Visit of a Brazilian Delegation from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Friday 24th April 2009, LERC, NDU
Reported by Basma Abdul Khalek, LERC Project Coordinator,
and Roberto Khatlab, LERC Latin America Liaison Officer
A Brazilian delegation from the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil visited the Lebanese Emigration Research Center at Notre Dame University. The delegation was formed of Brazilian politicians, businessmen and entrepreneurs of Lebanese descent, all of whom were also members of the Lebanese Society of Porto Alegre (Sociedade Libanesa de Porto Alegre - SLPA). The society was founded in 1936 with the aim of preserving Lebanese traditions and culture in this city.
Members of the Brazilian Delegation meeting with the LERC team (April 2009).
The delegation was formed of Member of the Parliament of Rio Grande do Sul Mr. Kalil Sehbe (Seba), President of SLPA Mr. Claudio Selaiman Satte and his spouse Ms. Beta Satte, Mr. Antonio Sérgio Bonilha Rodrigues and his spouse, Mr. Gabriel Monte Fadel, and Mr. Cesar Moinho (Dib).
A souvenir picture (from left to right): Mr. Elie Nabhan, Ms. Guita Hourani, Mrs. Rodrigues, Mr. Antonio Rodrigues, Mrs. Beta Satte, Dr. Assaad Eid, MP Mr. Kalil Sehbe (Seba), Mr. Roberto Khatlab, Mr. Claudio Selaimen Satte, Mr. Gabriel Monte Fadel, and Cesar Moinho (Dib) (April 2009)
The guests were welcomed by NDU Vice-President for Sponsored Research and Development Dr. Assaad Eid, LERC Director Ms. Guita Hourani, LERC Liaison Officer for Latin America Mr. Roberto Khatlab, and LERC indexers Mrs. Liliane Haddad and Mr. Elie Nabhan. They were introduced to LERC's electronic archives and were taken on a tour of the Lebanon and Migration Museum.
At the end of the presentation, Mr. Satte and Mr. Sehbe presented LERC with a copy of the book entitled Una Historia a Ser Lembrada, which relates 70 years of SLPA's history.
From left to right: Mr. Elie Nabhan, Mr. Roberto Khatlab, Mrs.Liliane Haddad, Mr. Cesar Moinho (Dib), Mr. Antonio Rodrigues, Ms. Guita Hourani, Mr. Claudio Selaimen Satte, Mrs. Beta Satte, MP Mr. Kalil Sehbe (Seba), Mr.Gabriel Monte Fadel, and Mrs. Rodrigues (April 2009)
While touring the museum, members of the delegation were very taken by the collection of the late Albert Nehme and were very intrigued by a photo of President Camille Chamoun and President Getúlio Vargas of Brazil taken in 1954 during the former’s visit to Brazil.
Contemplating Albert Nehme's Brazil collection (April 2009).
The delegation was impressed by LERC's efforts to document and preserve the history of Lebanese emigration, and expressed their willingness to participate in building up the Brazil collection by sending original material to LERC.
