://www.witchvox.com/)
LLL publishes an email newsletter on religious freedom issues (LLL News) -- subscribe by emailing: circle@mhtc.net with LLL NEWS Subscribe in the subject line. Both LLL News and the in-print LLL Report published quarterly in CIRCLE Magazine are being archived on-line at the LLL website (http://www.circlesanctuary.org). Send news reports to both to circle@mhtc.net with LLL NEWS item in the subject line.
We have also enclosed a general summary of Earth Religion Rights organizations to give you an overview of the national groups in existence. It is on the web at: http://www.erlan.org/erro.htm
In addition, a list of websites containing useful information on various topics pertinent to the fight for earth religion rights is enclosed. Updated versions will appear on the web at http://www.erlan.org/helplink.htm
Those on-line should share the pertinent information that you find on-line with those who are not online and who need it. In the case of e-mail lists dealing with sensitive information, like ERAL, please respect their rules for confidentiality.
Members of the Sacred Earth Alliance, and others, has been distributing a questionnaire that, when filled out, submitted, and processed, will make it possible for us to create an annotated and expanded version of the directory that shows what the various public contacts (who fill out the questionnaire) actually do and what types of experts (that may not be public) they are connected with, etc. -- along with a Yellow Pages of public contacts, listed by what they do. Such a system could be useful for, among other things, locating experts with specialized skills and information, when needed. A pilot test of this system in Ohio, offline, has generated useful off-line summaries.
Efforts to automate the process and to create an interactive version of the questionnaire that people can fill out on the web, connected to an on-line database and yellow pages, have proven to be more challenging than anticipated. If you can help or accomplish this, please contact Larry at (216) 583-0007 hugnome42@yahoo.com.
The questionnaire is part of a downloadable PDF file with the Call to Action, a copy of the directory, the article on Earth Religion Rights organizations, and the directory of pertinent on-line guidance, formatted for efficient printing. You can get it by contacting hugnome42@yahoo.com.
Please copy the questionnaire, along with the rest of the SEA information (especially the directory) distribute it to other activists that you know who are not in the directory. Please encourage them to fill out the questionnaire, or a briefer description consistent with other listings in the directory, and send it to the address shown, so we can create improved and expanded versions of the directory, including a yellow page.
Those contacts who are not public but who fill out and submit the questionnaire indicating that certain information can be shared with Religions Rights activists only will eventually have this information listed in a private version of the directory to be made available to activists only, by officers of Earth Religion Rights organizations. Assuming you also provide public contact information, the other information on the form (that is not so sensitive) will be included in the public version of the directory and the yellow pages, so that those individuals needing help can contact you directly and will know what type of help you may be able to provide.
Cairril Adaire, Pagan Educational Network info@PaganEdNet.org
http://www.paganeducationalnetwork.org
Lady Debra
Natural Religion Anti-Defamation Group of the Southeastern Pagan Alliance, tylwythteg23@hotmail.com
http://www.tylwythteg.com/sepa,html
Lady Cerridwen
Committee of Legal Assistance of the Universal Federation of Pagans, rfcse@hotmail.com
http://www.tylwythteg.com/ufp.html
Phyllis Curott, Esq., H.Ps. Circle of Ara, National coordinator -
Religious Liberties Lawyers Network, aradia@mindspring.com
Larry Cornett
Earth Religions Legal Assistance Network, Earth Religions Assistance
Association, and Gaia Rising, Lady Liberty League, lcornett@en.com
http://www.ERLAN.org
Rev Dr Mark Fearing
aka Elder Sage Silver RavenSpirit,
HP Temple of the Sacred Fire (TSF)
tsfofs@yahoo.com
http://www.tsfofs.webs.com
Selena Fox and Theresa Jones, Lady Liberty League, Circle Sanctuary, circle@mhtc.net
http://www.circlesanctuary.org
Clare Kelsey
Public interest Law Group cckelseyesq@yahoo.com
Sis. Kathryn MacMorgan
Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca ladykaat@worldnet.att.net
http://home.att.net/~the_green/
Khristine Annwn Page & Laura Schmidt
Crescent Magazine and PYRAA (Pagan Youth Religion & Arts Alliance), waxnwane@crescentmagazine.com
& pyraa@crescentmagazine.com
http://www.crescentmagazine.com
Kostya Branwen Sudice
The Commonwealth Pagan
http://www.mindspring.com/~viragofreespirit/tcp.html
Wren Walker & Fritz Jung
The Witches' Voice, wren@witchvox.com
http://www.witchvox.com/
Chris West
World Pagan Network, Ceile@aol.com
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/8773/index.html
