Waldir Imbroisi:

“Youth groups cannot be seen as an appendix, a different part of a Spiritist Centre”

The young Spiritist from the Brazilian city of Juiz de Fora, in Minas Gerais state, talks about the challenges and the role of youth
groups within the Spiriist Movement
 

	It has about 55,000 inhabitants and is located in the southwest of the state. Agro business is the main economic activity in the city, whose wealth has grown remarkably in the last decade, in much higher levels than the national average. That was due to the opening of many manufacturing companies  working  to supply the demand genera-
ted by agro business. We have had a huge influx of migrants, which has brought about many social problems: lack of proper housing and schools, busier roads and a steep rise in the number of road accidents, overcrowded hospitals, rising urban violence.

What is the oldest Spiritist Centre in the city? 

It is the Spiritist Community Allan Kardec, founded in 1975 by Aloísio de Assis Paniago and his wife, Olinda Gomes Paniago. 

In your experience with the Centre, is there any particular event or fact that you would like to share with our readers? 

There is not a single fact or event, but an endless number of occasions when we have met to study, to help those who came to us in need of assistance. There was one event that touched us all very deeply: a message from the Spiritual World by Aloísio, who came back to reassure us that we were on the right path. 

Tell us about the other Spiritist Groups in the city. 

We have in Mineiros five Spiritist Groups, each one with its own practices and priorities. Our Group, Allan Kardec, has the following schedule of activities: study groups, mediumship meetings and counselling (fraternal assistance) are offered every day of the week, including weekends. Also, we hold a monthly event – pizza and second hand goods – to raise funds for the Bezerra de Menezes Home. We also have a Youth Group and special groups and classes for children. 

What about the other Groups? 

They all have open meetings for the general public, they all have mediumship meetings and some carry out the study of the core works of Allan Kardec. There is one point where some of them differ from each other, as some allow the presence of the general public int their disobsession (spiritual attachment) meetings. 

What are the main initiatives to disseminate Spiritism in the city of Mineiros? 

We hand out leaflets with basic explanations about the Teachings, we also use special events (such as our monthly pizza “party” or other fund raising meetings) for that purpose and we have a weekly programme in the local radio. 

What would you like to share about your personal experience in the Spiritist Movement? 

Since I found Spiritism 20 years ago, these wonderful Teachings have changed my life. I finally began to understand the meaning of our existence on Earth. By studying the core works of Kardec and other books, by working in charity and aid projects, I have reflected so much about the meaning of life and have enjoyed countless moments of immense joy. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

I would like to invite all readers to get to know Spiritism, as well as the Spiritist Movement. More than a religious doctrine, Spiritism is a philosophy of life. Jesus and Kardec are Teachings for eternity.

Waldir Imbrosi (photo), from the city of Juiz de Fora, found Spiritism in 2004. He is now an active member of the Spiritist Movement in his hometown. Waldir Imbrosi, a teacher, is also doing a Masters degree in Literature. Some of his works on young Spiritists are published on the blob, mocidadesespiritas.blogspot.com.br. Here is the interview he gave us: 

What is your assessment of youth movements in the Brazilian Spiritist Movement? 

It is difficult to talk about youth movements as a whole, as there is so much variety across the country. From what I have observed, in trips to other parts of the country and conversations with friends, youth groups still play a small role in most Spiritist Centres. In some cities where we have six or seven Centres, none has a youth group.  

How are young people being integrated into the Spiritist Movement? Is it being done in the proper way? 

Again, it varies a lot. I believe many groups have a rigid approach, demanding that young people attend so many years of theoretical courses before joining youth groups. In other groups, it is the opposite. Things are too loose, with people taking active roles after only a month or so after joining. I believe the best approach is to include young people little by little, giving them responsibility in proportion to their perseverance, without all the rigid formalities that often damage the Spiritist Movement. 

What is the best approach to include young people as they first arrive at the Spiritist Centre? 

There are many different ways that can reach equally satisfactory results. But there is one point that seems to be key for success: the participation of young people must be valued. Leopoldo Machado used to say in the 1930s and 1940s that the youth movement had the capacity of bringing a breath of fresh air to Spiritist Centres. One idea is to change the youth group meetings into small talks or lectures. Young people need to be challenged, asked questions and they need to ask probing question too. Spiritism must help people deal with their day-to-day problems and questions. It cannot be disconnected from the major concerns of young people. 

How should the coordinators of youth groups prepare to deal with their important task? 

The great medium, Raul Teixeira, with his well-known common sense, said that many Spiritist Centres make their youth department a low priority part of their operation. They end up appointed less prepared volunteers to be in charge of their youth movement, when they should be getting their best workers to deal with the young. After all, the coordinator of youth groups will be dealing with the hearts of minds that will be the foundations of the Spiritist Movement in the near future. It is also important that coordinators be aware of the principles of didactics and education, in order to find the best way of sharing and building knowledge with the young people engaged in the Spiritist Movement. And, as Raul Teixeira pointed out, it is essential that the coordinator can develop the capacity of becoming a friend of the young Spiritist, so they can build together a Youth Movement that works for everyone. 

What roles should be opened for young people other than social work and charity work? Should young people be allowed to join mediumship groups? 

Young people need time to adjust to Spiritism and the Spiritist Group they join, just like every other volunteer worker. No one should take up big responsibilities before they have the necessary theoretical knowledge and the firm commitment to carry on with the task. I believe every new worker need to be monitored and guided, almost on a one-to-one basis. The same principle applies to mediumship groups. We cannot be neither too lenient not too strict and bureaucratic. I have seen in Juiz de Fora young mediums taking part in mediumship groups. But they must be committed to studying the Teachings and to other work in the Group. Some young mediums end up affected by the pride and vanity that stem from their mediumship. But I do not think young people are more vulnerable to that than adult mediums. 

How do you deal with the cases of young people who come to the Spiritist Centre with very powerful, ostensive mediumship? 

It would be lack of charity to invite a young person in that condition to join mediumship groups before they can study and understand Spiritism. The treatment for mediumship is not only to practice mediumship. To do good, to do healing, to engage in inner reform, those are the initial steps, alongside the serious study of mediumship and Spiritism, before newcomers can join mediumship groups. 

How can young people help in the bigger project of uniting the many Spiritist Groups? 

It is important for youth groups not to be seen as an appendix, a different part of a Spiritist Centre. They must be an integral part of the Spiritist Centre. By its involvement with other departments of the Spiritist Centre, the youth movement will be an important agent in that unification movement. Also, young people are very flexible and that helps. In Juiz de Fora we have seven annual events for children and teenagers. The Internet is an important tool to gather young people. The Youth Movement in our city gathers more than 500 people, who use the Internet regularly to exchange ideas, texts, songs and to publicise events. I must say that young people are not banned from going to parties and enjoying their youth just because they are attending a Spiritist Centre. “Live according to the men of your time,” the Spirits taught us. Everyone must have, however, their responsibility and that does not exclude young people. The law of action and reaction says we will face the consequences of everything we do, good or bad. The Spiritis told us to be “jovial and happy” but reminded us that our joviality must come from “a clean conscience.”