This was the Esperanto Association of Britain's site from 2005 to 2018. You will find its current site at esperanto.org.uk.

EAB News 2001-12-04: EAB NetNews Bulletin

EAB NetNews - December 2001


E A B N E T N E W S No 5 (4 Dec 2001)


*** Keeping you up-to-date about Esperanto, for people in the UK ***


1. NETNEWS RELAUNCHED
2. OPOL PROJECT
3. ON THE BEEB
4. ESPERANTO DIALOGUE IN NEW FILM
5. JANET AND BINKY
6. GEORGE HARRISON
7. JOBS IN ROTTERDAM
8. NEW HQ STAFF INTRODUCE THEMSELVES
9. BUILDING ABOUT TO START ON NEW HQ
10. NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES


1. NETNEWS RELAUNCHED

EAB's NetNews was pioneered by Eric Walker, editor of EAB Update, some time ago. We hope that 'EAB NetNews' will now become a regular feature, with short news items likely to be of interest to people in the UK who are interested in Esperanto.

The new editor is Ian Fantom. If you have received this issue and don't wish to be on the mailing list - or if you haven't received it and you do wish to be on the mailing list - please send a message to eabnetnewsatesperanto.org

Similarly, if you have any news, please send it to the same address. We're interested in information rather than polished articles - though any topical articles for EAB Update (the paper newsletter edited by Eric) could be copied to me, so that I can extract the newsy bits. (That's eabnetnews.esperanto.org and eabupdate.esperanto.org). Update contains both long and short articles, letters etc, and serves the general EAB membership.


2. OPOL PROJECT

A PhD student at the University of London is carrying out a research project on bilingualism. 'OPOL' means 'One Person One Language', and is one of the approaches that some families use in bringing up their children bilingually. In Esperanto-speaking families this appears to be the most popular method.

Suzanne Barron-Hauwaert and her French husband Jaques are bringing up their own children using OPOL. "Through the research I am hoping to find out what we all do best and how we can improve and make the best situation for our children", she wrote. She intends to to publish a book about OPOL in 2003.

She is requesting parents of OPOL families to fill in a questionaire by post or online at http://www.ferkel.co.uk/opol/opol-A-static.html. Requests for a paper copy, or for questions or comments may be sent to opol_ukatyahoo.co.uk.

The anonymised raw data of the survey so far are viewable at http://www.ferkel.co.uk/opol/opol-report.txt. It doesn't seem to include any Esperanto families yet - but that will no doubt change!


3. ON THE BEEB

Peter Snow featured Esperanto in the BBC Radio 4 programme "Random Edition" on Monday (26 November). The theme was the position of Esperanto during and after the First World War. John Wells and Will Green were interviewed in the programme. "Good, positive impression, set in historical context (but not suggesting that we are deceased!)", commented David Kelso afterwards.

David also added "World Service have been on to me this week for something similar; I can't rival Will's theatrical qualities, but every bit helps - they promised to let me know when it will be broadcast (available in UK only on internet)". The interview was in response to a listener in Africa who enquired about Esperanto. It should be broadcast in a couple or weeks or so.

... and I've just discovered that I was on the national BBC news in September! Well, not the radio or televison news, but BBC News Online. I'd sent a quick email in response to a report that new research had shown that children learning to read and write in English are slower to master it than other European youngsters learning their own language. I've just found that they had inserted my four sentences into the original article. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/in_depth/sci_tech/2001/glasgow_2001/newsid_1525000/1525789.stm


4. ESPERANTO DIALOGUE IN NEW FILM

The company Independent Films, producers of television films, are now preparing a production which includes a dialogue in Esperanto. It contains some rather direct language in a gangster scene. Terry Page and Martin Morris provided translations, and Norah Brown has just been busy with a few further requests.


