Gathering of the Youth Section in Brazil
by Indira Terciotti
Imagine that you have known a person for 3 years. You work with this person, you talk and you are friends with this person. You share emotions, experiences, and even secrets. There is a strong connection between both of you... But, you have never met in person. You don't know what the other person's body looks like, the height, the smell. The urge to hug this person grows every day, every moment you share with this person you want to be close to them...
This was the reality of the Youth Section in Brazil. For 3 years our group met only through online meetings. Our country is gigantic, with continental dimensions, and has a diversity of cultures and realities. In order for this plurality to be respected, we chose to keep the group online so that everyone could participate and not just a small group from one specific city. However, after two of our members attended the Youth Section co-workers' gathering at the Goetheanum in June 2023 (where they met for the first time!), we realized the importance of being together physically, at least once, to restore the strength of our Section and, at the same time, get to know each other.
Thus, on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of September, our group of 6 women from different states in Brazil met at the Anthroposophical Society in São Paulo. As an initiatory journey, we find ourselves in this very symbolic place that carries a large part of the history of anthroposophy in Brazil. Moved by the curiousness of knowing our colleagues behind the screens Estela, Gabrielle, Indira, Isadora, Laila, and Raquel all finally met.
The structure of our meeting was designed around 4 axes that guided us through these 3 days.
First, we wanted to get to know each other, so we prioritized that everyone stay in the same house so that when we were cooking, organizing, and eating we could be together because in those situations the conversation flowed organically and we connected with more depth. Thus, we would live our group organization in a practical way. In addition, we got a moment from our meetings to look at the Section's past and future. Right after this subject, we took care of the Section's relationships: which partnerships we would like to maintain, which ones could end, and which bonds we would also like to create and nurture.
Second, we dedicate some hours to strengthening our relationship with the Anthroposophical Society. We had a special meeting with Ms. Ute Craemer to share ideas and hear her opinion on youth issues. Soon after, we held a meeting with SAB's general management in which we dedicated time for them to get to know us and for us to exchange our experiences about youth. We read together the text “Youth in the Age of light” and from this reading emerged questions of the genre: How we can encourage the youth so that they continue to bring the new to our reality? And how to preserve this space of freedom? Why are youth movements so important? How can SAB and the Youth Section work together?
Third, we decided to have an indoor ceremony. This moment was thought with the intention of nurturing ourselves spiritually to continue the projects of the Section. This ritual had Brazilian elements that connected us with our roots and a representation of the cornerstone that each of us carries with us now. We meditated on the mission of the Section and found the mission of each one of us: that each one will take care of and nourish in the course of the work with Youth:
Gabrielle: Power of youth transformation
Indira: Love and trust
Raquel: Integrating anthroposophic youth
Estela: Give space to the new destiny of humanity
Laila: Encounter
Fourth, we realized the importance of our study group. In this way, we took time to continue our studies, which had already started online, and now, we were able to develop other study qualities by reading together side by side.
To end our meeting, we held an open conversation circle for other young people who felt the call to talk about youth. We got together in the Anthroposophical Society and organized it so that, as a group, we answered four questions:
What is being young?
What can youth build for anthroposophy?
What are the biggest challenges of youth?
What do you expect from the Youth Section?
From this meeting, we also collected the fruits of a dream that we had dreamed of for a long time. Now we are determined to hold a youth congress here in Brazil in 2024. Based on that decision, we began to organize ourselves so this dream could materialize more and more.
From a weekend full of encounters, smiles, achievements, and learning, we understood our role as youth in the current era. We found our mission and saw how wonderful building this path together is. We also found ourselves as individuals in a bigger scene, but one that we have the capacity to contribute to.
We returned to our homes with warm hearts, a vitalized body, and a soul full of new possibilities. We want to bring to the world everything we receive from inspiration.
Indira Terciotti