World Congress of Ethnic Religions
In Vilnius-Lithuania there was held on 20-24th June 1998 the World Pagan Congress.
A lot of traditional-religious groups were represented: France, Belgium, Germany,
Denmark, Norwegan, Sweden, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Estonia, Letonia, Russia,
Ukrainia, India, USA... We've discussed about working together, forming a new
coordinating organisation for all ethnic religions. So we founded the World Congress
of Ethnic Religions. It will be the organisation that contact the Governments to
drop their discriminative law and behavior towards the small ethnic religions.
We agreed on following declaration:
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We, the delegates of the World Congress of Ethnic Religions, held in Vilnius,
Lithuania, from 20 to 24 June 1998, have gathered to express our solidarity for
the ethnic, indigenous, native and/or traditional religions of Europe and the other
regions of the world.
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All cultures and all native religions and faiths should be valued in the same way.
Each region and each people have their distinctive local traditions (native faith,
world outlook, mythology, folklore etc.) which articulate their love of their land
and history, and cultivate a regard for the sacredness of all life and the divinity
of Nature. Just as Nature survives through a wide variety of species, so can humanity
be allowed to develop freely and without interference along a wide variety of
cultural expressions.
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According to our ancient traditional ethics, the Earth and all creation must be
valued and protected. We as human beings must find our place within the web of all
life, not outside or separate from the whole of creation.
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We share a common understanding of our position in the world, based upon our common
historical experience of oppression and intolerance. Ethnic and/or "Pagan" religions
have suffered great injury and destruction from the other religions of exclusivity
in the past. It is our sincere wish to live in peace and harmony, and to strive for
cooperation with the followers of all other religions, faiths and beliefs.
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We believe that the dawn of a new era of individual and intellectual freedom and
global exchange of views and information gives us an opportunity to start again to
return to our own native spiritual roots in order to re-claim our religious heritage.
We are worshippers of Nature just as whole mankind was, for the last 96 % of its
history.
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True indigenous religions should give us love and respect for all that we see and
feel around, to accept all forms of worship which emphasize sincere hearts, pure
thoughts and noble conduct at every moment of our life, towards all that exists.
Let us be proud of our reborn ethnic religions. Our new Universalism induces people
not to remain closed within walls of hatred and jealousy against those who are not
inside our walls. Let us break these walls and expand the horizon and vision of
the whole humanity.
We established the "World Congress of Ethnic Religions" /WCER/ to help all ethnic
religions groups survive and cooperate with each other. Our motto is "Unity in
Diversity."
Oyvind SILJEHOLM ARNESEN (Norway), Hans BERGHMANS (Belgium), Janis BRIKMANIS
(Latvia), Denis DORNOY (France), Audrius DUNDZILA (USA), Arwind GHOSH (India),
Morten GROLSTED (Denmark), Surinder Paul ATTRI (India),Vadim KAZAKOV (Russia),
Stefan KLUGE (Germany), Todor KASHKUREVICH (Belarus), Koenraad LOGGHE (Belgium),
Giuseppe MAIELLO (Czech), Halina LOZKO (Ukraine), Geza von NEMENYI (Germany),
Stashko POTSHEBOVSKI (Poland), Vlasis RASSIAS (Greece), Rajinder SINGH (India),
Nikolaj SPERANSKIJ (Russia),Michael Strmiska (USA) Jonas TRINKUNAS (Lithuania),
Laila WIBERG (Sweden), Catrin WILDGRUBE (Germany)
Vilnius, Lithuania, 23 June 1998
WCER Office E-mail: jontrin@taide.lt Telephone: +370-2-26 29 66
Address: Vivulskio 27-4 LT-2009 Vilnius Lithuania
If you want to underscribe this declaration, pls contact Mr. Trinkunas (e-mail
Vilnius) with mentioning our group. Thanks
Koenraad Logghe President of Werkgroep Traditie vzw - Belgium
