In Brazil, 54 charitable institutions receive a donation from the General Center for the Tithe – PRÓ-VIDA, CGD-PV
In Brazil, 54 charitable institutions receive a donation from the General Center for the Tithe – PRÓ-VIDA, CGD-PV
When we pause from our daily tasks to observe and analyze the world as it presents itself, and perhaps even reflect on how Humanity has reached the point where it currently stands, it is inevitable to think about people’s suffering and the many alternatives sought and tested to overcome it. However, even today, it seems that little progress has been made because, as the news and life in society show us, people are still suffering. So, there is no way out? Well, there is.
Forty-eight years ago, when Dr. Celso Charuri founded PRÓ-VIDA, he taught — as the result of a life dedicated to the in-depth study of the human mind — that the path followed throughout history was based on the premise that people are the product of the environment in which they live. “Countless attempts were made through laws, as well as economic, political, and social systems, but none of them led Humanity to the much-desired happiness; it did not create a world of peace. If we truly want to build a Much Better World, we must act on the cause. That cause is the human being itself, which is responsible for the world where it lives. A better person, with expanded capacity, with principles and values, will build a better world. And the environment is the product (of this action),” explained one of the directors of the Movement, Felipe Salgado.
Felipe spoke about the knowledge left by Dr. Celso during a ceremony that seeks to demonstrate how the premise that human beings build the environment in which they live (and not the other way around) is the foundation for building a more dignified, just, and solidary world. We are referring to the Donation Ceremony for charitable institutions, an event that has been taking place since 1979, when the Central Geral do Dízimo PRÓ-VIDA (General Center for the Tithe – PRÓ-VIDA, CGD-PV) was established in Brazil. The event was held once again on February 28, when the CGD-PV and its 26 affiliates in the country carried out a ceremony at the PRÓ-VIDA Headquarters, in São Paulo. The formalization of the donation included over 30,000 items delivered to 54 charitable institutions in 12 states*, benefiting more than 28,000 individuals served by these organizations.
“We know that the donations will meet a range of important needs and challenges within the institutions, but only for a short time. We know this reality all too well (…). For that very reason, today we want to leave an example for everyone that (…) a Much Better World is possible, it is real, and it is available to us today, now, because it depends solely on the courage and action of each one of us,” Felipe said.
A simple action: “those who have give to those who don’t,” as Dr. Celso taught. And it is not only about material goods, but also about offering a smile or sharing knowledge, for example. “Those who receive are happy: their needs have been met; someone looked after them and did something. Those who donate are more than happy: they are plenified,” Felipe commented.
On behalf of the institutions benefitted on this occasion, Luciana Capobianco, representative of Estou Refugiado, and Ivam Cabral, representative of the Associação dos Artistas Amigos da Praça, in São Paulo, spoke. “It is his legacy (Dr. Celso) that is here being passed on to the generations. May we continue reflecting on this: that I must transform, with love and affection, this place I inhabit today, this immense planet Earth. (…) Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And know that this donation changes lives,” Cabral said.
To learn more about the action of the CGD-PV and the Centers for the Tithe founded in other countries by participants of the Movement inspired by the ideal of building a better world, click here.
*Alagoas, Ceará, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo.
