Why Saving the Burning Library Matters
When people leave, knowledge can leave with them. Years of experience, skills, stories and practical wisdom can disappear when they are not documented and passed forward.
From Memory to Living Knowledge
Through Saving the Burning Library – Verona 2026/2027, we discover and document knowledge held by people and communities, then transform it into resources that future generations can access, learn from and use.
Event Program
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER – Main Public Event | 17:00–20:00
17:00–18:30 – Stories & Knowledge From Our Communities
Hear voices from Verona exploring memory, migration, work and knowledge across generations.
Live demo of the Sovereign Oracle and a lecture with Prof. Oluwafemi Esan on Indigenous Knowledge Systems
18:39–19:30 – Theatre, Percussion & Living Memory
Symbolic P. Space teatro dell’ imperfezione from Bressanone and Ernesto Da Silva bring memory, identity and community to life through theatre, movement and percussion.
A cultural performance connecting the ideas explored during the evening with artistic expression.
19:27–20:00 – Documentary & Public Reflection
See what happens when we begin listening to the knowledge already living in our neighbourhoods.
Featuring stories from the Verona 2026/2027 pilot in Porto San Pancrazio.
Friday, October 16th – Heritage, Culture & Living Memory
For those who want to experience more of Verona and connect more deeply before Saturday’s public event.
ADVANCE RESERVATION REQUIRED
Guided Verona City Tour
Discover Verona through history, culture, migration and hidden connections that reveal another side of the city.
Ancestral Heritage Experience
Join Rev. Gloria Tinu Ogunbadejo for an intimate exploration of ancestry, memory and intergenerational connection.
Dinner & Conversation
End the day around the table with guests and participants, sharing food, ideas and meaningful connections.
Saving the Burning Library: From Vision to Practice
Join us as we bridge our years of evolution into a bold new vision. By gathering in the heart of Verona, Italy, we are transforming our collective experience into a lasting legacy. Be part of this journey as we redefine the diaspora experience and shape a new path ahead.
Discover ONBA™ — Our Now, Before and After — the methodology guiding how we document living knowledge.
Experience the Sovereign Oracle, our knowledge infrastructure for preserving and connecting human knowledge.
Meet the Narrative Engineers helping communities document and preserve their own living knowledge.
Guests & Participants
Symbolic P. Space
Theater performance
Symbolic P. Space (Teatro dell’Imperfezione) is an experimental theater collective in Bressanone, Italy. They bridge history, identity, and community storytelling through immersive, boundary-pushing cultural stage performances.
Prof. Oluwafemi Esan
Guest lecturer
Amb. Prof. Oluwafemi Esan is Founder of El-ROI London University, a Transpersonal Therapist, and Ambassador for Hawaii. He specializes in non-religious spirituality, transpersonal psychology, and higher education coaching.
Rev. Gloria Tinu Ogunbadejo
Special event curator
Rev. Gloria Tinu Ogunbadejo is an Ordained Minister, ancestral lineage practitioner, and healing coach. Grounded in Yoruba ancestry, she creates sacred spaces for grief, restoration, and generational healing.
Ezenwa Jennifer Ngozi
Guest speaker
Ezenwa Jennifer Ngozi is Vice President of Associazione Terra dei Popoli and a cultural mediator in Verona. She supports immigrant families, collaborating with hospitals, schools, and social welfare institutions.
International Speakers Via Zoom
They are joining the call from a distance
Loretta Green-Williams
Global Women’s Leadership & Sustainability Strategist. As a practitioner-scholar, she will discuss the role of women in preserving and transmitting collective memory.
Dr. Tawanda Chabikwa
Assistant Professor of Dance & African Studies and Multidisciplinary Artist. He will present on how dance can preserve our collective memory for future generations.
Dr. Julietta Raymond
Full Professor, Family Relationship Coach, and Clinical Psychotherapist. She will explore effective strategies for rebuilding trust within families and communities.
Prosper Nkenfack
Guest speaker
Prosper Nkenfack is a professional translator and founder of Italtraduzioni in Verona. Specializing in linguistic services and interpreting, he supports companies and institutions in multilingual communication.
Ernesto Da Silva
Percussionist
Ernesto Da Silva is a master percussionist, drummer, dancer, and educator with over three decades of international artistic experience. He has performed all over the world with the greatest singers of Guinea and the National Ballet of Guinea-Bissau.
Dr. Alfredo Sambù
Co-organizator
Dr. Alfredo Sambù is a practicing pharmacist in the province of Vicenza with a dedicated focus on the synthesis of modern pharmacology and traditional African botanical medicine.
Malice Omondi
The Event Moderator
Malice Omondi is a cultural mediator, presenter, and promoter of intercultural dialogue. With her energy and experience, she builds bridges between people, cultures, and generations across Verona.
Veronica Atitsogbe
Vice President of the Verona City Council
“Veronica Atitsogbe is the Vice President of the Verona City Council and was the most-voted city councilor in the 2022 local elections. Her political journey stems from community activism, featuring an intersectional approach to gender issues, civil rights, and social inclusion. In her institutional role, she focuses primarily on social policy, culture, and housing policies, with a strong focus on addressing inequality and building a more inclusive, accessible city.”
Event Sponsors
We are deeply grateful for their generous support and contribution in sponsoring this event.
AClasses Academy
AClasses Academy is the premier digital infrastructure empowering African diaspora executives, academics, and business leaders to transition from digital tenancy to sovereign ownership. Driven by our proprietary ONBA™ Methodology and Story-to-Asset Framework, we combine qualitative data processing, advanced software systems, and executive training to turn intellectual capital into permanent, high-value assets.
Guimeds: Health and Well-being
Guimeds (Guinea-Bissau Medicines) promotes community health and well-being through targeted local interventions and knowledge sharing. From establishing clean water access infrastructure at Casa Winsan in Bigene to disseminating knowledge on medicinal plants and traditional medicine via Guimeds.com, the project integrates concrete resources and ancestral wisdom to drive sustainable health outcomes and foster future strategic partnerships.
Join Us in Verona
- Dates: October 16-17, 2026
- Location: Sala Africa, Museo Africano — Vicolo Pozzo 1, 37129 Verona, Italy
- Organized by: Evideos APS (through its WeDiasporan project)