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hedgewitchgarden · 1 year

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TWH – Religious freedom for minority faiths remains challenging around the world; but despite constitutional protections against discrimination, the challenge remains in the USA as well. An employee allegedly being fired for being “Pagan,” the proposed removal of books from state-funded schools, and public book burnings held by a right-wing evangelical pastor due to the book’s content of alleged witchcraft and sorcery, have all been in the news in the past year.

These tread on the threshold of violating the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the separation of church and state, and they have become increasingly common. Even within the legal system, there is at least one Bible in every courtroom in America for swearing in witnesses.

Advocacy for Paganism is no easy feat. Discrimination through housing, job security, and community retaliation are only some of the potential pressures that advocates for minority religions face in the fight for equality in the eyes of Freedom of Religion.

Last month, Grady Newsource published an article about a Pagan group in Athens, Georgia that is continuing its work in advocating for religious freedom. TWH reached out to the group and two other Witches that have made religious freedom and Pagan rights a cornerstone of their practices.

The advocacy of simply existing

“We advocate for religious freedom by simply existing,” said Jim Grimes, a founding member of the Athens Area Pagans.

The Athens Area Pagans group, now a nonprofit organization and religious organization, started in 2005 in Athens, Georgia, and has become a source of freedom and comfort for its members and aims to help local Pagans obtain the resources they need, whatever their path.

“We met at the botanical gardens in 2005, and we have met every Saturday at 5 p.m. since,” said Grimes.

Grimes, former lawyer, and journalist described himself as an “eclectic Pagan” who has traversed the religious spectrum from Baptist to atheist but found resonance within the Pagan community.

Grimes describes the Pagan community as more of a “Broadened term” as many different belief systems fit under the term and the group welcomes Pagans of all Paths in the area.

The group also is responsible for Athens Pagan Pride Day, a part of the Pagan Pride Project, in which “Activism, Charity, Education, and Community” is the mission focus, fostering pride in Pagan identity.

According to the group the Pagan Pride Project also promotes tolerance and understanding between different belief systems, helps present a clearer understanding of Pagan practice, as well as dispelling misconceptions, and draws political attention to Paganism.

As the group’s focus is visibility and pride in identity, in order to participate in the Pagan Pride Day three requirements must be met.

Must be ok with Public Ritual – as three will be held.

Participate in the food drive, which will be donated to a local organization.

Must be ok with Press, social media, and local news.

“Being there and being in the public is important,” said Grimes. “It’s about refusing to hide and being out there in the public.”

Grimes also spoke of the group experiencing discrimination when the group tried to rent out a space for a retail store. The retail location, formerly a strip club, was deemed “inconsistent with the character of the neighborhood” according to Grimes, after the word Pagan was used.

“It’s subtle things they do,” said Grimes. “It’s hard to prove that anything is wrong.”

Grimes also said that the Athens community is welcoming overall, despite a few protestors at a Pride Day event once.

The group has purchased around 49 acres of land in Clarke County for a proposed intentional community named AllWays, with hopes to provide religious infrastructure and support to Pagans in the area. The group is also raising money to apply for permits, build structures add infrastructure, and personal dwellings onsite.

A Lifetime of Advocacy

As the advocacy for freedom of religion has once again gained traction, there are those that have never given up. Those that choose creative ways to ensure this right and those who fight by simply just embracing their Pagan community.

“In 1974, I founded Circle Sanctuary, and it became one of the first Pagan communities to obtain state and federal legal status as a non-profit religious organization in the USA. Taking this institutional approach has aided us in Pagan religious freedom work.”

Reverend Selena Fox, Executive Director of Lady Liberty League, and High Priestess of the Circle Sanctuary has been a staunch advocate for paganism and religious freedom for almost 50 years.

Throughout her career, through both the Circle Sanctuary and Lady Liberty League, founded in 1985, the group successfully defeated, through protest and action, the anti-Wiccan amendment (amendment 705) to the Postal Appropriations Bill (HR 3036) presented by Senator Jesse Helms.

