It’s been awhile since news has been posted here, but that’s not to say that ICBIE Europa has been on an exotic holiday or something. Quite on the contrary! Never before have so many people been working so hard, and even better, the results of their efforts have resulted in substantial developments that bring honor to the Association.
Recent months have seen a concerted effort to obtain a place to hold our courses. After confronting a lot of complicated bureaucracy, applying to several Municipalities in Rome, we finally opted to search out another established non-profit association already receiving city facilities, and, thanks to the rich web of personal connections, we were able to strike an agreement with the Mocobo Cultural Association, which also offers courses, including capoeira, and is located in Via Pellegrino Matteucci 98 (Ostiense). Not wasting any time, the first lesson in Italian for Foreigners will begin next Monday, February 8th! The first lesson will be free; whoever wishes to continue will only have to become a member of ICBIE Europa and pay €10, as the courses and materials are free of charge. We have already found a group of Palestinian refugees who will take the course, but if you can think of anyone who may be interested, please help us to publicize this important offering.
We are also planning to activate other courses, including digital photography and Portuguese for Italians, in other locations around the city. We’ll keep you informed!
Because our activities are expanding, our crew has decided to break into separate groups, in order to concentrate on specific areas of interest. Here is a summary of our new committees:
– AMMINISTRAZIONE : Pina, Monica, Loona
– BANDI/PROGETTI : Roberto, Paolo, Marcella, Loona, Consuelo
– COMUNICAZIONE e PROPAGANDA: Guido, Paolo, Loona, Damiano
– EVENTI: Paolo, Damiano
We are also preparing for important visits from Salvador. On Friday Ivanildo will become our fifth ICBIE student to see Rome, while Júlio and Thais will be coming in April: We’re doing our best to arrange all the necessary Pomp and Circumstance.
Last Saturday night, Paolo, Roberto, Damiano and I did a two-hour presentation at a cozy little restaurant in Trastevere called Ti dirò, run by a very hospitable American lady named Holly Vernon. Having such an ample stretch of time to tell the whole ICBIE story was a good incentive to put together a DVD presentation with hundreds of photos and several videos. It was a nasty cold evening, but about twenty-five people attended, including a few familiar faces, including Annie Neumann and her friend Stephany, who were both in Salvador just a year ago. We couldn’t have had a warmer reception, and many thanks to Holly and all the people at Ti dirò.
Roy Zimmerman
