Without our network of friends, collaborators and supporters, the ICBIE couldn’t survive for a week. Without them, the hassles of maintenance and management, as well as the isolation, would be too much for Pietro, Marlene and Marcella to bear. Fortunately, the Institute is solidly established in the quick of Salvador’s cultural life, and our reputation as a gateway into the fascinating inner life of the city acts as a magnet, bringing interesting people our way. Then the magic of the ICBIE story and the privileged insights into Bahian life win us new friends that spread our message and strengthen our network.
Recently, a social epistemologist from the French National Center for Scientific Research named Gloria Origgi came to Ribeira to visit us. Gloria is the founder of the innovative interdisciplines.org project, which organizes international virtual conferences in the social and cognitive sciences. She had come to Brazil to follow the national elections, spending several months at the university in Porto Alegre. Pietro took her out to lunch and then to visit a small church with a candomblé service. She has now written an article that will appear in the December issue of Micromega, the distinguished Italian magazine of political commentary, and in it, she talks about Pietro, d’Artagnan and the ICBIE. Even better, Gloria has posted a draft of the article on her blog (www.gloriaoriggi.blogspot.com), so you can read it by clicking here.
The ICBIE has also been blessed with a different, but every bit as heart-warming visit from our dear and ever-faithful volunteer Claire. Claire taught English for us in 2008, and since then, she has completed her university studies amidst a dizzying series of adventures, including a semester studying in Palermo, a long stint teaching in Mozambique and, most recently, a TEFL course in Prague. She will stay in Salvador for a month, and then she’s off for northern India, where she will be teaching English. We’re delighted that her globe trotting still includes Salvador as a preferred destination!
