Sicily Today: Standing Together Against the Mafia

A Talk by Grace Weber
Wednesday, January 28 at 7 pm

Last spring Weybridge resident Grace Weber, a fluent speaker of Italian, began planning a ten-week sojourn in Italy, chiefly Sicily, intending not so much tourism as an immersion experience. While Googling volunteer opportunities in Sicily, Weber discovered an organization called Libera, a cornerstone of the contemporary anti-mafia movement. Libera holds properties confiscated from convicted mafia bosses, rededicating these lands to activities in the public interest, operating with volunteer labor. Weber immediately applied and was accepted to participate in a volunteer camp in Marina di Cinisi, a town 40 minutes outside of Palermo. Her autumn 2014 experiences  with the present-day resistance to Cosa Nostra will form the basis of a slide show and talk entitled Sicily Today: Standing Together Against the Mafia, which she will present at Ilsley Public Library on Wednesday, January 28th at 7:00 PM. The presentation will include suggestions and resources for travelers to Sicily who seek a (mostly) mafia-free experience. All are cordially invited.