Parliament of the Worlds Religions
December 1 - 8, 1999
Capetown South Africa
*A New Day Dawning*

Day 2:

1999 Parliament of the Worlds' Religions - a personal account

On Thursday we set up our information booth at the Civic Center. We are sharing it with Covenant of the Goddess and Circle, and after a slow start, the printed information has just been flying off the table. We're printing more today.

It has been hot and sunny here every day, which has its good and difficult aspects. Non-air conditioned buses are on the negative end of things....

EarthSpirit's presence here is largely one of networking and information- sharing with the many other traditions represented here. We spend a lot of time connecting with other individuals and groups and sharing our perspectives at other people's programs. I will be offering a total of three rituals at this Parliament. The first one, on Thursday, suffered a little in attendance due to a scheduling mix up by the Parliament staff, but we successfully wove a Web (not on a maypole) and blessed it. Friday morning I led one of the morning meditation sessions. We sang and danced together in the bright sunshine to welcome the day. Both these and the third ritual, which is scheduled for Monday, take place in a spot called the Amphitheater, with a view of Table Mountain and the Atlantic which is breathtaking. What a spot to circle in!

The program selection is quite varied this year, but logistics are difficult because of the use of many venues for programs. We are moving between the Capetown Civic Center, two university campuses and a large hall called The Good Hope Center. There have been some wonderful outdoor programs, also in the Amphitheater: Sacred Circle Dance with a very strong South African group; African gospel music; stunning Taiko drummers from Japan; and the Isandlwana Zulu Dancers -- an incredible troupe of young boys who have never been out of their village until now, but who performed with amazing energy, enthusiasm and expertise, accompanied by teenaged and adult men on the drums. WOW!

The Earth traditions have been well represented here thus far: Selena Fox and Dennis Carpenter, from Circle, presented a workshop on Thursday called "Dreams and Spirituality", and Selena offered a talk on Friday afternoon called "Brigid, Celtic Goddess, Celtic saint". Don Frew of Covenant of the Goddess was invited to be on a panel called "Critical Issues: Question for Religions from the 1993 Parliament" with Dr. Gerald Barney, director of the Millienium Project, Jim Kenny, director of the Parliament, and representatives of several other traditions. Erin Wells, an EarthSpirit member from Bates College, presented a paper for The Next Generation project -- the program for young people here -- and tomorrow Rowan Fairgrove from C.O.G. is leading a morning meditation to Brigid.

There is an entire symposium on current Native American issues and struggles called "America's Shadow Struggle" and many other earth-oriented workshops offered by anthropologists and scholars.

The coming Plenary sessions include an interreligious arts festival tonight, Nelson Mandela tomorrow, and the Dalai Lama on Wednesday --- a very impressive and potent event so far.

Until later,
Deirdre Pulgram Arthen
EarthSpirit's official "press representative"

Return to the 99 Parliament Information page
Go to Day 1 Report
Got to Day 3 Report
Go to Next Generation

We invite you to go to the CPWR web site to look at all of the events planned for the week in South Africa

Many thanks to the generous donors who contributed to this project and made it possible.