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Flávio do Amaral
Castelhano (photo),
is the president
of the Spiritist
Centre
Cultivadores do
Evangelho, in
his home town,
Piabetá (Magé),
in the state of
Rio de Janeiro.
He organised a
book published
recently by
Editora Lorenz,
with many
writers
answering the
questions asked
by Spiritist
youth movements
across the
state.
How did you come
about the idea
of organising
and publishing
the book?
It began with an
invitation made
by my great
friend, Celso
Pinheiro,
vice-president
of Editora
Lorenz and
president of the
Esperanto Group
Hora da Paz. The
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original idea
was to have the
book all written
by young people.
But the project
began to take a
different course
and we decided
that the young
people should
ask questions
(as did Kardec,
in his The
Spirits’ Book)
about subjects
of their
interest. That’s
why we came up
with the title
The Young
Spiritist Wants
to Know. |
What groups do
these young
people belong
to?
A total of 33
youth groups
across the State
of Rio de
Janeiro took
part in the
project. For
more
information, you
can check the
publishers
website,
editora_lorenz@uol.com.br
or phone them,
on + 55 21
22212269.
Who are the
authors who
answer the
questions?
It is a top
quality team, 25
writers in
total:
José Raul
Teixeira,
Richard
Simonetti, Ney
Lobo, Izaura
Hart, José
Passini, Sérgio
Felipe de
Oliveira, César
Soares dos Reis,
André Trigueiro,
Orson Peter
Carrara, Wagner
Gomes da Paixão,
Sandra Borba,
Darcy Neves
Moreira, Dalva
da Silva Souza,
José Carlos
Leal, Eduardo
Ferreira, Plínio
Oliveira, Jorge
Damas, Milton
Menezes, Carlos
Augusto
Abranches,
Cristian Macedo,
Nadja do Couto
Valle, Alexandre
Machado, Érika
Ferraz, Marcel
Mariano e
Marcelo
Teixeira.
What are the
main themes
discussed?
Dating and
relationships;
homosexuality;
eating habits;
legal and
illegal drugs;
depression;
suicide;
abortion; death;
teenage
pregnancy;
conflict of
generations;
Spiritist
Centres;
mediumship;
arts; Esperanto;
violence;
freedom; the
environment; the
Earth and the
regeneration
phase; and a
number of other
subjects.
Is there any
particular about
the book you
would like to
highlight?
I believe the
writers will be
the best people
to publicise the
book. Many of
them will be
giving lectures
in the parts of
Brazil where
they live. I
would like to
add that the
book also has
many
photographs, not
only of the
writers but also
of many of the
young people who
asked the
questions. The
photos will make
the book more
appealing and
raise people’s
curiosity.
How did you
choose the
writers to
answer the
questions?
We didn’t have a
very detailed
brief of the
people we wanted
to write. The
one thing in
common is the
fact that they
all have worked
for Spiritism
for many years,
they have the
knowledge, they
experience and
the authority to
establish a
conversation
with our beloved
Spiritist
youth.
How high were
the expectations
of the young
people who are
part of the
Spiritist
Movement?
They were very
high indeed.
After all, it is
a book that was
written with
their
participation
and that gave
answers to their
questions,
concerns,
conflicts. The
expectation was
equally high
from parents,
educators, those
who study the
Doctrine, “young
old people” etc.
We all want to
know more and
more, so we are
able to live a
better life.
What is your
view on the role
played by young
people in
today’s world
and their main
challenges?
If we have a
great number of
young people who
get pregnant
still in their
early teens,
violent,
immature, empty
and conflicted
youths, we also
have a huge
number of
idealistic
youths,
scientists,
teachers, people
involved in
charity, young
people
developing and
practising their
mediumship. The
problem is that
while the forces
of evil speak in
high volumes,
shout and make
noise, the
forces of good
are still quiet
and whispering,
in a shyness
that is
tantamount to
omission or even
cowardice. True,
legitimate
change will only
come about when
it is deeply
rooted inside
each one of us.
We should
therefore
encourage good
deeds and words,
support and
disseminate good
actions and
above all live
according to
these
principles.
Being young
doesn’t mean
being
irresponsible,
unbalanced,
empty and full
of internal
conflicts. On
the contrary,
well-guided
youth is new
oxygen in the
exhausted lungs
of an agonising
world. When
revitalised by
Jesus, the youth
will be healthy,
balanced,
vigorous,
responsible. In
other words,
this new youth
will become a
living testimony
to the world,
bringing to us
all a glittering
message of true
love.
What else would
you like to
add?
I would like to
thank you for
this opportunity
to talk about
the book. I
would also like
to thank all of
those who took
part in the
preparation of
the book, be it
the young people
who discussed
and asked the
questions,
writers, and all
of those at the
publishers,
Lorenz. I would
like to
emphasize that
all the money
from the sales
of the book will
go to our
charity wok at
Grup Espírita-Esperantista
Hora da Paz (Rua
Primeira, 258,
Santa Cruz – Rio
de Janeiro – RJ
– CNPJ
32380818-0001-73
– cppaco@globo.com).
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