Christine Craft
Witches Against Religious Discrimination, Inc ja@epix.net
http://www.ward-hq.org
SACRED EARTH ALLIANCE
(An Alliance of Earth Religions Information & Assistance Leagues)
c/o --Larry Cornett, 2450 W. 6 St, Cleveland OH 44113 (216) 583-0007 hugnome42@yahoo.com. http://www.erlan.org/
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EARTH RELIGION RIGHTS AND INFORMATION CONTACTS 7/2/'99
1. PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION AND ASSOCIATED CONFIDENTIALITY
Information that can be shared with anyone and included in the next edition of the public version of the Directory of Contacts:
Legal Name: ______________________________________________________
Also known as: ____________________________________________________
Street Address: ____________________________________________________
City: ________________________________________
State: __________________ Zip: ________________
Country: _____________________________________
Phone number: ________________________________
Fax number: __________________________________
e-mail address: ______________________ICQ_________
__Webpage: ____________________________________
I am able to donate ____hrs./month on Earth
Religion Rights work.
__I am under 18 years old.
Affiliations: _______ _______ ________ _______
_______ _______ ________ _______ _______
Information for a private version of the Directory of Contacts to be distributed by leaders of organizations to other activists only (Do not include information Shown Above):
Legal Name: ______________________________________________________
Also known as: ____________________________________________________
Street Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________
State: __________________ Zip: __________________
Country: ______________________________________
Phone number: _________________________________
Fax number: ___________________________________
e-mail address: _______________________ICQ________
Webpage: ____________________________________
I am able to donate ____hrs./month on Earth
Religion Rights work.
__I am under 18 years old.
Affiliations: _______ _______ ________ _______
_______ _______ ________ _______ _______ For sections 2 and beyond, a simple X should be used to fill in short blanks: __. The longer blanks should be filled in with words.
Information below will be assumed to be available to the general public if you have a public listing, unless otherwise indicated.
2. CLERGY/MINISTRY INFORMATION:
__I am an ordained clergyperson/minister in The Church, Temple, Grove, etc. of __________________________ and
recognized In the State of _______________________________. Services that I provide (check all that apply) include:
__Hospital Chaplain
__Hospital Visitation
__Legal Handfastings (In Ohio only)
__Legal Handfastings (Out of state) in _______________________
__Prison Chaplain at ______________
__Prison Visitation
__Spiritual Counseling
__Spiritual Handfastings
__Other Spiritual Rights of Passage 3. WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP (Please Check Box)
__Licensed Attorney in State/Country __________ ___________
__Paralegal __Provide assistance/training on civil rights, legal research
__Law Student
__Law Enforcement Officer, Detective or Agent
__Licensed Private Detective
__Trained & Certified Social Worker/Family Services Provider
__Trained and Certified Professional Psychological Counselor
__Trained and Licensed Therapist/Counselor
__Trained and Documented Psychic Counselor.
__Certified Public Accountant
__Professional Fund-raiser
__Media Consultant (With Extensive Knowledge of Earth
Religion Issues.
__Journalist/Reporter
__Environmental Engineer/Analyst
__Artist (for letterheads, logos, fliers, etc.)
__Experienced Religious Rights Activist (Please cite references,
projects or campaigns in blanks below.)
__Educates Earth Religionists on how to protect their rights
__Trained and Experienced Dispute Mediator
__Other___________________________________________ __Grant Writer
__Ecologist
__Letter Writing
__Mailings
__Printing
__ Word Processing
__Document Layout
__Graphics/Logo Design __Web Server (full access)
__Webpage Design
__ Provides Website Installation &
Hosting
__Research
__Rumor Investigation/Control
__Referrals
__Community Outreach
__Publicity/Promotion
__Workshops/ Lectures
__Public Speaking
__Supplies/Materials
__Interfaith Projects
__Fund Raising
__Hosting Fundraising parties
__Provide Entertainment
__Provide Event Lists
__Provide Sound Systems
__Provide Meeting space
__Organize large events
__Organize Telephone Tree
__Emotional Support
__Take action against slander of
Earth Religions
In the twenty spaces below, please provide any additional information, other skills or planning/development ideas that you may have._________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________ _________ ________ _________
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________ _________ ________ _________ 4. NETWORKING:
I have experience in the following areas:
__ Within my community with others involved in Earth
Religion Rights.
