September 16th - (7-9:30pm) Keynote Presentation
&
September 17th - (8am-4pm) Classes, Lectures, and Panel Discussion
at
A Place to B Studios - 1750 30th St. (unit 64), Boulder CO 80301
Please join Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF at this year's Fall Symposium!
For this year's fundraiser & lecture series, we will be gathering together the best in our community, from myriad traditions, to share the wisdom of their paths and perspective. This year we'll be focusing on the weighty topics of Outsiders in the pagan/polytheist community, and how we as pagans/polytheists view Outdwellers in the larger, secular community. .
Outsider... the other, the people who live outside of mainstream culture & community, by choice or force. Whether it is prisoners, or people-of-color, or our siblings of the LGBTQA+ community, or our fellow humans who have disabilities, or our elders and the elderly, we will discuss those that have been pushed outside of social norms and societal acceptance. We will discuss these groups and our relationships, obligations, and connections, or lack of those connections as they relate to the practices and spirit of the pagan/polytheist community.
Our presenters will explore these topics from a social-justice/human rights standpoint, as well as a spiritual/religious one. Mountain Ancestors Grove's second annual Symposium promises to inform and challenge,
We Hope you All Join us!!
For this year's fundraiser & lecture series, we will be gathering together the best in our community, from myriad traditions, to share the wisdom of their paths and perspective. This year we'll be focusing on the weighty topics of Outsiders in the pagan/polytheist community, and how we as pagans/polytheists view Outdwellers in the larger, secular community. .
Outsider... the other, the people who live outside of mainstream culture & community, by choice or force. Whether it is prisoners, or people-of-color, or our siblings of the LGBTQA+ community, or our fellow humans who have disabilities, or our elders and the elderly, we will discuss those that have been pushed outside of social norms and societal acceptance. We will discuss these groups and our relationships, obligations, and connections, or lack of those connections as they relate to the practices and spirit of the pagan/polytheist community.
Our presenters will explore these topics from a social-justice/human rights standpoint, as well as a spiritual/religious one. Mountain Ancestors Grove's second annual Symposium promises to inform and challenge,
We Hope you All Join us!!
Presenters & Speakers
|
KEYNOTE - Robyn Chauvin, MA, LPC - The Process of Other-ing
The process of “other-ing”... in other words labeling, demonizing, categorizing, or objectifying individuals or whole groups of people. How does this process relates to the various phobias and “isms” within our culture, and the various motivations leading to this behavior? “Other-ing” is at the core of psychological development, and therefore, is difficult to avoid. So, how can one approach authentic relating while being faced with the constant drive to turn everything and everyone into “not me”? The approach to this topic will arise from various disciplines: Buddhist, Existential, and Psychodynamic, to name a few. Rich, open dialogue and exploration of the topic with attendees is expected. |
|
Jane Kelly, Attorney at Law - The Injustice of Other-ing and the Prison Industrial Complex
When the harms of “other-ing” are discussed, we often overlook the “other-ing” of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons by institutions that commoditize them for profit and by a society that, by its silence, tacitly consents to their dehumanization. When a person has caused a harm, many believe that a reciprocal harm is due, and that the offender has somehow waived a right to be treated as a citizen of our community. The American prison industrial complex has become a system in which inmates are dehumanized, commoditized, and deprived of almost all societal and legal resources. This presentation will discuss the current state of the American prison industrial complex and will argue that its lack of effective reentry resources furthers a self-perpetuating and dehumanizing cycle of incarceration, “othering,” recidivism, and corporate profit. It will also discuss how the retributive model of criminal justice has permitted this cycle by sanctioning mistreatment and ostracism of criminal offenders in the name of just punishment. |
|
Rev. Missy Ashton, ADF-MB - Outdwellers Among the Gods
Throughout history, we have seen epic battles between groups of people. When the victors are declared, their challengers are either absorbed into the new culture or more often, are pushed to the outside of the community. This same pattern can be seen among the Deities. This presentation explores the changes in power that occur in the heavenly realms as humanity battles for the right to rule. |
|
Piper Perry, Editor & Freelance Writer - American Mythology: How the Media Creates "us vs. them" and what you can do About it
One of the myths that we as Americans hold is fair and unbiased media coverage of the news. Like many other myths, this underlies our understanding of our community narrative and how it is constructed. In that construction, the media builds in othering, by different kinds of coverage and buzz words for different populations. This presentation will discuss those myths, coverage and buzz words. It will also look behind the curtain of how news is created and alternative news sources that incorporate and or highlight marginalized voices. |
Regular Symposium Admission $55.00
September 16th & 17th
September 16th & 17th
