National Conventions Held in Brazil (Japanese-Language Convention, Youth and Young Adult Association Convention)
Youth and Young Adult Association National Convention Held at Two Locations for the First Time
In Brazil, the National Conventions were held on July 18 and 24. A total of 11,176 people attended and studied the Truth.
On July 18 the 24th Seicho-No-Ie Brazil National Convention (Japanese) was held at the Anihembi International Convention Center. The number of attendees was 2,685, up by 206 people from last year.
Held under the theme, “A Joyous Life That Realizes Love and Light,” the Convention was guided by Rev. Yoshio Mukai (Ordained Minister, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America), Rev. Marie Murakami (Ordained Minister, Chairperson of Brazil Missionary Headquarters), Rev. Sinji Takahashi (Ordained Minister), and three Regional Lecturers.
Rev. Mukai gave a lecture, “The World That Realizes Love” and stated that true love lies in realizing God’s Love. Each lecturer lectured along the Convention theme.
During the Convention, a separate site was made available in a small hall at the Convention Center from three years ago, where a Portuguese-language event was simultaneously held. The lecturers went back and forth between the two sites and lectured in Japanese and Portuguese.
Comments from the attendees included: “This was my first time to attend the Convention. I was impressed that an emcee did a good job speaking fluent Japanese. The lectures were moving. It was a meaningful day for me.”
On July 24 the 56th Seicho-No-Ie Brazil Youth and Young Adult Association National Convention was held under the theme, “Brazil, a Country Where All Races Flock Together and All Dreams Come True.” The main site was the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. With an aim to reduce CO2 emissions and enable more people to attend by a short travel time in the vast expanse of Brazil, a special site was set up for the first time other than the main site, at the Pernambuco Convention Center in Olinda City, Pernambuco State. The Convention was held at these two sites. The number of attendees totaled 8,491.
The two sites were connected via the Internet. As an interaction period between the two sites, the Youth and Young Adult Association award ceremony and the band contest’s award presentation were simultaneously transmitted.
There were lectures along the Convention theme. The lecturers were Rev. Yoshio Mukai (Ordained Minister, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America), Rev. Marie Murakami (Ordained Minister, Chairman of Brazil Missionary Headquarters), Rev. Carlos Arbert da Silva (Assistant Minister, Chief of Brazil Youth and Young Adult Association) and others.
Remarks by Rev. Yoshio Mukai, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“We held the Youth and Young Adult Association National Convention at two sites for the first time. I was pleased that the two sites, which are 2,000 km apart, were able to interact with one another. We have already decided to hold next year’s Convention at three sites.”