Ivanildo Fernandes Araújo (photo), an engineer with a degree in Industrial Design, university lecturer, is the president of the Spiritist Association of the prosperous city of Campina Grande. He became a Spiritist in 1986. In this interview he talks about an important regional event, known across the country by its acronym, MIEP (Integration Movement of the State of Paraíba):  What is MIEP? When was the first meeting?  MIEP is an annual meeting that takes place during the carnival holidays in Brazil. The aim is to encourage cooperation between various Spiritist

More and more people join the event at every new edition. How many people have taken part in the latest MIEP? 

Our Spiritist brothers José Nicolau and Antônio de Lima, who’ve been present to every edition of the event, say only 20 people attended the first MIEP. This year we had 800 people who officially joined us, plus another 250 in the youth movements and all of those who turned up on a daily basis to visit us, without officially signing up. I would say that we had some two thousand people taking part in this year’s event. But we still don’t have a permanent venue for MIEP, we gather every year in a different building, generally at state schools. 

Do you always meet during the carnival holidays? 

Yes, in accordance with the original aims of the event, from Saturday night to Tuesday night, full time. Some people come only for the events. But we also have 100 beds to accommodate those who join us from other cities and other parts of Brazil. We have the main programme and also offer special programmes and events for young people, divided in groups according to their age. 

How many people take part in the organisation of the event? 

The members of all the 28 Spiritist Centres are affiliated to the city’s Spiritist Association get involved in the organisation. Some 250 people take part in all aspects of the organisation, including cleaning, catering, selling books, preparing the debates and lectures, looking after the children. It’s a huge operation that goes well every year thanks to the dedication of so many people. 

How do you choose the themes and the programme for each year’s event? 

There’s a dedicated team to choose the programme, with members of various Spiritist Centres. The number one guideline is to follow the principles of the Spiritist Doctrine, laid out in the work of Allan Kardec and other important Spiritist literature, especially the works dictated by the spirits, André Luiz and Emmanuel. 

Tell us about the programme for 2012. 

We’ll kick off the event a couple of weeks before carnival with an Opening Seminar, on February 4^th and 5^th. The main event goes on from February 18^th to 21^st, and the main themes next year will be “Reincarnation: why it’s necessary to be born again.” We’ll have in total 12 speeches, 6 seminars and two panels, with the participation of some of the best-known Spiritist speakers in Brazil. They youth group will discuss the same theme, reincarnation. For further information, please check the website www.ame.miep.com.br. 

What lessons have you learned, what have been the most memorable aspects of this annual event for you? 

In all these years, I’ve witnessed some remarkable moments, but what really strikes me is the support from the Spiritual Benefactors. They help us in every aspect, even by giving us physical strength. I tend to joke with other volunteer workers: “MIEP workers are like oranges, the more you squeeze them, the more juice they give”. At the end of the meeting, we’re just like some used, squeezed orange, physically destroyed, but spiritually renewed for another year of hard work in our Spiritist groups. MIEP is like a source where we renew our spiritual values and energy. 

What are the main problems you face? 

It is undoubtedly is the financial side of the event. We make a point of being financially independent, we need to be self-sustainable and do follow the recommendation by André Luiz not to accept government money to any Spiritist activity other than social and aid work. The event has to pay itself. We rely on the money raised through registration fees and donations by generous Spiritists. We must keep our independence and stay away from any political commitments. We must not allow religion to become a professional occupation for us.  

Are you keeping electronic record of the events? 

Yes, we began recording all events four years ago, not only for our archives, but also to sell DVDs and raise money. Our DVDs are also available on TVCEI, the Spiritist Channel. In 2011, the event was shown live on the TVCEI website.

Is there anything else you would like add? 

This is the oldest Spiritist event in the state of Paraíba, and more and more people – Spiritists and non-Spiritists – are getting to know what we do and are joining us. That’s clear by the growing numbers of registered participants and visitors in the last few years, and by the impact in other Brazilian states. We can say now that MIEP is no longer a regional event; it’s an event for all Brazilians. And we hope to welcome an ever-greater number of visitors each year.