Flávio do Amaral Castelhano (photo), is the president of the Spiritist Centre Cultivadores do Evangelho, in his home town, Piabetá (Magé), in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He organised a book published recently by Editora Lorenz, with many writers answering the questions asked by Spiritist youth movements across the state.  How did you come about the idea of organising and publishing the book?  It began with an invitation made by my great friend, Celso Pinheiro, vice-president of Editora Lorenz and president of the Esperanto Group Hora da Paz. The

original idea was to have the book all written by young people. But the project began to take a different course and we decided that the young people should ask questions (as did Kardec, in his The Spirits’ Book) about subjects of their interest. That’s why we came up with the title The Young Spiritist Wants to Know.

What groups do these young people belong to? 

A total of 33 youth groups across the State of Rio de Janeiro took part in the project. For more information, you can check the publishers website, editora_lorenz@uol.com.br or phone them, on + 55 21 22212269. 

Who are the authors who answer the questions?  

It is a top quality team, 25 writers in total: José Raul Teixeira, Richard Simonetti, Ney Lobo, Izaura Hart, José Passini, Sérgio Felipe de Oliveira, César Soares dos Reis, André Trigueiro, Orson Peter Carrara, Wagner Gomes da Paixão, Sandra Borba, Darcy Neves Moreira, Dalva da Silva Souza, José Carlos Leal, Eduardo Ferreira, Plínio Oliveira, Jorge Damas, Milton Menezes, Carlos Augusto Abranches, Cristian Macedo, Nadja do Couto Valle, Alexandre Machado, Érika Ferraz, Marcel Mariano e Marcelo Teixeira. 

What are the main themes discussed? 

Dating and relationships; homosexuality; eating habits; legal and illegal drugs; depression; suicide; abortion; death; teenage pregnancy; conflict of generations; Spiritist Centres; mediumship; arts; Esperanto; violence; freedom; the environment; the Earth and the regeneration phase; and a number of other subjects.

Is there any particular about the book you would like to highlight? 

I believe the writers will be the best people to publicise the book. Many of them will be giving lectures in the parts of Brazil where they live. I would like to add that the book also has many photographs, not only of the writers but also of many of the young people who asked the questions. The photos will make the book more appealing and raise people’s curiosity. 

How did you choose the writers to answer the questions? 

We didn’t have a very detailed brief of the people we wanted to write. The one thing in common is the fact that they all have worked for Spiritism for many years, they have the knowledge, they experience and the authority to establish a conversation with our beloved Spiritist youth. 

How high were the expectations of the young people who are part of the Spiritist Movement? 

They were very high indeed. After all, it is a book that was written with their participation and that gave answers to their questions, concerns, conflicts. The expectation was equally high from parents, educators, those who study the Doctrine, “young old people” etc. We all want to know more and more, so we are able to live a better life. 

What is your view on the role played by young people in today’s world and their main challenges? 

If we have a great number of young people who get pregnant still in their early teens, violent, immature, empty and conflicted youths, we also have a huge number of idealistic youths, scientists, teachers, people involved in charity, young people developing and practising their mediumship. The problem is that while the forces of evil speak in high volumes, shout and make noise, the forces of good are still quiet and whispering, in a shyness that is tantamount to omission or even cowardice. True, legitimate change will only come about when it is deeply rooted inside each one of us. We should therefore encourage good deeds and words, support and disseminate good actions and above all live according to these principles. Being young doesn’t mean being irresponsible, unbalanced, empty and full of internal conflicts. On the contrary, well-guided youth is new oxygen in the exhausted lungs of an agonising world. When revitalised by Jesus, the youth will be healthy, balanced, vigorous, responsible. In other words, this new youth will become a living testimony to the world, bringing to us all a glittering message of true love.  

What else would you like to add? 

I would like to thank you for this opportunity to talk about the book. I would also like to thank all of those who took part in the preparation of the book, be it the young people who discussed and asked the questions, writers, and all of those at the publishers, Lorenz. I would like to emphasize that all the money from the sales of the book will go to our charity wok at Grup Espírita-Esperantista Hora da Paz (Rua Primeira, 258, Santa Cruz – Rio de Janeiro – RJ – CNPJ 32380818-0001-73 – cppaco@globo.com).