By REMY J. FONTANA*
Presentation of the organizer of the newly released book
The name Nelson Wedekin designates a person, a citizen of Santa Catarina who has lived in this land for eight decades. But it is also one of those names that goes beyond the scope of a personal identity to become a reference, a symbol, a project. It is true that many public figures acquire some notoriety, inscribing their names in records, annals, history books.
But, among these many, some stand out, either due to the configuration of their personalities, or due to a particular historical-political situation that challenges them or calls them to fearless actions, which then raise them to a level of high relevance.
This is the case of Wedekin, written and mentioned just like that, without the need for the pronoun, by all the democrats who resisted the authoritarian regime of 1964, who saw him as the inspiration for their struggles, the organizer of their efforts, the strategist of their actions and as the defender of those whose rights were violated or whose physical integrity or human dignity were violated.
It is from these circumstances, from such attitudes, from such confrontations that Nelson Wedekin has become one of the most recognized symbols in these parts of the long but successful return to democracy. And, since the beginning, now under new influences and new challenges, he has advocated for higher standards of public debate, for the improvement of institutions and, especially in these times of dark reactionism, for the uncompromising defense and promotion of civilizing values.
This publication aims to mark its 80th anniversary in a celebratory record.
Liber Amicorum, A genre of writing similar to, but less widespread than, biographies, autobiographies or memoirs, it is used to pay tribute to someone through a collection of texts by friends on the occasion of a significant date, celebration of an achievement, recognition of greatness, trajectory, or the body of relevant work.
As the term itself indicates, “book of friends” does not have any critical intentions or the intention of being a researched survey of the person being honored; rather, it intends to acknowledge or highlight someone’s relevance, in a pleasant register, possibly expressed through feelings of gratitude, respect, affection.
There is, therefore, a great risk of it being a spree, a throwing of confetti, a scribble that yields to the requirements of a profane hagiography, in which something is said, but little is shed light on the nature, attributes or trajectory of the character in question.
As the organizer of this Liber Amicorum, aware of these risks or slippages, I prepared extensive considerations before presenting the various testimonies that make up this collective work. There were so many reservations and precautions in this regard that I almost overflowed this literary genre, even pointing out with some emphasis discrepancies with the honoree.
This approach, however, ended up reinforcing, as a logical derivative, an admirable aspect that it bears, namely its openness to others, its dialogical disposition, its capacity for tolerance, but not for condescension with what it considers mistaken, erroneous or aberrant, especially in the collective sphere or public affairs.
I also gave the text its distinct characteristics in other aspects. In addition to what characterizes this type of writing – testimonies –, in the first part I developed considerations about friendship, an outline of the profile, a reflection on the passing of time, especially on the aging process.
The second part contains three dozen testimonies from friends and acquaintances who crossed paths with Nelson Wedekin over a period of approximately 50 years, and from whose knowledge or interaction something significant resulted in their lives.
In the third part I highlight three vast areas: justice, freedoms and rights; politics; culture, especially literature and cinema, in which through their own texts, with some small comments from me, their conceptions, opinions and interventions are extracted.
Finally, a dozen of his recent writings are transcribed, published weekly on digital platforms, through which one can follow his opinions and analyses on current topics, issues and debates.
As an addendum, there is a gallery of photos distributed between the family spheres, those of his friends, and those of the political field.
*Remy J. Fontana, sociologist, retired professor at UFSC. Author, among other books, of From splendid bitterness to militant hope – political, cultural and occasional essays (Insular Ed.). [https://amzn.to/3O42FaK]
Reference
Remy J. Fontana (ed.). Nelson Wedekin's Freedom of Friendship. Florianópolis, Editora Insular, 2024, 216 pages.
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