I Simpósio Internacional de Ufologia - First International Symposium of Ufology

This document is a compilation of materials related to the First International Symposium of Ufology held in Brazil in September 1975. The symposium was organized by the 'Agencia Contact Internacional' in collaboration with the Brazilian Institute of Astronautics and Space Sciences. The event featured Professor J. Allen Hynek, a prominent astronomer from Northwestern University and former scientific advisor to the US Air Force's Project Blue Book, as the Honorary President. The document includes official correspondence between the organizers and the Brazilian Ministry of Aeronautics, specifically addressed to Brigadier General Paulo Sobral Ribeiro Gonçalves, regarding the participation of official observers from the Brazilian government. The symposium aimed to move the study of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) from the realm of speculation and ridicule into a serious scientific and military research framework. The text highlights the growing international interest in the subject, citing the involvement of scientists like James McDonald and French officials such as Robert Galley and Claude Poher. It also includes personal accounts of UAP sightings in Brazil, such as the case of Maria Farias Leivas in Pelotas, and discusses the broader context of Ufology, including the history of the US Air Force's involvement and the subsequent abandonment of Project Blue Book. The document serves as a record of the efforts to legitimize Ufology in Brazil through high-level government and scientific engagement, emphasizing the need for rigorous, data-driven research rather than sensationalism.