G(aduri) B(rethren, interviewer Henry Ulysses): Good Morning, Sister Calderone.
T(ina) C(alderone): Good morning Brother Ulysses.
GB: First, could you go into a bit of History of the Brethrenist Movement of Gaduridos?
TC: Absolutely. Gaduridos has had a Brethrenist presence for many years, though the population has been so disorganized, they have been counted under the "Irreligious" category for centuries. Some of the Brethren here were associated with the Rasezenai, and some of them simply were just not going to meetings. But due to the proximity of Gaduridos to Kalistan, naturally, there was some diffusion. Additionally, we know that Brethren have been going on retreats to Gaduridos for decades. Many came here during the Era of One Party Rule in Kalistan, and many made their homes here. Fast forward to today, the SP in Kalistan has gone defunct, and Kalistan is making many changes that our group of refugees, if you like, didn't approve of. For example, they closed borders. They withdrew from the NBC treaty. They are crushing workers rights and are in a steady roll to privatize the entire economy. There was a strong effort to expand the military. So, a group of us from Ananto decided to emmigrate to what has become a second home for many of us. We raised considerable funds and purchased an abandoned village on the north coast called Scala, where we are sitting today, and renamed it Brethren. It will form the nucleus of a political Brethrenist movement here in Gaduridos.
GB: What sort of economic activities are the Brethren up to here?
TC: We run the paper, the Gaduri Brethren, as you know and we take ads and donations to keep this going. In addition, we are putting together a local construction company for the purpose of building. We farm locally and sustainably. We run a small restaurant, where we are right now. We have started a school for the children, and it now serves even the non-Brethren in the area who lack access to schools close by. We have opened a clinic, and we have two very good doctors and a dentist on staff to see patients. We'd like to open a textile mill and a store here, but I think that is for the future. And soon we want to build a small hydroelectric plant to begin generating our own electricity. We live mostly off the grid here in Brethren, but its not by choice. There's just not a lot of infrastructure up this way, and little Scala is not nearly big enough yet for the State Government to put money toward.
GB: As the nucleus for Political Brethrenism, what do you hope to see in 5 to 10 years for the Movement?
TC: In five years, we hope to have a political Party. It will be too soon I suppose to begin taking seats in the Parliament, but we'll be official. We'd like to work with whoever is interested in the same things we are: We seek peace, liberty and social justice. Gaduridos has a long history of being underdeveloped across most of the country. We'd like to see development that is sustainable and kind to the earth. We'd obviously like to end war, if that is possible. And we want the people to realize the dreams of their life, without the Government involving itself in every aspect. I want to be clear: I do not believe that they are, but there is always the potential, and there is always ways to improve things. In the two years since I've arrived and started making Scala, now Brethren livable again, we've seen a lot of opportunities for improvement in the local system. Though Gaduridos is a very modern nation, in many ways, there is still a lot of poverty in the rural parts of the country. I mean, extreme poverty, something quite different than exists in Kalistan. We can do better.
GB: What will your Party be called?
TC: We will become the Brethrenist Party of Gaduridos (PHdG). We will launch after the next election, and will have a while to campaign then.
GB: And you will be the Party's Leader?
TC: It looks that way. In all Meetings, there are always more jobs than people, but this is one that the Brethren Monthly Meeting has decided I should do, so I'll do it for a while, until they are led in a different direction.
GB: Very well. Thank you Sister Calderone.
TC: You're welcome, Brother Ulysses. Have a blessed day.
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