It couldn’t have been anywhere else. The “Celebration of Joy and Commitment,” an inter-religious event at Holy Trinity Church on the night of 13th June to mark CESE’s 50th anniversary, underlines the place the organization has occupied over these five decades: standing alongside those marginalized by society.
This church, which welcomes street people, also received religious leaders from African-origin religions and indigenous spiritualties, from grassroots movements, partners on CESE’s journey, so that together, in our great diversity, we could celebrate this history. In her opening speech Sônia Mota, CESE’s Executive Director, underlined the importance of marking this moment at Holy Trinity.
“This celebration of joy and commitment couldn’t have happened anywhere else. Holy Trinity has always welcomed us with open arms. Here, we have found comfort while our energies have been renewed. For an organization that works in the defence of rights and was founded during the Military Dictatorship, reaching our 50th year is a reason to thank God,” she declared.
The celebration was attended by representatives of CESE’s member churches, friends who have been involved in the institution’s 50-year trajectory, partner organizations, the Executive team, the Board, ex-employees, ex-Directors and civil society organizations who constitute the institution’s beneficiary audience.
At the beginning of the celebration, leaders from the social movements and members of CESE entered the church carrying posters with phrases that represented the fight for rights: agrarian reform, anti-racism, agroecology, the protection of women, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue, and others.
“In the name of the Holy Deity, which in the Christian tradition acts as a Trinity calling on us to share gifts, we come together here to celebrate CESE’s 50th year, an expression of the diakonia of service in defence of human rights,” declared Presbyter Eleni Rangel, from the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (Igreja Presbiteriana Independente do Brasil: IPIB) and CESE’s President, in the invocation that began the celebration.
Pastor Cláudio Rebouças, from the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil (Igreja Presbiteriana Unida do Brasil: IPU) and CESE’s First Secretary, noted that the moment also called us to look to our ancestry. “For those men and women, we give thanks to God. We revive memories, so that we don’t lose our way, so that we know which strands, identities, processes we cannot give up.”
The entire celebration was marked by the symbology of the movements, by respect for religious liberty and for resistance. Keeping its feet planted where they’ve always been, CESE celebrated its 50 years with partners who have walked alongside the organization over five decades, renewing their commitment to the struggle for the defence of human rights and their hope for times of justice with democracy.
Dialogue, networking and inter-religiosity
The inter-religious moment was opened by Pastor Renato Küntzer, from the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil: IEAB) and CESE’s Second Treasurer, in a prayer for respect for diversity. The African-origin religions were represented by Mother Jaciara de Oxum, Iyá Márcia de Ogum e Egbon d’Osun from Ilê Axé Ofá Omi Layó, Ana Gualberto, Director of Koinonia – Ecumenical Presence and Service. A long-term partner of CESE, Mother Jaciara congratulated the organization for its impact on the communities.
“This presence in our worship houses, in workshops, marches against religious intolerance, based on welcome, on women’s self-care, on seeds – because we have projects in which we plant sacred herbs, in which we plant our ancestry.”
Representing indigenous spiritualties, Beatriz Tuxá, who is also a member of CESE’s team, brought to the celebration a song which is sung on her land, the Tuxá Kiniopará Community, during Toré, one of her people’s rituals. The song is called Lêlaindôa.
Another representative at the celebration of the organization’s historic partnerships was Marizelha Lopes, quilombola and fisherwoman from Maré Island, member of the National Coalition of Fisherwomen (Articulação Nacional das Pescadoras: ANP). “This seed is not any seed. It is an organic seed, a creole seed, it is something we pass from community to community. This seed, which is CESE, is the news that those in this organization remind us there are people who need to be welcomed in. This seed has multiplied and brought so much fruit to the resistance.”
Closing
The celebration was also attended by the Reverends Áureo Bispo and Celso Dourado, both CESE founders, and Father Joãozinho, an important leader at Holy Trinity Church. Together they blessed those present.
At the people’s offertory, family farming food products were distributed from social organizations who have had projects supported by CESE. The celebration closed with the sharing of soup, a Holy Trinity tradition, and the lighting of candles in a collective sharing of light.
See more photos of the inter-religious “Celebration of Joy and Commitment” here
Watch the whole celebration on CESE’s YouTube channel:
CESE mounts exhibition to commemorate its 50 years
The exhibition ‘Memory of a pathway for the defence of human rights’ opened on the evening of 14th June, in the Archdiocesan Social Action (Ação Social Arquidiocesana) building. The event was attended by the organization’s long-term partners. Part of the celebratory programme for CESE’s 50 years, the exhibition can be seen between 15 and 21 June, from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm. Entrance is free.
Curated by actor, director, musician, visual artist and director of production, Fernando Marinho, the exhibition brings together photos, videos and objects that mark CESE’s history of struggle over five decades.
The exhibition contains documents and historical images, records of the work of groups and partner movements, as well as symbols of the supported causes, awards and presents we have received, seeking to illustrate how CESE’s partnership with the grassroots movement in Brazil is founded on its institutional mission to support the construction of democracy with justice, and goes beyond financial resources.
See more photos of the exhibition ‘Memory of a pathway for the defence of human rights’ here
The exhibition also included the video to remember “The Seed Effect” (in Portuguese). In testimonials from partners and people who have been and are part of CESE’s history, the video revisits remarkable moments from the organization’s history and is available on CESE’s YouTube channel. The script was written by Carolina Gomes and the video was directed by Kau Rocha, both journalists.