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Edmir Garcia:
“The decreased
number of
children and
teenagers in the
Spiritist
centres is an
issue that will
bring in the
future serious
problems”
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Our interviewed
of the week,
Edmir Garcia
(picture),
was born and
still lives at
Bebedouro, São
Paulo’s
countryside.
He is a History
and Philosophy
professor. In
the spiritist
movement he
coordinates the
Spiritist Youth
department,
directing
meetings and
lectures all
around São Paulo
Estate.
He is currently
the president of
USE -
Intermunicipal
de Bebedouro
and is also
developing a
project for the
unification of
the spiritist
movement. He
shows a great
enthusiasm on
all matters
related to
Youth, mainly
spiritist youth.
Garcia gave us
this interview
full of
enthusiasm,
which is a
characteristic
of young people.
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O Consolador:
How did you get
to know
Spiritism? |
In my infancy;
through
spiritist
cousins.
O Consolador:
Were you
responsible for
managing any
spiritist
department
before?
Yes. I have
already been
coordinatinator
of spiritist’s
youth, and a
spiritist
centre.
Nowadays I am
the President of
USE-Intermunicipal
de Bebedouro.
O Consolador:
How long have
you been
coordinating
USE Bebedouro?
I have been part
of USE
for
approximately 20
years, dealing
with children,
youth and
doctrine
studies. Now I
am working as a
President since
last year.
O Consolador: We
know one of your
favourite topics
is the spiritist
unification.
In your opinion,
how is the
unification of
the movement
these days?
I am a bit
concerned about
what I have been
seeing. The so
called dream of
unifying the
spiritist
centres is not
yet a reality.
Lots of
Presidents,
mainly the ones
who came to the
Spiritist
Centres in their
adulthood and
are part of
bigger centres,
can’t see
importance of
the exchange
among other
centres, as
Kardec oriented.
It worries me
that spiritist
centres are
being placed in
front of the
spiritist
movement.
O Consolador:
You mentioned
the fact that
the spiritist
centre should
not be placed in
front of the
spiritist
movement. In
your opinion,
what are the
biggest
difficulties of
the movement
nowadays, and
how can we
overcome them?
There are
several
difficulties,
but I would like
to focus on the
decreased number
of kids and
teenagers in the
spiritist
centres. This
might bring in
the future a
series of
problems, such
as how to
replace workers
within the
centres. Besides
that, we are not
helping them to
become aware of
moral spiritual
values at the
most appropriate
age for
learning.
Unfortunately,
this way we are
not helping to
form conscious
spiritist
citizenships.
O Consolador:
You have a BA in
History and
Post-Graduation
degree in
Psycho-pedagogy.
How does your
professional
experience as a
teacher join
your activities
as a spiritist
leader?
The exchange
between the
doctrine and my
professional
experience has
been constant
for a long time.
The spiritist
movement helped
me to learn how
to speak in
public, whereas
my spiritist
lectures were
facilitated by
my University
degree and
professional
experience.
O Consolador:
Have you
perceived in
teenagers an
interest for
topics related
to spirituality
and, more
specifically,
Spiritism?
Unfortunately, I
have not been
seeing a genuine
interest in the
study of these
topics. The
interest I find
from some of
them is usually
out of
curiosity.
O Consolador:
Your work in
Spiritism is
very much
connected with
spiritist
teenage hood.
Can you see any
different
between teens
from your time
and from
nowadays?
If yes, please,
tell us more
about it.
I come from a
generation that
was very critic
and political.
We had a very
dynamic movement
in the São Paulo
state. The
spiritist
teenage hood
from Bebedouro
was founded in
20th May 1931.
It is the oldest
one from Brazil,
and in this
period it went
through
different
stages. Nowadays
MEB (Spiritist
teenage hood
from Bebedouro)
is made of
around 20 teens;
it does not
participate
massively in the
unification
movement, and
does not study a
lot. In our
time, we had
about 100 teens,
participated
heavily in the
unification
movement, and
were obsessed
with studying.
Nowadays, the
teens do not
have leisure
activities,
whereas we had a
theatre group,
parties,
excursions, we
used to play
chorus,
volleyball,
ping-pong, etc.
I am not
complaining but
I do believe in
consistency. I
must admit we
are going
through a tuff
period with the
youth movement.
O Consolador:
Some months ago
a research came
across in a very
famous magazine
stating
teenagers lack
knowledge of the
Spiritism
doctrine. What
could be done so
that the younger
generation
showed more
interest in
studying Allan
Kardec’s work?
I do not have a
magic solution
for this issue.
At USE -
Intermunicipal
de Bebedouro
as well as the
spiritist
parents group,
we have been
discussing this
question. The
teens usually
give lots of
different
excuses such as
a lot of
homework,
several other
commitments to
follow, etc.
When we look for
excuses we can’t
really find the
solutions.
The main central
cause is ‘desinterest’.
We need to find
out why. The
rest is excuse....
O Consolador:
Your final
words.
I am an
optimist! I do
believe the
difficulties
above mentioned
can be
surpassed. I
understand we
have the duty to
search for the
best ways
possible. As a
spiritual friend
told us, we are
going through a
transaction
period in our
planet and all
transition
involves natural
difficulties. I
do believe we
can change
things around,
though!
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