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Our interviewee
in this edition
is Francisco
Francinaldo
Rafael de
Oliveira (photo),
a Spiritist
since the year
2000. He was
born in the
northeastern
Brazilian state
of Paraíba, but
has spent the
last 27 years of
his live in
neighbouring Rio
Grande do Norte,
in the city of
Mossoró. Our
Spiritist friend
has a degree in
Accountancy and
is currently
studying
Journalism. He
is linked to the
Spiritist Centre
Allan Kardec,
where he works
in the Public
Relations
department. In
this interview,
he talks about
the traditional
Spiritist Week
of Mossoró, as
well as a number
of other
subjects:
First of all,
tell us a bit
more about the
city of
Mossoró.
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It was the first
city in the
state of Rio
Grande do Norte
to free its
slaves – five
years before the
official end of
slavery in
Brazil, which
happened in
1988. Mossoró is
very proud of
that historic
event, and the
date is
celebrated every
year. September
30th
is a local
holiday. Another
important event
in our history
is the Women’s
Uprising. On
September 4th
1875 300 women
took to the
streets to
protest against
the conscription
of their sons
and husbands.
They stormed the
Army office and
destroyed all
the conscription
cards. Mossoró
is also proud of
having been the
city where a
woman voted for
the first time
in Brazil.
Celina Guimarães
Viana, a teacher
and football
referee, became
the first female
registered voter
in Brasil in
1928. One year
earlier, the
city was the
stage for
another historic
feat. The city,
then with a
population of
20,000, was
going through a
prosperous
period, with
expanding
industry and
trade. It
produced more
salt than any
other city in
the country and
had an important
cotton industry.
The well-known
criminal,
Lampião, became
aware of that
and threatened
to attack
Mossoró. To
spare the city,
he demanded a
huge ransom. The
mayor at the
time rejected
the blackmail
and called on
all the men in
the city to
defend it from
an attack. And
so they did.
They chased away
Lampião and his
nasty gang. |
Mossoró is now
the second
biggest city in
the state, with
260,000
inhabitants. The
city has been
growing
strongly. Its
economy is based
on oil and salt
production and
on the
production of
fruits.
How many
Spiritist groups
are there in the
city and which
one was the
first to open?
There are nine
Spiritist groups
and in the city.
The Spiritist
Society of
Mossoró was the
pioneer, founded
by Antônio
Pereira on March
19 1977.
How were the
first days of
the Spiritist
Movement in
Mossoró?
By the time we
had three
Spiritist
Centres working
in the city, we
realised we
needed a
concerted action
to disseminated
the Doctrine and
the services we
offered. But I
would say that
the Spiritist
Movement in
Mossoró began
really with the
first Spiritist
Week we
organised.
When was that,
how did it
happen?
Four Spiritist
workers from the
city attended
the
International
Spiritist
Conference in
Brasília, in
1989. They came
back with the
idea of
promoting a
Spiritist Week
in Mossoró. Two
other Spiritist
friends joined
them in their
efforts and
Mossoró managed
to host its
first Spiritist
Week in that
same year,
1989.
You’ve now
organised more
than 20 events
like that. What
is the main
lesson you’ve
learned?
It is to
understand that
every Spiritist
group in the
city must be
united in order
to have a
successful
event. Union is
paramount. We
have also
realised that
the event
attracts other
people, non-Spiritists.
That is evidence
that we have the
achieved the
respect of
everyone by
doing a good,
professional and
serious job.
When is the next
event due? Have
you already
chosen the main
theme?
It will be from
the 24th
to the 29th
of October 2011.
We are still
discussing what
the main theme
will be.
It is a major
achievement the
fact that all
Spiritist
institutions in
the city agreed
to suspend all
their activities
during the
Spiritist Week,
every year. How
did you achieve
that?
All groups
agreed on that
since the first
edition of the
event, as one of
the goals of the
Spiritist Week
was exactly to
encourage
camaraderie and
union between
the Spiritists
in the city. We
had no problem
with that, and
that is how it
remains to this
day.
During the
Spiritist Week
of Mossoró, how
many people
normally attend
every lecture?
And how do you
choose the
themes to be
discussed?
We tend to get
about 400 people
per night. A
group made up of
four volunteers
chooses the
themes. We get
together and in
a friendly
atmosphere come
to an
agreement.
Why did you come
up with the idea
of hosting the
event in a
hotel, in the
city centre?
The main reason
was to provide
more comfort to
everyone.
What are the
most memorable
moments of the
Spiritist Week
in more than 20
years?
There are
several
occasions when
you have to sort
out last-minute
problems, such
as finding the
bags of one of
the lecturers,
replacing
someone who
cannot attend at
short notice…
But what really
makes our day is
when someone
comes to us and
says that what
they heard in
the event
changed their
lives, soothed
their pain. And
it is such a
wonderful
atmosphere, the
whole week, so
much joy and
that
incomparable
feeling of
having achieved
something
important.
Anything else
you would like
to add?
It is never too
late to remind
everyone that a
long journey
begins with the
first step. Once
we came to the
end of the 22nd
Spiritist Week
of Mossoró, we
realised how far
we had walked,
and also how
much road we
still have ahead
of us. But our
energy is
constantly
renewed by
knowing that we
have, ahead of
us and in our
command, our
Master Jesus.
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