Orisa practitioners meet in TT

The Awise Agbaye - Professor Baba Wande Abimbola, Ifa Spokesperson for the world, has been invited to deliver the feature address at the opening of the conference. Participants from countries across the Diaspora – Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Jamaica, Suriname, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Nigeria are expected to attend the conference. The main theme of the conference is Origins, Essence and Practice of IFA in the Diaspora: Redefining the Past...Building the Future. The conference will take place during the period of the 11th Annual Sango/Osun Rain Festival.

The objective of the Ifa/Orisa conference is to build international alliances with like-minded practitioners; restore respectful linkages and connections to Yorubaland, and the development of Ifa/Orisa practitioners and devotees.

Over the last several months IESOM has been liaising with more than a dozen presenters from the Diaspora who will make presentations on a number of issues during the four days of the conference. Some topics that the conference will address are:

* The Emergence and Development of an Authentic Yoruba Cosmology and Theology in Trinidad and Tobago - Presented by Chief Olakela Massentungi (TT)

* The Role of Divination in the Ifa/Orisa Tradition - Presented by Oluwo Solagbade Popoola (Nigeria)

* Ifa, Odu and the Practice of Orisa Religion - Presented by: Kola Abimbola (UK)

* Chronic Non-communicable Dis-Ease - Presented by Baba Pear-Sun (USA) and

* Cultural Renaissance - The Worship of the Deity Sango - Presented by Baba Ifayemi (USA)

Orisa devotees and interested persons wanting to participate can contact IESOM at iesomgardens@yahoo.com, or via telephone numbers 369-0742/362-8975/675-1079/685-1954 for information on registration ongoing at Shrines Gardens, Santa Cruz.

Registration cost for the Ifa/Orisa Practitioners Conference is $450 for the three days (lunch and other refreshments included) or $150 for daily attendance.

Details of the topics listed for discussion and presenter will be published in a subsequent news release. Further information on the conference is available online at www.Iesom.com.