__ Within the cybercommunity through email and website
information.
__ With Earth Religion Rights contacts in several states
and/or have a public record of helping Earth Religion
Rights situations in several states and private contacts in
several states.
__With outside contacts in the general public, such as civic
organizations/clubs, etc.
__With business organizations.
__With non-Pagan religious organizations.
Current Affiliations Organizations and Office/Position (if other than regular membership) -up to 10 words Max:
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________ _________ ________ _________
PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS: Sometimes it IS who you know that helps! If you have a
professional/private contact who is
willing
to assist you in Earth Religion Rights and/or Information activities, please
check the box that applies.
__Police Departments/Law Enforcement
__Attorneys
__Clergy Contacts
__Social Services related organizations
__Political Organizations/Legislators
__Business Organizations
__Interfaith organizations
__Environmental Analysts
__Ecologists
__Trained and Experienced Dispute Mediators
__Pagan media outlets
__Mainstream media outlets, newspapers, magazines,
television and/or radio stations.
In the 10 spaces below, please list any additional information that you may want to disclose about these contacts. (optional)
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________ _________ ________ _________ Please send individual Pagan and Pagan friendly contacts a registration form, so they can be listed if they want.
6. COMMUNICATION:
__Produced educational materials (brochures,
newsletters, etc.)
__Produced/ edited educational videos.
__Provided expert testimony in Earth Religion legal cases.
__Provided Attorneys with educational material.
__Have been interviewed/filmed by television, radio or
newspaper.
__Initiated or Participated in Letter Writing/Telephone
Campaigns. __Investigated allegations of religious rights violations
__Provided Law Enforcement Personnel with educational
material.
__Personally provided Law Enforcement Personnel with in-person,
formal training on Earth Religions
__Designs and installs e-mail lists
In the 10 spaces below please provide other information on communications experience, article/film references, etc.
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________ _________ ________ _________ 7. EXCEPTIONS: I do not assist in cases/issues involving:
__Child custody
__Child abuse. __Felony criminal charges.
__Cases outside my home state.
__Key factors other than
Religious Discrimination
Other _______ ______
______ _______ ______
8. COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES
Computer type (MAC, PC, etc.): __________________
Processor (Pent 166, etc.,) ____________
Modem Speed: _____________
Operating System (Windows 95, Windows 3.1, Unix, OS2, System 7, etc.) ________________
Word Processing Software: _________________ Other Pertinent Software: ________________________
Can you receive attached files, if they come through with e-mail? __Yes __ No
Do you have encoding/decoding utilities for __Zipped files; __MIME; __UU__BINHEX; __ BASE 64; __PGP
Do you have worldwide Web Access: ___Yes ___No
Do you have IRC: ___Yes ___No
9. UPDATING INFORMATION:
Please send me occasional e-mails informing me of new developments in the Sacred Earth Alliance. Yes___No___
Please remove me from all Sacred Earth Alliance:
__Email __Postal Mailings __Directory Listings.
10. HOW YOU CAN HELP! See enclosed article, and consider becoming a financial supporter
DONATION ENCLOSED: _______ (Optional)
Please make out checks for SEA to Larry Cornett and mail with this questionnaire (or the filled-out Questionnaire only) to Larry Cornett, 2450 W. 6 St, Cleveland OH 44113 (216) 583-0007 hugnome42@yahoo.com or contact us for more information. If you update your form in the future, please send a complete form.
Please copy this questionnaire and the Directory of Contacts and give to others who may be interested.
RETURN TO EARTH RELIGIONS
ASSISTANCE HOMEPAGE
http://www.erlan.org/
RETURN TO COMBINED DIRECTORY
OF PUBLIC CONTACTS
http://www.erlan.org/directory.htm
