Helena Bertoldo (photo) is a retired teacher, with a PhD in Youth Culture and Education. In this interview, she talks about her work as a Spiritist and the special programme developed by the Spiritist Federation of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul to deal with environmental issues.  How did you become a Spiritist?  My parents were Spiritist and I began to study the Doctrine back in 1969, in the town of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul.  Tell us about your work as a Spiritist.  I travel around to give lectures, seminars etc.

I do voluntary work at the Spiritist Centre Fonte Viva, in the city of Porto Alegre, where I am the vice-president and the coordinator of our mediumship groups. I work as a volunteer with the Group Ivonne Pereira, at the Spiritist Hospital of Porto Alegre. I also assist at the state’s federation. I am part of a team that looks after teaching programmes for Spiritist Centres across the state. I work there in the afternoons, from Monday to Friday.

Is the environment part of the concerns of the Spiritist Movement?

Yes, indeed. The Spiritist Federation of Rio Grande do Sul has a project developed exactly to raise awareness to the need of looking after planet Earth, our home and our mother, who receives us during our journey towards spiritual development through the path of reincarnation. 

How did this project come about? 

It came from the urgent need to develop educational programmes in order to help preserve the environment. The book O Consolador, dictated to the medium, Francisco Cândido Xavier, by the spirit Emmanuel, has three questions about that issue, 27, 28 and 121. The question is: “How should we perceive nature?” Emmanuel answers that nature is the divine book, where the hand of God has written the story of his knowledge, it is the book of life, the school of spiritual progress for the ever developing man, constantly assessed by God’s disciples. When asked whether God is present at every different level of development in nature, the mineral, the vegetal and the animal kingdom, he said that God is indeed present at every stage and that all individuals learn and amass important experience when they are in the different kingdoms of nature. Question 121 goes like that: “Does the environment influence the spirit?”  Emmanuel answers that karmic law often determines where we are going to be born; the environment has powerful effect over the development of the personality, and in the same manner a good, enlightened heart is able to improve the material and spiritual development of those around them. Allan Kardec’s Spirits’ Book also deals with that subject, on question 705, in the chapter about the Law of Preservation. Kardec asks the spiritual world: “Why does not the Earth always produce enough to provide for humankind with their necessaries in life?” The spiritual world answers that:  “It is because man ungratefully neglects that excellent nursing-mother! Moreover, he often accuses nature of what is the result of his own unskilfulness or want of forethought. The earth would always produce the necessaries of life, if men could content them-selves therewith.” The new phase of the planet, as a world of regeneration, will not come if we all sit and wait for it. Most of us will probably need to return to this world through reincarnation. And we will need to find on our return to material life enough fresh water, clean air, fertile ground, less rubbish and stable weather, without the sufferings now expected as a result of the continuous burning of fossil fuels. We must act now, without delay. 

Why is the project called Environmental Knowledge? 

Environmental knowledge is about education, challenging common wisdom and providing access to new information. As a result of that, we hope to achieve a better quality of living and sustainable development for all. Dr Enrique Leff says that environmental knowledge is built through the exchange of information and experiences among different areas of expertise. He says we need to reassess the knowledge we have of the world we live in. 

How are we going to achieve that? 

We need to raise awareness among Spiritists to the need of looking after the planet. We must organize meetings to talk about the issue with the board of directors of the Spiritst Federation, volunteer workers etc. 

How can individual Spiritist Centres join that effort? 

They need to study the Doctrine and apply its principles to the theme. They can help by promoting awareness campaigns and by changing their practices – reducing the amount of paper and ink used in their publications. They can encourage research in that field and train their workers and lecturers to look into environmental issues according to the teachings of Spiritism. It is also important to get the children and young people involved. 

How environmentally aware are Spiritists in general? 

We are still to “shy” when it comes to the environment. 

We notice in Brazil an increase in interest for Spiritism. How much of that is due to the growth of the Internet? 

The Internet can be a very important tool to the dissemination of the Doctrine. The several blogs and websites available are a good source of information about the Doctrine, its principles, and also, up coming events. I recommend two good blogs: http://jerrialmeida.blogspot.com/ and http://estudandokardec.blogspot.com/.  But one needs to be careful, as there are many websites and blogs out there, which are not entirely in tune with true Spiritism. 

Do you have a blog? How do you use it? 

I do, but not mine only; I use it to post messages. I created it, but it is used now to publicize the events organized by the Federation and for the publication of background information. The address is http://helenadedo.blogspot.com/.  

What can you say about the increasing number of activities promoted by Spiritist organizations in Brazil? We’ve had even clashing dates for seminars, lectures and other events? 

There is a very positive aspect in all that: the search for knowledge. But we, the Spiritist Movement of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, should question the validity of having so many events, organized by different official institutions, on the same dates. Wouldn’t we all benefit from more integration and a calendar that allowed everyone to take part at the main events? 

Helena, what have you learned in this life thanks to your experience as a Spiritist? 

I have learned that, as an immortal spirit, I have total and full responsibility for my acts. Taking that into account, it is clear to me that I need to make the most of the opportunities provided to me in this life. 

Your final thoughts… 

As fellow passengers on the ship of life, let us be aware of our capacities, using them according to the Laws of God. And, as Spiritists, let us not put the light under a basket, but on the lamp stand. I leave you with the question 932 of the Spirits’ Book: “How is it that, in this world, the wicked so often have power over the good?” “That is a consequence of the weakness of the good. The wicked are intriguing and audacious; the good are often timid. When the latter shall be determined to have the upper hand they will have it.”