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Rubens José de
Toledo:
“Our next
Spiritist
Congress
in São
Paulo will be
the
most vibrant
and
well-resourced
ever”
The Media
Director for São
Paulo’s Union of
Spiritist
Societies
(USE)
talks about the Spiritist
Congress
scheduled for
April in the
city of Santos
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Rubens José de
Toledo
(photo)
became a
Spiritist at the
age of 10 in his
native state of
São Paulo. He
has a degree in
Media and
post-graduation
in Marketing. He
is a volunteer
worker at the
Spiritist Centre
Allan Kardec, in
the town of
Holambra, and is
directly
involved in the
organisation of
the next
Spiritist
Congress, which
is the main
subject of this
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interview. |
Tell us about
the experience
of working in
the preparations
for such an
important
event.
This is the 16th
Congress and the
port city of
Santos has been
chosen to hold
it. There is
huge enthusiasm
in the region,
which makes me
believe this
will be the most
vibrant and
well-resourced
Congress ever
held in the
state of São
Paulo. The main
theme being
discussed is
very relevant.
We are going to
discuss new ways
for humankind in
the XXI Century,
the Era of the
Spirit and
Intuition. We
will also look
into the
challenges in
the areas of
ethics and
education. The
event will be
held in Santos
from 18th
to 21st
April. Some of
the best-known
Spiritist
speakers will be
at the event.
Those who want
to take part
should access
the Congress’s
website:
www.congressouse.com.br.
How many people
are expected to
take part?
We are expecting
to have 1,200
people
registered for
the Congress,
but the talks
and conferences
will be open to
the wider
public, which
means we can
have up to 4,500
people present
in the Arena
Santos. Many
people are
getting
organised to
travel together
from other parts
of the state,
sharing cars and
minivans.
How long ago was
the city of
Santos chosen to
host this
event?
At the end of
every Congress
we select the
host city for
the next event.
Santos was
chosen in 2012,
at the end of
our previous
Congress in
Franca.
What are the
main highlights
of the
programme?
The aim is to
encourage a big
debate on the
future pathways
for humankind
and also the
future of the
Spiritist
Movement. We
will have with
us directors
from other
Spiritist
federations of
other Brazilian
states, not to
mention the
President of the
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation, FEB,
Antônio Cesar
Perri de
Carvalho. The
seaside region
around Santos is
well known for
its vibrant
artistic
activities and
that will
certainly help
give a special
touch to this
year’s event.
Is there
anything else
you would like
to highlight
from the
organisation of
the event?
After our first
preliminary
meeting in
Santos with some
of the people
helping organise
the Congress,
the group, which
included the
writer and
public speaker
Richard
Simonetti,
decided to visit
an old pioneer
of the Spiritist
Movement in the
region. We went
to see Altivo
Ferreira, a
former director
of FEB and
editor of its
prestigious
magazine,
Reformador, for
more than 30
years. He is now
89 and totally
blind. But when
he began
speaking he
touched our
hearts. He went
back in time and
reminded us of
the power and
the pioneer
spirit of the
Spiritist
Movement in
Santos. Their
first public
event was held
in 1957 at the
Customs
Building. “From
there we went to
Mauá Square to
open the Allan
Kardec book
stand,” he said.
It was then that
I understood why
Santos should,
with all
justice, host
the next
Congress.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
My dear Orson,
we have been
together in the
dissemination of
Spiritism for so
long. I remember
the typed
articles you
used to send to
be published on
the Alavanca, in
the city of
Campinas. Today,
by giving you
this interview,
I feel realised.
I see the
Spiritist media
has grown in
size and quality
and has reached
the whole world,
especially on
the Consolador
website. I must
thank all the
people who put a
huge effort to
help disseminate
our beautiful
Teachings. May
God allow us to
carry on working
for peace in the
world.
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