Márcio Pereira de Souza: 

“Our aim is to rise to the challenge given to us by
divine providence”

A member of the team that edits the independent website, Agenda Espírita Brasil (Brazil Spiritist Agenda) talks about the portal
and the results achieved so far

Flávio Souza da Fonseca (photo) was born in Rio de Janeiro but lives in the Brazilian capital, Brasília. He was born in a Spiritist family and, despite taking part in regular family prayers and meetings, only fully engaged in the Spiritist Movement in 1984, at the Spiritist Centre Irmão Estêvão. He translated a book by Roque Jacinto, O Vale da Neblina, into

Esperanto and had many articles published across the world (in Portuguese and Esperanto), mainly on Spiritism and Music. But the highlight of his work is his records. He is the author of 14 albums and has taken part in about 60 others. He has performed in more than 100 concerts around the world. He gives lectures and talks in Spiritist Centres (usually in the company of his guitar), gives workshops and seminars and takes parts in many other events. Flávio Fonseca, who has a degree in Music Writing and Directing at the University of Brasília and a Master Degree in Jungian Psychotherapy, gave us this interview:

Márcio Pereira de Souza (photo) lives in the city of São José do Rio Preto, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, where he works as a volunteer at the Spiritist Centre Esperança e Caridade (Hope and Charity). He is an IT expert and works at the local council. He became a Spiritist 15 years ago and dedicates a great part of his spare time to the website, Agenda Espírita Brasil, of which he talks about in this interview. 

What is the Agenda Espírita Brasil? 

It is an independent non-profit website to help disseminate Spiritism and Spiritist events held across Brazil. Our aim is to spread the Teachings codified by Allan Kardec, in accordance with the guidelines of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB. We have volunteers from the whole country, who post the activities of the Spiritist Movement in their regions, as well as articles from selected columnists. The articles are assessed and approved by our editorial board.  

What are the best ways of accessing your website? 

To assess our website, here is our link: agendaespiritabrasil.com.br. We are also no Facebook (www.facebook.com-agendaseventosespiritas) and Twitter (twitter.com/agendaespiritab). If people want to inform us of an event, they can do it directly on the website. Those who are willing to contribute with articles should write to us on agendasespiritasp@gmail.com. I must highlight that it is a daunting task to disseminate events in a country as big as Brazil. 

How many daily hits do you get on the website? 

We get about 500 unique users a day, but in some days we get up to 6,000 people accessing the website. The traffic on the site has been increasing steadily. About 90% of those who access the website are in Brazil, then United States, Portugal, Spain, Japan and other countries. In Brazil, most visits to the site come from the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with Minas Gerais coming next. 

What are the most popular items? 

Even though our main aim is to disseminate Spiritist events, the articles have become the most popular items on the site. We have tried to publish articles on a wide range of issues, focusing on the dissemination of the principles of Spiritism. The articles that get a greater number of hits and more repercussion are those dealing with the daily lives and personal experiences of readers, seen through the prism of Spiritism. Messages from Spirits, articles about the death of family members and friends and articles on social issues are also popular.  

Based on your experience with the management of the website and the comments to the articles, what assessment do you make of the efforts to disseminate Spiritism in Brazil? 

We are going through a very delicate period, because of the imbalances in Brazilian politics, health and education, which have prompted people to look for formulas promising a quick fix for the problems of our society. It is natural that people look into Spiritism for an answer, as it has religious, scientific and philosophical aspects. It is important, therefore, that the task of helping disseminate Spiritism is carried out with a motivational, positive approach, without getting bogged down in the passions of current politics.  

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

All the work carried out by Agenda Espírita Brasil is the result of a collective work aimed at disseminating Spiritism. It is important to highlight the fact that all the material published is subjected to the scrutiny of an editorial board, which is guided solely by the works of the codification of Spiritism, by Allan Kardec. We believe that when we are moved by higher, sublime goals we get the continuing support from the Spiritual Benefactors. Our aim is to rise to the challenge given to us by divine providence. It gave us the tools for the dissemination of Spiritism, to send love and enlightenment to the far corners of Brazil. We have recently been officially recognised by FEB as an agent working for the dissemination of Spiritism. Agenda Espírita Brasil belongs to everyone, it is for everyone and we will continue to follow the Teachings of Our Master Jesus.