Pagan EdNet is the working name of the Pagan Education and Dialogue Network, a nonprofit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to public education, civil rights advocacy, and interfaith outreach for contemporary Pagan, Wiccan, and Earth-centered spiritual communities.
We were founded at the autumn equinox of 2001 by three volunteers who believed that most hostility toward Pagans comes from not knowing, and that not knowing can be cured. Twenty-five years later that belief still shapes everything we do. We write and distribute plain-language educational materials, we train and send out speakers, we assist people who are treated unfairly because of their religion, and we prepare Pagans to take part in interfaith life as informed and reliable partners.
Whom We Serve
Pagan EdNet serves two groups of people at once.
- The general public. Teachers, school counselors, employers, human resources staff, journalists, healthcare workers, chaplains, public officials, and anyone else who needs accurate information about Pagan religions in order to do a job well or to be a good neighbor.
- Pagan individuals and communities. People of every Pagan and Earth-centered tradition, including Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens, reconstructionist polytheists, and those who practice alone, who need to understand their rights or want to represent their communities well.
We are not a church, a coven, or a tradition. We do not ordain clergy, hold worship services, or teach anyone how to practice a religion. We do not speak for all Pagans, and no one could. What we offer is careful information and practical help that people of many traditions have agreed is fair and accurate.
What We Do
-
Public Education
Introductory articles, the Plain Facts fact sheet series, guides written for specific audiences, and a Speakers Bureau with 64 trained volunteers in 29 states.
-
Civil Rights Advocacy
Know Your Rights guides, the Rights Desk for individual assistance and referrals, and policy guidance for schools, employers, hospitals, and correctional facilities.
-
Interfaith Outreach
Quarterly Seat at the Table roundtables, a ten-week training course for Pagan interfaith representatives, and shared service projects with neighbors of other faiths.
How We Work
Pagan EdNet is carried by more than 150 active volunteers, supported by a staff of four and governed by a nine-member volunteer board of directors. We are funded by the gifts of individuals. We accept no funding that would limit what we can say, and we do not sell advertising, memberships, or mailing lists.
Three working habits guide our programs:
- Accuracy first. Every fact sheet and guide is reviewed by practitioners of the traditions it describes and by people from the audience it is written for. When we are not sure, we say so.
- Calm before conflict. Most problems brought to the Rights Desk are resolved by a clear letter and a respectful conversation. We encourage formal complaints and legal action only when they are truly needed.
- Speak for ourselves, listen to others. In interfaith settings we describe our own traditions honestly and expect to learn as much as we teach.
Learn More About Us
- Mission and Values: the commitments behind our work.
- Our History: from a two-page fact sheet to a national network.
- Board and Staff: the people responsible for our programs.
- Governance and Accountability: how decisions are made and money is handled.
- Statement on Diversity and Inclusion: who is welcome, and what we will not tolerate.