São Paulo – A historian and the Vice President of Communication and Marketing at the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Silvia Antibas was sworn in this week as a member of the Lebanese Brazilian Academy of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, which welcomed new members to celebrate its second anniversary. The ceremony took place last Wednesday, February 12, at the official residence of the Lebanese Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Alejandro Bitar, and his wife Fernanda Diehl.
Antibas took up chair 32, whose patron is artist and musician Sami Bordokan, who passed away last year. Antibas served as director at the São Paulo State Secretariat of Culture, working in areas like preservation, diffusion, and cultural education. Among her various achievements and awards, she won the 17th Unesco Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture and is a co-founder of the ArabLatinos project, a collaboration between U.N. cultural agency UNESCO and the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.
Speaking to ANBA, Antibas expressed pride in the recognition from the academy and said it was also a tribute to her entire family. “A large and beautiful family that has supported me greatly,” she explained. She also expressed gratitude to the ABCC. “The ABCC connected me with the entire diversity of the Arab world, and this allows us to learn a great deal,” she said.
Silvia Antibas has Syrian and Lebanese heritage. “My Lebanese origin is a strong presence in my daily life here in Brazil,” she said upon taking the role at Lebanon-geared institution. “Lebanese influence is deeply rooted in Brazilian society, from gastronomy and art to architecture and medicine,” she explained. Her work at the ABCC, she noted, helps showcase the ancient Arab wisdom that contributed to the development of Western civilization.
Also joining the academy were lawyer, professor, writer, and politician Gabriel Chalita, and businessman and corporate leader Antonio Florêncio de Queiroz Jr. Journalist and translator Thaís Costa was appointed as an honorary academic. “The strength of the Academy lies in its members, and its growth depends on the active participation of all academics,” the academy said in a press statement.
Presided over by José Roberto Tadros, with Carlos Nejar as honorary president, the Lebanese Brazilian Academy of Letters, Arts, and Sciences aims to promote integration and collaboration between cultures, respecting diversity, and strengthening the image of Lebanese people in Brazil and elsewhere. The academy seeks to assist Lebanon through the influence of its members and inspire future generations to take pride in their origins.
Help to Lebanon
During the two-year anniversary event of its foundation, the Lebanese Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro honored key figures involved in creating a crisis cabinet during the Israeli aggression against Lebanon in 2024, which worked to send aid to the Lebanese people. Those honored were José Roberto Tadros, Roger Bassil, Jorge Kalil, Samir Barghouti, and Robert Nemer.
Award
The Academy also established the Gibran Khalil Gibran Award, which is given annually to outstanding figures in the literary, artistic, and scientific fields. The first recipient was the very founder of the academy, Alejandro Bitar. The event featured a dinner and a musical performance by duo Ventos do Mundo, composed of cellist David Chew and keyboardist Kátia Ballousier.
Read more:
Book portrays Palestinian diaspora in Brazil
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