According to congressional records, the amendment to the Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Bill, of 1986, proposed by Helms, would guarantee that funds appropriated under the Act would not be used to grant, maintain, or allow tax exemptions to any cult, organization, or group that has any interest in, the promoting of satanism or witchcraft.

Fortunately, the legislation and two other proposed legislations at the time ultimately did not pass but most Wiccan and Pagan groups today obtain exempt status by applying for non-profit 501(c)(3) status, instead of the formal religious exemption status as the process is extremely difficult to obtain and navigate and contains many obstacles via the Internal Revenue Service.

The Circle Sanctuary has been a major player in the advocacy for religious freedom since the organization’s founding in 1974. Fox, has played a major role herself, not only advocating for religious freedom but also taking on civil rights and advocating for the LGBTQI community.

“Circle Sanctuary and I also have been involved in interfaith social justice work since our beginnings, and allyship with organizations, communities, and individuals of many beliefs also has helped in our work for Pagan civil rights and religious freedom.”

The fight for religious freedom has also come with costs. Issues of safety, acts of humiliation, ridicule, and judgment are just a few of the barriers groups like Fox’s deal with to practice their religion in peace.

Fox spoke of an event in the early 90s that was fraught with backlash but ultimately opened a door so that the community and other organizations could get a better understanding of the Pagan community and diverse practices.

“In 1992, Circle Sanctuary and I had to take action to protect our Samhain events in Madison, Wisconsin, and at our land which were being targeted by an anti-Pagan televangelist,” said Fox. “I got restraining orders from judges in two counties and worked with five area police departments for protection. We succeeded in holding all our Samhain observances without interference, and the publicity connected with this won us multifaith support in the local area as well as helped dispel, misinformation about Paganism.”

Fox continues her work fighting against religious discrimination and intolerance today and is considered by many to be one of the founders of the modern Pagan movement, specifically in the fight to allow the pentagram on Veterans’ tombstones in which, she and the Lady Liberty League triumphed in 2007 after a ten-year-long battle with Veterans Affairs.

Interfaith Work and Visibility

H. Byron Ballard of Asheville, North Carolina advocates for religious freedom through interfaith works and community outreach. Ballard, a Witch, writer, avid gardener, community advocate, and founding member and ritualist for Mother Grove Goddess Temple chooses to advocate by being visible to the community by reaching out to media members, and public speaking.

“I advocate for Pagans in the community, through interfaith work and other visibility. Creating public rituals and other events to make a space for practitioners of alternative spiritualities, and speaking to media locally, regionally, nationally,” said Ballard.

Ballard also advocates not only for her community of Pagans but all Pagans and the rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens under the Constitution. Founding a Pagan community in Asheville many years ago, she has fought to bring hope to those who practice Pagan beliefs while also walking the line of visibility and safety in a dominant Christian region of the country.

“I want all US citizens to enjoy all the rights that our Constitution and Bill of Rights provide us. I want my co-religionists (and myself) to be safe in our places of worship and in our lives. I want people to understand that there are alternatives to the Abrahamic religions that dominate much of the planet,” said Ballard.

Ballard understands that navigating the waters of religious freedom can be difficult as many stereotypes exist concerning Pagans, especially in the Bible Belt of America.

“As a Pagan, a witch, and an Appalachian woman I am tired of stereotypes that belittle and disrespect people who are just trying to live an authentic spiritual life,” said Ballard.

Ballard continues with education for and with her community in Asheville and hopes to ultimately strengthen the community with other like-minded people.

“What I expect our work to do is strengthen our community and make us more resilient, to keep us safe under the weight of the dominant (and dominating) culture, and to allow us to express the joy of an Earth-centered animistic path without fear of retribution from the ignorant and violent,” said Ballard.

Though strength is often found in numbers, Ballard understands that education against stereotypes and being labeled “others” will take time. “I expect that all of this is an ongoing process and I hope that our work will encourage others, especially the next generations,” said Ballard.

