Maria
José Bueno:
“The best aid programme
is to invest in human
development”
The
Spiritist leader in the
city of Poços de Caldas,
in Minas Gerais state,
talks about the
Spiritist Movement in
the region
|
Maria José Bueno (photo)
is president of the
Municipal Spiritist
Alliance (AME) in the
city of Poços de Caldas,
where she lives and
works as a Spiritist
volunteer in two
different groups. Maria
José, who is a qualified
account and earns her
living as a farmer,
talks about the
Spiritist Movement in
the area.
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Tell us a bit more about
Poços de Caldas. |
It is the most developed
city in the south,
southeast of the state
of Minas Gerais, with
170,000 inhabitants and
the higher human
development index in the
state. Up to the 1950’s
tourism the city’s main
economic activity. But
since then mining,
industry and farming
have grown and play an
important role in the
local economy.
How did you feel when
you took over AME? What
are your main
challenges?
It has been a very
gratifying opportunity
to get closer to all
Spiritist groups in the
region. My main
challenge is to give
attention to all of
them.
What are the main events
coordinated by AME in
Poços de Caldas?
We have two main events:
the Spiritist Week, in
mid-March, and the
Spiritist Book Fair,
which takes place every
year in October or
November.
How many Spiritist
Groups are there in the
city?
There are nine Groups
affiliated to the
regional body, AME.
There are another four
or five we unfortunately
keep no contact with, as
they are not members of
AME. The oldest
Spiritist Centre in the
city is the Vinha do
Senhor, followed by Deus
e Caridade.
What are the main means
of disseminating
Spiritism in the city?
We have a web radio,
www.amepocos.com.br,
a Spiritist Bookshop and
we also use the two
local papers (Jornal da
Cidade e Mantiqueira) to
help promote our events
and disseminate our
message.
Is the local Spiritist
Movement influenced in
any way by the fact that
Poços de Caldas is such
a well-known tourist
destination in Brazil?
Not really. Very few
tourists who come to
Poços de Caldas attend
our meetings or visit
our Spiritist Centres.
What is the main focus
of the aid programmes
carried out by the
Spiritist Groups in
Poços de Caldas?
The various Spiritist
Groups have a number of
activities to assist
those in need. Some help
the elderly, others
focus on children,
others provide basic
healthcare and there is
a Group that has a
hostel. But I believe
that the best aid
programme is to invest
in human development.
Most of our Groups focus
on providing aid rather
than helping to foster
the development of the
people. But we cannot
criticise them, as they
are all helping the
cause of Spiritistm by
doing charity.