CONFERENCECONFERENCE REPORTSREPORT

The First Ibero-American Conference on

BENJAMIN RADFORD

he Committee for the Scientific sored by Pensar magazine and the Center guay); Hugo Estrella (journalist, Argen- Investigation of Claims of the for Inquiry, drew over 100 attend- tina); Richard Branham (astronomer, TParanormal took an important ees from Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Argentina); Luis A. Gámez (Pensar rep- step in establishing a skeptical presence in the United States, Spain, Argentina, resentative, Spain); Alejandro Agosti- Latin America with a conference held in Uruguay, and Paraguay. nelli (journalist, Argentina); Ernesto Gil , Argentina, September 17 Speakers included Jorge Alfonso Deza (oncologist, Argen tina); Enrique and 18, 2005. The conference, co-spon- Ramírez (Pensar representative, Para- Márquez (magician Argentina); Gerardo G. Primero (psychologist, Argentina); (investigator, USA); Norm Allen (editor, USA), Celso Aldao (phys- The conference drew over ics professor, Argentina); Widson Porto Reis (engineer, Brazil); Mariano Moldes 100 attendees from Chile, Brazil, (biologist, Argentina); Tim Madigan (philosophy professor, USA); Tim Puerto Rico, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Delaney (philosophy professor, USA); Pablo Mira (economist, Argentina); Uruguay, and Paraguay. (investigator, USA); Diego Zúñiga (Pensar representative, Chile); and Pablo Capanna (philoso- phy professor, Argen tina). Alejandro Borgo, editor of Pensar and the confer- ence organizer, gave entertaining and informative talks about the need for in Argentina and his personal experience in trying to test paranormal claimants. Paul Kurtz, chairman of the and CSICOP, was unable to attend but delivered a video- taped address to begin the conference. Among the North American contin- gent, CSICOP Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell gave a talk on his years Benjamin Radford is managing editor of and editor jéfe of Pensar, the Spanish language skeptics magazine. Speakers from many countries gave presentations at the conference in Buenos Aires.

14 Volume 30, Issue 1 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER of experience investigating the paranor- mal, including weeping icons and the Shroud of Turin. Delivering my speech in Spanish, I discussed real-world exam- ples of the importance of keeping a vigi- lant skepticism. Norm Allen, director of African Americans for Humanism, spoke on religion and the growth of home rem- edies and witch doctor healing in Latin America and Africa. Philosophy professor Tim Madigan regaled the participants with a talk on W.K. Clifford’s 1887 trea- tise on the nature of belief. There was a wide range of topics, and the speakers were uniformly good. There were a few tense moments when Luiz Gámez of Spain revealed CSICOP’s role in a global conspiracy. Several represen- tatives, including me, began thinking of ways to silence Gámez before the Conference organizer Alejandro Borgo gives a presentation. next day’s sessions, but it soon became clear that he was speaking satirically (or so he thought) and that our sinister mission had not been compromised. We quietly sheathed our ricin-tipped canes. Enrique Márquez discussed some examples of faith healers in Argentina and the damage they can do. In one case, the skeptics had a celebrity on their side, an actress whose sick father had gone to a faith healer but had not recov- ered. The news media at first ignored her criticisms of the alleged healer but relented once she and Márquez pres- sured them. Brazil’s Widson Porto Reis discussed the presence of in Brazilian colleges and universities Skeptics from throughout Latin America mill around back issues of Pensar magazine. and the reluctance of many academ- ics to acknowledge and denounce this Marduk and Merpin. that, if properly supported and nurtured, educational travesty. Chilean journalist The audience included many jour- may grow into an important and pow- Diego Zúñiga gave a presentation on nalists, as well as quite a few younger erful force for rationality, science, and the paranormal in Chile’s newspapers women—a nice change of pace for an skepticism in Latin America. and magazines. He pointed out that organization whose ranks at times seem The Ibero-American Conference on paranormal topics often appear in the dominated by older white males. One of Critical Thinking was the first skepti- social and lifestyle sections, such as a the most gratifying things to come from cal event in Latin America since 1989, profile of a woman who believes her the conference was the sense of commu- when CSICOP held an event in Mexico dead father speaks to her and her family. nity: skeptics and humanists from a half- City, Mexico. A follow-up conference Alejandro Borgo was roundly and dozen countries and three continents, is to be held in Lima, Peru, in August justifiably congratulated for his Sisy- speaking three or more different native 2006. Other potential conference sites phean work organizing the event. In a tongues, drawn together for a common that have been discussed include Rio bid to show that skeptics are not humor- purpose. Many were heartened by the de Janiero, Brazil, and another in less doubters, Borgo scheduled perfor- enthusiastic responses and the sense that Buenos Aires. ! mances by two entertaining magicians, we were in the first stages of a movement

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