Waldehir Bezerra
de Almeida:
“We must become
more aware of
the impact of
the spoken word”
The author of
the book A
Dimensão da Fala
e a Palestra
Espírita,
says the spoken
work has an
impact we still
fail to fully
grasp
 |
Waldehir Bezerra
de Almeida (photo),
is a History
lecturer from
the
north-eastern
city of Recife,
living now in
the Brazilian
capital,
Brasília. He
became a
Spiritist when
he was 23 and
has since been
fully engaged in
the Spiritist
Movement. He is
the author of
two Spiritist
Books and a
member of the
Board of
Directors of the Spiritist
Federation of
the
|
|
Federal District
(Brasília). |
What has
motivated you to
write your book
on the impact of
the spoken word
and Spiritist
talks (A
Dimensão da Fala
e a Palestra
Espírita)?
After reading a
book by Luiz
Signates
entitled A
Caridade do
Verbo (The
Charity of the
Word), I
decided to take
a different
approach on the
dissemination of
Spiritist
through talks
and lectures. I
observed that
many Spiritist
speakers were
not properly
guided to meet
the demands of
the public. We
then set up a
department to
deal with
Spiritist Talks
and Lectures. We
began to give
Spiritist
speakers
specific targets
and to assess
their
performance. We
realised that we
would have a
bigger impact
and would be
more efficient
in delivering
our message if
we dealt with
current issues
and concerns. We
began to carry
out polls with
those who
attended our
meetings to see
what were the
issues they
would like the
speakers to
address. We have
also done a
number of other
initiatives to
improve the
quality and the
impact of our
talks, including
a booklet with
guidelines for
talks. After
more than 10
years of
efforts, I
decided to put
my experiences
in that field
together in a
book. It took me
six months to
put all the
material
together and
publish the
book.
What is your
assessment of
the quality of
talks and
lectures in
Spiritist
Centres in
Brazil?
The quality is
improving, but
there is a great
deal to be done.
Many Spiritist
Centres object
to implementing
a system to
monitor the
talks. They
believe inviting
the speaker is
enough.
Everything is
left for the
speaker to sort
out. The needs
and requests of
the people who
attend that
particular group
are not taken
into account.
What are the
main changes
required?
Spiritist
Centres need to
take some of the
responsibility
from the
speakers for the
outcome of the
talks or
lectures. And
Spiritist
speakers need to
become more
aware of the
impact of the
spoken word.
What role
exactly can
people in charge
of the Spiritist
Movement play?
They must become
more aware that
the spoken word
has a reach that
human beings
have not yet
been able to
understand.
Krishna, Buda,
St Francis of
Assisi and many
other leaders
never wrote
anything. They
only used the
spoken word.
Jesus was the
greatest among
them. His
parables and
sermons gave a
new direction to
our planet.
What can be done
to improve the
quality of
Spiritist
talks?
We could offer
courses for
Spiritist
speakers, as we
did in 2011 and
2012 here in the
Spiritist
Federation of
the Federal
District. It is
also important
for speakers to
carry on
studying the
core works of
Spiritism, the
Gospels of Jesus
and to expand
their cultural
knowledge.
What are your
plans in this
field? Do you
intend to write
other books?
Not about talks
and lectures. I
will keep
writing for as
long as I can.
My third book is
ready and about
to be
published.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
I thank you for
the opportunity
of giving this
interview. The
message I have
to the readers
is not to miss
the opportunity
of taking an
active role in
the Spiritist
Movement, of
being hand in
hand with those
who are working
for Jesus.