Ballard hopes the next generation will “continue our work and add their own vision to what it means to walk a Pagan path.”

The road is still long and winding in the fight for religious freedom, and advocacy plays an important part. No matter the form of advocacy, visibility, education, community, and activism still play a major role in the fight for recognition in a world dominated by those religions of the Abrahamic Law Code. Though Pagans seem speckled amongst the landscape, there has been a rise in numbers in the past decade which open new doorways and paths in the fight for religious freedom here in the United States.

#paganism #advocates #h. byron ballard #selena fox #advocacy for pagans #witchcraft #human rights

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scotianostra · 1 year

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March 1st 1682 saw the Advocate’s Library opened by its founder, Sir George Mackenzie, the Lord Advocate.

The Advocates Library, is the law library of the Faculty of Advocates, in Edinburgh. It served as the national deposit library of Scotland until 1925, at which time through an Act of Parliament was created the National Library of Scotland. All the non-legal collections were given to the National Library. Today, it alone of the Scottish libraries still holds the privilege of receiving a copy of every law book entered at Stationers’ Hall.

The Advocates Library is the library of the Faculty of Advocates. It is widely regarded as the finest working law library in the British Isles. It contains a comprehensive range of materials built up over more than three hundred years. The present library, seen in the picture,was designed by William Henry Playfair in 1830, and is a category A listed building.The library forms part of the complex that includes Parliament House, including the High Courts, located on the Royal Mile behind St Giles.

Famous keepers of the library down the years has included David Hume, Adam Ferguson, and Margaret Kidd, the first and only female, who held the post from 1956 till 1970.

You can read more about the history and the workings of the library buy Stephen O’Rourke who was Keeper of the Advocate’s Library for a short time in 2021 before hi sudden death that same year.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/the-advocates-library-a-vital-resource-with-an-illustrious-history-stephen-orourke-3218679

#Scotland #scottish #Edinburgh #lawyers #solicitors #advocates library #advocates #history

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humanrightsconnected · 2 years

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The Rohingyas are one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world. Since September 2017, more than 600,000 Rohingyas have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh, to escape crimes against humanity and genocide by Myanmar’s military.

Make sure to read our blog post to learn more about 5 advocates for the rights of the Rohingyas:

Wai Wai Nu

Tun Khin

The late Dr. Wakar Uddin

Khaing Myo Htun

Zahida Begum

➡️ https://bit.ly/3FzBdMM

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theletmeliveproject · 2 years

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Welcome!!

Hi there, welcome to The Let Me Live Project community blog!

I decided to create this blog due to recent global discussions around women's bodily autonomy, specifically events in America including the overturning of Roe v Wade and the school shooting in Texas that left 19 children around the age of 10 and 2 teachers dead.

In hearing many people debate abortion, both sides seem very preoccupied about the socio-economic factors that lead people to be childfree by choice. I believe that this is absolutely valid as there are definitely many people who would certainly have children if not for certain obstacles, however, I find this argument a bit reductive. There are people like myself who would never want to go through with a pregnancy or raise a child regardless of how much money, time off or great medical services are offered because that's just not who we are. Whilst I won't dare say this point a view matters more than others, I think it deserves to be heard and I would like to contribute to that. This blog will also have strong pro-choice themes as being child-free by choice means having some kind of relationship to or reliance on bodily autonomy.

The purpose of the Let Me Live Project blog is to hopefully provide awareness of the childfree by choice community in general but also specifically the subgroup of us who have always known we were not destined to be parents regardless of our circumstances. I also want to open up another avenue of community for not only childfree people, but any womb carrying or female identifying person who has been affected by conversations around motherhood, what it means to be a woman and what a woman's role in society should be. There is an idea that people who don't want to be parents or don't have a great love for children (these two things are not necessarily interlinking) are broken or not human, that we don't have the same emotions as other people or must've gone through some trauma. I want people to know they aren't alone and it's okay for kids to not be part of your journey, to help normalise it and fight the stigma around people who don't have children.