5. JANET AND BINKY

Janet and Binky are the soon-to-be-World-Famous Twin Investigators, in a new comedy series announced by the BBC. Janet is the older twin by 37 seconds, during which time Esperanto was made compulsory across the whole world leading to a phase of genuine international understanding and hence a dramatic increase in war and isolationism ... This is on BBC Internet, and you can see episode 1 *now* at http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/janetandbinky.


6. GEORGE HARRISON

We still don't know whether there was any truth in reports appearing in the World's press in the 1970's that surviving Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the now late George Harrison, were to make a comeback with a one-off concert for Esperanto. In 1971 George Harrison and friends presented The Concert for Bangladesh, one of the biggest rock events of 1971, and "the definitive rock benefit of all time". No-one in the Esperanto world could trace where the press reports of the supposed big break for Esperanto had come from, though I heard afterwards through the grapevine that the ex-Beatles' PR people had floated the idea to see what response there would be - but I didn't know how much credence to give that either!

I did a write-up in Esperanto News at the time, but at short notice I can't now put my hands on the copy. Does anyone have it in their collection (or time to look through the Times Index, or the equivalent in Le Monde)?


7. JOBS IN ROTTERDAM

General Director of the Central Office of the Universal Esperanto Association, Osmo Buller, has been appointed director of the Pa"a"talo Institute in Taivalkoski, Finland. The Pa"a"talo Institute specialises in language and literature, including Esperanto. This leaves a high-level vacancy. Also leaving are Director Pasquale Zapelli, and editor of the review Esperanto, Istvan Ertl. Details from http://www.uea.org/, but only fluent speakers, of course.


8. NEW HQ STAFF INTRODUCE THEMSELVES

Part-time members of staff at the new EAB location in Barlaston introduce themselves on the EAB website. Lydia Arnold and Vivien O'Dunne both have a new-found hobby in learning Esperanto. Lydia is using the web course 'Esperanto Viva!' http://esperanto.org/espviva, and Viv is using the free postal course. Lydia has been engaged with learning technology based research, and tries to keep up to date with computers and web design. Should be interesting to see what she makes of 'Esperanto Viva!'.


9. BUILDING ABOUT TO START ON NEW HQ

December 3 is now the date set for building the new EAB headquarters on the site of the Wedgwood Memorial College in Barlaston. The agreed date had been November 19, but this was put off by a number of frustrating legal and other delays. Hopefully it will be completed before the British Esperanto Congress, due to take place in near-by Stoke on Trent early in May.


10. NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES

If you haven't yet made arrangements to celebrate the new year, then what could be better than a week in Germany with Esperanto speakers from all over Europe (and some beyond). For young people there's the annual Internacia Seminario in Rotenburg, and for the middle-aged there's the Internacia Festivalo in Magdeburg. The IF grew out of the IS in the 1970's, but I'm not sure what happens when they pass the age limit of 55. Perhaps they rejoin the IS, where there's no age limit (You just have to be young at heart!)

Anyway, the IS contact is: Germana Esperanto-Junularo, Grellstr. 36, DE-10409 Berlin, Germanio. Tel/fakso: +49-30-42857899. Rete: beroatesperanto.de

and the IF contact is: Hans-Dieter Platz (HDP), Postfach 1148, DE-34303 Niedenstein, Germanio. Tel/fakso: +49-5624-8007, portebla +49-171-4964558. Rete: HDPatinternacia-festivalo.de

But if you just want to stay at home and relax, then save your energy for 'Ni Festivalu' at Barlaston from January 18-20. Details from Derek Tatton, Wegdwood Memorial College, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST12 9DG, Britio. Tel: +44-1782-372105, fakso: +44-1782-372393. Rete: wedgwood.collegeatstaffordshire.gov.uk --


EAB NETNEWS - a newsletter from Esperanto Association of Britain
Editor: Ian Fantom, eabnetnewsatesperanto.org, tel: 01635 38592
Office: Esperanto Association of Britain, Wedgwood Memorial College, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9DE
Tel: 01782 372 141 Fax: 01782 372 393
Website: https://esperanto.org.uk

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