One of the Pagan organizations that will have a robust presence at the upcoming Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne will be EarthSpirit (click here for a list of EarthSpirit delegates and the events they’ll be involved in). EarthSpirit founder and spiritual director Andras Corban Arthen has recently posted an overview of the work he does as one of three Pagan members on the Parliament’s Board of Trustees (along with Angie Buchanan and the newly-elected Phyllis Curott), specifically his work within the Indigenous Task Force.

“The Indigenous Task Force named me as one of the speakers for the European traditions, and gave me the task of finding others to bring to the Parliament. The first person I invited was Jonas Trinkunas, krivis (chief high priest) of Romuva, the pagan religion of Lithuania. I have known Jonas for a long time, and in 1997 he attended our annual Rites of Spring celebration. He is quite a remarkable man, who has maintained his ancestral tradition alive in spite of opposition not only from the Catholic church, but also from the Soviet Union during its occupation of his homeland. I am glad to report that Jonas readily accepted the invitation.”

You can see a sampling of confirmed indigenous speakers at the Parliament, including European indigenous practitioners, here. To keep track of all EarthSpirit communications from the Parliament, please check out the EarthSpirit Voices blog, and stay tuned for updates from EarthSpirit delegate Moira Ashleigh on this blog.

Andras Corban Arthen, EarthSpirit, Pagans at the Parliament