We welcome people of all demographics into this community! I would love to hear contributions and questions from a variety of people. Whilst unlearning bias and becoming educated is a lifelong process, we here at The Let Me Live Project aim to be as inclusive as possible and are excited to learn from our community! One area in which feedback is greatly appreciated is on the vocabulary we use to describe the many demographics of people in this community especially with regards to gender as talking about gender and biological sex together can lead to more complicated discussions and we don't want to leave anyone out! As a person who considers themselves to have a disability, I also welcome feedback on the accessibility of this page for other disabled people.

I would like this blog to be a launching pad for a much bigger project that branches out into many more forms. One specific long-term goal I have is to eventually publish a book filled with works and testimonies about being childfree, childless, pro-choice, and motherhood, and individuals' journey with these topics. I am also developing an adjacent Instagram for this page on which posts will be shared from this blog and vice-versa, the link to that is in the bio.

HOUSE RULES

All contributions and questions must be made anonymously and give clear permission to be shared or not and on which platform.

I will accept anonymous methods of contact e.g., an email address that doesn't have your name in it, should anyone want to be potentially contacted in the future to contribute to any works published by myself for this project - although that eventuality is not guaranteed.

Any hateful comments or questions submitted in bad faith will be ignored, reported and blocked. This applies to trolls and members of the community alike. This is a space for support and discussion and whilst we all have nuanced and varied opinions and these topics can become heated, unhelpful and volatile behaviour cannot be accepted.

Thank you for visiting this page! I hope you stay and make yourself at home!

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ml-advocates-and-consultancy · 3 days

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Professional Criminal Lawyers And Legal Advisors in Abu Dhabi - Dubai UAE M&L Advocates & Consultancy https://www.ml-advocates.com/ WhatsApp: 00971555570005 Dubai Office : 0097142253131 Abu Dhabi Office : 0097126584004 Fax: 0097126584005

#Criminal_cases #emirates #lawfirm #advocates #AbuDhabi #Dubai #UAE

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soolegal · 4 days

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Divorce and the difficulties that surround it may be an emotional and confusing legal procedure. It's critical to have the help, support, and legal expertise of a competent lawyer who is ready to go above and beyond to protect your legal rights.

#lawyers #advocates #attorneys #lawpractice #SoOLEGAL #divorcelawyer #familymatters #childcustody #MutualConsent #ContestedDivorce

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mostpopularblogs · 4 days

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AOC advocates for Biden and supports those affected by the Gaza war

#Entertainment #Advocates #affected #AlexandriaOcasioCortez #AOC #Biden #DonaldTrump #Gaza #MehdiHasan #Popularblog #PresidentBiden #PresidentialElection2024 #Supports #War #Zeteo

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dmdesignmantic · 7 days

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20 Autism Advocates and Influencers To Follow on Instagram

This Autism Awareness Month, be part of the change alongside these influential Instagram voices.

Embracing understanding and acceptance is pivotal for nurturing an inclusive society where every individual feels valued and supported. Let's cultivate a world where diversity is celebrated and embraced wholeheartedly.

Don't hesitate to follow these advocates and delve into further autism resources on our blog: https://www.designmantic.com/blog/autism-resources-to-foster-awareness/

#Advocates #Influencers #Autism Advocates #Autism Awareness #Autism Awareness Month #influential Instagram voices #Foster Awareness #Autism Resources

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the-holistic-goddess · 13 days

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Honoring Black Maternal Health Week: April 11th - April 17th

From April 11th to April 17th, we recognize Black Maternal Health Week, a crucial time to raise awareness about the unique challenges and disparities faced by Black birthing mothers, birthing parents, and their families. This week is especially significant as it begins with the International Day of Maternal Health and Rights on April 11th, highlighting the intersectionality of maternal health and human rights.

