A good world for everyone, despite the differences
A good world for everyone, despite the differences
We live in a world of differents and differences, as Dr. Celso Charuri, founder of PRÓ-VIDA, used to say. Still, he proposed the construction of a world that is good for everyone, even with all the differences that exist among people, and taught, by his example, that the path is simple: extend a hand to your neighbor. This conduct inspires the daily life in our movement and is also expressed in the social actions that we have carried out for 44 years, in different countries. In April and May, they took place in 4 countries.
In April, 56 institutions in Brazil were benefited by donations made by the Central Geral do Dízimo PRÓ-VIDA (General Center for the Tithe – PRÓ-VIDA) (CGD-PV) and its affiliates; in Argentina, 9 institutions were assisted by the Central del Diezmo de Buenos Aires (Center for the Tithe of Buenos Aires) (CD-PV); the Central do Dízimo de Portugal (Center for the Tithe of Portugal) (CD-PV) made its first donation and assisted 2 institutions in the country; and the donation by Central del Diezmo de Bolivia (Center for the Tithe of Bolivia) (CD-PV) benefited 3 philanthropic institutions in the country.
Thousands of items were donated in the areas of health, education, sports, recreation, music, and IT, among others. Some institutions received materials for renovations in their facilities, and in Brazil and Portugal, vehicles were also donated. These donations will not definitively solve all the needs of the institutions, but through them, it is possible to set an example that, if each person has a more supportive conduct, together we can change the world.
And the example doesn’t come just from the donation of material goods but also from actions like offering a plate of food to those who are hungry, a shelter to those who are cold, a word, a smile, a hug to those who have lost hope, as emphasized by Guillermo Garcia, representative of CD-PV of Buenos Aires, during the event held in Tres Arroyos (Argentina) on April 27.
People build the environment they are in, and not the other way around
Those who expand their awareness and understand that humanity is one have a more supportive view towards others. In them, naturally, the desire to do something to contribute to the environment is born, whether it’s their home, their neighborhood, or… the planet. And Dr. Celso knew that to build a better world, better people would be needed, “dignified, honorable, and courageous,” because he understood that the human being is not a product of the environment, but the environment is a product of the human being, said Márcio Marques, representative of CGD-PV and its affiliates during the donation ceremony held on April 6 in the city of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Convinced of this truth, Dr. Celso then created PRÓ-VIDA, “with the aim of leading those interested to recognize the enormous potential of the human mind (…) through the same path, the same method of mental development that he used for himself and, above all, setting himself as the ultimate example of everything he spoke of, everything he taught,” said the representative of CD-PV of Portugal, Fernando Janikian, at the donation ceremony held on May 5 in Estoril, Portugal.
Centers have already made almost 13,000 donations worldwide
The CD-PV of Portugal was established just over a year ago, on March 18, 2023. It joins other centers in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Italy which, together, have already made almost 13,000 donations in various countries. Besides the donations, in Brazil, 14 vocational schools were built and donated, most of them delivered to Senai (National Service for Industrial Learning) – one of the largest vocational education complexes in the world – and to Senac (National Service for Commercial Learning), both institutions internationally recognized for the quality of education and the high return in employments and jobs obtained by the students.
“Over time, we realized that Dr. Celso gave us a key, a key to happiness. Because, of course, we thought happiness was attracting happiness to ourselves, and we realized it doesn’t work that way. To be happy, it’s not by bringing happiness to ourselves; to be happy, it is necessary to generate happiness, and then it comes naturally. And he gave us this formula for happiness,” as said by the representative of CD-PV of Bolivia, Carlos Nickel, at the donation ceremony held in Tarija on May 18.
