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Mara Marques
Sucena de
Almeida (photo)
has been a
Spiritist since
the age of 16.
She was born in
the city of
Itapevi and
lives now in the
city of São
Paulo. She works
at the Spiritist
Centre Mãos
Unidas, focusing
mostly on
healing and on
teaching the
Doctrine to
young people
aged 13 to 17.
In this
interview, she
talks about her
experience with
teenagers, about
the teaching
techniques
available in
various
Spiritist
Centres and
about the
responsibility
of parents and
educators.
O Consolador:
Tell us about
your experience
teaching
Spiritism to
children and
young people.
When did you
begin teaching?
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Even though I
began a long
time ago, I
always feel like
there is always
something
missing. There
is an endless
search for new
teaching
technique and
methods, as the
interest from
young people
really seems to
be dwindling the
more material
progress the
world achieves.
We are forced to
try new things.
I have been
teaching the
Spiritist
Doctrine for 19
years now. I
have considered
stopping,
retiring, but I
feel I have a
commitment with
teaching. |
O Consolador:
What criteria do
you use in the
preparation of
classes for
children and
teenagers?
Our programme is
prepared by a
team who is
always recycling
their knowledge
with the aim of
meeting the
demands of our
times. The
criteria changes
according to age
and to the
recommendations
from the latest
researches in
Psychology
O Consolador:
You are engaged
in the Projeto
Imagem (www.projetoimagem.com.br),
which has
produced a
number of images
to illustrate
the main novels
of the Spiritist
Doctrine. What
have you learned
from that
experience?
Projeto Imagem
has selected
three books for
young people to
be illustrated,
but our
experience shows
that we can
reach children
and teenager
through some of
the
illustrations
produced for
other books, the
works of André
Luiz, Emmanuel
and others. That
works mainly for
those above the
age of 12 and,
of course,
depending on the
issue we are
talking about.
O Consolador:
After all these
years
researching and
making notes on
the main books
of Spiritism,
what message do
you think the
Spiritual World
has been trying
to convey?
I have noticed,
above all, their
concern in
making us
understand the
need to work
hard alongside
the forces of
Good. All the
stories, the
novels and the
experiences from
the Spiritual
World and
described in so
much detail,
especially those
in the books of
André Luiz, are
full of valuable
teaching for
those who want
to learn. The
illustrations
produced by
Projeto Imagem
are also a big
help.
O Consolador:
What has been
the reaction of
the public to
the use of sound
and images in
your lectures?
Very positive.
Those who come
for the first
time are
surprised by how
much easier it
becomes to
visualise,
understand and
memorise the
information from
the books. Many
leave talking
about re-reading
those books. And
there is plenty
of praise for
the designers –
well deserved
praise, I must
say, as the
images they
produce are just
beautiful and
very moving.
O Consolador:
What is the main
advantage of
producing images
during the
presentations?
People
concentrate a
lot more, they
pay more
attention to
what we are
saying. That is
even clearer
when there is
interaction with
the public – in
the classes, for
example. Having
a presentation
with images and
a script to
follow, you are
also guaranteed
to avoid
diversions.
O Consolador:
This has been a
good year for
Spiritism, with
the celebration
of the 100th
anniversary of
the great medium
and benefactor,
Chico Xavier.
What should be
done to make the
most of the
momentum in
order to
encourage the
study of the
basic works of
the Doctrine?
I believe it is
down to each one
to do something
about it. The
will to act must
be in the
present, not in
the future.
Obviously, new
resources will
help, such as
the Internet and
the
illustrations
made available
by Projeto
Imagem.
O Consolador:
Tell us about
the presentation
of the works of
André Luiz at
the Spiritist
Centre André
Luiz.
I was invited by
this renowned
Spiritist Centre
to make a
presentation
there of the new
images produced
by Projeto
Imagem. It was a
memorable and
beautiful
moment. The
beauty and the
value of the
teachings of
André Luiz
became very
clear to me.
O Consolador:
What else would
you like to add?
I would like to
highlight the
importance of
the
evangelisation,
of teaching the
Doctrine to
children and
teenagers in all
Spiritist
Centres. Also,
the parents must
be aware of
their
responsibility.
Their children
are like a field
on loan from
God. They must
make sure that
the seeds they
sow will
germinate and
bear fruits.
O Consolador:
Your final
words…
Let us
understand that,
even though we
are not able to
change the world
or anyone else,
we can change
ourselves and
thus provide an
example to
others, so that
they also
realise the need
to improve. “Be
perfect,
therefore, as
your heavenly
Father is
perfect,” said
Jesus. Let us
work for that!
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