Group Work in BrazilExcerpt from covering letter: Niterói, January, 16th 1998 ".....Last August we held our yearly Seminar. I thought it would be interesting to send you a translation of the letter of invitation and of 2 of the papers we used to organize our 10 groups based on the seed groups proposed by the Tibetan. In one of the papers you have the general schedule which was followed. As it was open to the public we could not go so deep as in the conclave, but it worked well enough. After the group work we gathered again and as they did it the report was started by reading the correspondent sentences of the Great Invocation and then of the Mantram of Unification and so we had a general view of the whole work. If any group might think it useful to use that material, we can send it, as all papers are now translated into English. You probably know that Rudolf Schneider was in Brazil and came to our Foundation, where he delivered a very good lecture......" J. Treiger.
This was the letter of invitation for the Seminar: Dear Friend, We are living in a world of unrest, full of pain, anguish and conflict; a world in which the emotions of our humanity are in a state of total upheaval and men, women and children are suffering, agonizing and dying because of disease, starvation and rapine at large; a world in which science has been prostituted to serve materialistic interests, and the farm production has been more often used to meet the interests of small minorities than to feed humanity; a world in which faith has been often despised, altruism viewed as insanity and love exploited in its lowest expression - sex. This picture can be seen with few variations either in Europe, in the United States or in Brazil. All over the world we see wealth concentrated in the hands of very small groups; we see the increasing impoverishment of the middle classes, a large amount of people reduced to destitution; and urban violence reached the level of guerrilla. Nevertheless, we have been insistently talking about a new manifestation, the reappearance of the Christ. Is this how we want to welcome Him? Will it not be odd to offer Him such a picture? Will He and His disciples come by the hands of those who manipulate the power on their own behalf instead of using it for the good of all men? Can it be possible that this is the thing we have to offer Christ and His disciples? Could Christ and His disciples meet with harmonious influences and be able to work and live in such a turmoil? Is this the atmosphere they will have to breathe in? We know it isn't so and there is much to be done to facilitate His Work. What have we been doing? As an esoteric organization, the Avatar Cultural Foundation has upheld all initiatives leading to unity. Likewise we exhort all organizations to devote their efforts to mutual assistance in a loving though realistic co-operation. Every institution must bear in mind that we are committed to act as Focal Points for Love. Our aim is to help the Great Ones and offer Them our intelligent help for the materialization of Their Plans for humanity. What can we do to hasten the necessary changes? We must start by giving priority to the immediate needs and leave the satisfaction of any idealistic vision for a later occasion - "What is not done here and now doesn't create a new condition in the world". However, we can picture the beauty of co-operative service of crowds of people whose hearts are striving for spiritual achievements. We shall never say that "this is impossible" if we can but realize what Light and Power really are... In order to reverse this picture we must base our attitudes on an active sense of responsibility. "One for all and all for one" should be the motto of all nations. The progressive regional gathering shows that men are being awakened to the importance of what is universal. Indeed, the time for globalization has come, but taken in the sense that humanity should come first of all, and not one group or another, for although men may be in different stages of development, they are equal in their origin; therefore, personal integrity, intelligence, vision and experience, besides remarkable goodwill, should be the characteristics of the rules of the nations. Thus, time is pressing for the introduction of a spiritual vision into the national governments, into the planning of Economy and all measures to establish safe and right human relations to mankind. If this message has touched your heart, come and co-operate with us: this Seminar will have the mark of our times, the mark of group work. This Seminar in itself is the result of the experience lived by some members of the Foundation in a recent conclave in which several members of 15 organizations from about 10 different countries met together. Come and work with us, gain your own experience and reproduce it in your own group or organization. Our aim is that this experience may have a multiplying effect and, added to what is being done by other groups in so many countries, that it may reach the critical mass and, through the spiritual Path, it may assure to the Reappearance of the Christ the conditions which were not obtained before, through materialistic or sectarian ways. Goodwill is the prerequisite of right human relations. In Light and Love and Power Tania G. de Araujo
The theme of the Seminar was: The Brazilian society facing the challenges of globalization. We used a text to justify the debates. It had been published by a very well known Brazilian sociologist back in 1993: "We are all responsible for everything. One must think globally but act locally. An idea (ethical and political) can only be spread if you live according to it. The process is also the object. The means must be as respectable as the goals. That which is not done here and now, doesn't create another state for the world". The Seminar was open after a ceremonial led by our President. On Saturday and Sunday we had some lectures. On Sunday morning we had group work. The lectures were about:
These, as usual, were led by professors of our Universities. The general group discussion was held on: "Human race approach to the Divine Purpose" And then: "In what context globalization can be inserted in the process of the Externalization of the Hierarchy?" A reflection by small groups, of which the two next pages exemplify the proceedings. These were co-ordinated by Dr. Treiger. Group 1
Questions to be discussed by the group:
Objective:
For further data: Glamour The same schedule was followed for each of the other 8 seed groups:
Group 2
Questions to be discussed by the group:
Objectives:
For further data: the Reappearance of the Christ.
|