Black Maternal Health Week shines a spotlight on the alarming disparities in maternal health outcomes experienced by Black mothers and birthing parents. Despite advances in medical care, Black women are disproportionately affected by pregnancy-related complications and have significantly higher rates of maternal mortality compared to their white counterparts. Black infants also face higher rates of mortality and morbidity, highlighting systemic inequities in access to quality healthcare and support.

It is unacceptable that in the United States, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. These disparities persist regardless of socioeconomic status, education level, or access to healthcare. Structural racism, bias, and unequal treatment within the healthcare system contribute to these disparities, perpetuating a cycle of inequity and injustice.

During Black Maternal Health Week, we stand in solidarity with Black mothers, and birthing parents, families, and communities, and we amplify their voices in calling for action. We demand policies and programs that prioritize maternal health equity, address systemic barriers to care, and center the experiences and needs of Black birthing individuals. We advocate for culturally competent care, access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, and support for maternal mental health.

As we observe Black Maternal Health Week, let's continue to take action to address the disparities in maternal health outcomes. Let's educate ourselves and our communities about the root causes of these disparities and the importance of advocating for change. Let's support organizations and initiatives that work to improve Black maternal health and empower birthing parents to navigate the healthcare system with dignity and respect. If we work together, we can create a future where every mother and family receives the care and support they deserve, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Organizations that we can support or promote to our Black Communities for assistance:

- Black Mamas Matter Alliance

- Black Women's Health Imperative

- National Birth Equity Collaborative

- Sista Midwife Productions

- National Black Doulas Association

- SisterSong

- The Shades of Blue Project

- Mamatoto Village

- Black Birth Justice

- Loveland Foundation

- Every Mother Counts

- Momology Maternal Wellness Club

- Sisters in Loss

- Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings

Dr. Deilen Michelle Villegas, Ph.D., DNM- Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Traumatic Stress Expert, Trauma Recovery and Behavioral Health Specialist, Certified Holistic Doula

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aarattorneyalliance · 14 days

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Corporate Litigation: Navigating Legal Disputes in Business

Introduction to Corporate Litigation

Definition and Scope: Corporate litigation involves legal disputes related to business operations, particularly those involving corporations. This field of law addresses conflicts arising from various aspects of corporate activities. Types of Corporate Litigation

Contract Disputes: Legal conflicts regarding the terms and enforcement of contracts. Intellectual Property Rights: Disputes over the use, protection, and infringement of intellectual property. Employment Issues: Cases involving employee relations, discrimination, and wrongful termination claims. Shareholder and Partnership Disputes: Conflicts among business owners or between shareholders and management. Securities Litigation: Legal challenges related to the trading and handling of company securities. Legal Framework Governing Corporate Litigation

Relevant Laws: Overview of company law, contract law, employment laws, and securities laws that frame corporate litigation. Jurisdiction and Venue: Discussion on where corporate litigation cases are typically filed and heard, such as state, federal, or specialized courts. Parties Involved in Corporate Litigation

Role of Corporations: How businesses engage in litigation either as plaintiffs or defendants. Government and Regulatory Involvement: The impact of government agencies and regulations on corporate litigation. Employee and Public Stakeholders: The involvement of employees and the broader public in legal disputes with corporations. Procedural Aspects of Corporate Litigation

Initiating a Lawsuit: Steps involved in filing a complaint and officially starting a corporate litigation case. The Discovery Process: The exchange of relevant information and evidence between parties before trial. Trial and Judgment: The process of presenting a case in court and the subsequent judgment. Appeals and Settlements: Options for appealing a court decision or reaching a settlement outside of court. Outcomes and Implications of Corporate Litigation

Potential Resolutions: Types of legal remedies and resolutions available in corporate litigation, including monetary damages and injunctive relief. Impact on Corporations: How litigation can affect a corporation’s operations, financial status, and reputation.

#criminal case #law firm #lawyer #aar attorney alliance #advocates #delhi high court #best advocates #NDPS CASE #ED Cases

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