São Paulo – From September 26th to 30th, the city of Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo, has been receiving event O Brasil Árabe (The Arab Brazil), with talks and activities showing the contribution of the Arabs and their descendants in several sectors of the Brazilian society, like music, literature, health, sports, cuisine, education, religion, trade, marketing and politics.
The event is promoted by Jerusalem Institute in partnership with the Social Service for Commerce (Sesc). "This event is the largest among all editions,” commented Ali El-Khatib, superintendent of Jerusalem Institute. The organisation has been promoting Arab events in Campinas since 1981.
The programme counts on prominent names like that of writer Mamed Jarouche, the minister for Sports, Aldo Rebelo, the economist and former president of the Palmeiras team, Luiz Gonzaga Belluzzo, the chief ambassador of the mission of the League of Arab States in Brazil, Bachar Yaghi, the director of the Middle East department at the Itamaraty, Carlos Martins Ceglia, and the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Schahin, among others.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber is one of the co-promoters of the event. Apart from the organisation’s president, also included in the talks will be Michel Alaby, the CEO at the institution, as well as Marketing Vice president Rubens Hannun and director Riad Younes.
The event should also include exhibitions of items in the collections of Arab families, including photographs, garments and handicraft. The ambassador of Palestine, Nahida Tamimi Alzeben, should exhibit typical garments of the women of her country.
According to El-Khatib, the plan is to expand the event and take it to other cities. "We decided, with the Sesc, to develop the event as if it were a pilot project in Campinas so that, next year, we can take it to São Paulo and to three other cities in the interior,” she revealed. "The project is a kind of continued education, in a perspective of peaceful culture,” pointed out the superintendent.
The activities of the event are free. According to El-Khatib, expectations are for seven thousand people to participate in the talks, shows, luncheons and exhibitions. View the full programme below.
Service:
Event: "O Brasil Árabe" (The Arab Brazil)
From September 26th to 30th
Sesc Theater in Campinas
Rua Dom José I, 270/333
Telephone: (+55 19) 3737-1500
Programme: www.sescsp.org.br/sesc/programa_new/busca.cfm?conjunto_id=10202
*Translated by Mark Ament
