Religious Diversity within the AFS (The Arará Regional Integrated Municipal Agricultural Family Schools) Making respect for religiosity happen ...

The Agricultural Family School project arose in France in 1935, with the institutional and financial support of the Catholic Church. It was founded so that rural youth would not have to leave their homes to study; thus fortifying family agriculture. The expansion of these schools was always with the presence of religious. Nowadays, one notices that the panorama is being modified. There are various religions inserted in the context, providing access to knowledge of the differences.

In the AFS, we live in a democracy with each student manifesting his/her religious culture in a spontaneous manner. Every day, before the main meals, the young people unite around a tree, for a moment of reflection, when those who feel at ease ask and express thanks for something or other. At the end of these moments, the students of the Catholic religion bring the Our Father prayer, the Creed or the Hail Mary to the moment of reflection. The Evangelists manifest themselves in music and prayers. Those adept to the African religion of Candomblé recite their prayers and the Spiritists read texts and messages.

One difficulty is that some students still resist accepting anything but their own religion. On Sundays, some of the youth hold a meeting in the school that they call cult, during which they address various social issues, like prejudice, racial discrimination, gender or religious intolerance.

Their aim is to encourage our students to begin practising mutual respect for and understanding of the religion and faith of others.

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his/her skin, their origin or even because of their religion. To hate, people need to be taught. And if they learn how to hate,they can be taught how to love.” (Nelson Mandela)