The ESU is an independent non-political, educational charity with members throughout the United Kingdom and the United States and branches in more than 50 countries worldwide. Its purpose is to promote international understanding and human development through the widening use of the English language. For millions of people throughout the world it is the key to personal achievement in business, politics, technology and the arts. The English language plays a vital role in contributing towards international cooperation and friendship.
The ESU's approach is to work through people-to-people exchanges, scholarships, public speaking and music competitions, conferences, and other national and international programmes made possible by the generosity of its members worldwide.
The Argentina chapter of the ESU,founded in 1993, has managed to grow year after year, not only in numbers but also in the hard work and new programmes put in place for the benefit of its members and friends. They include:
Annual Public Speaking Competition, the winner and runner-up travel to London for the World finals;
Scholarship for the Secondary School Exchange for local students who travel to the US, live 6 months on campus or with a family while attending the sixth form and graduating from an excellent American school;
Scholarships for secondary school teachers to attend the Cultural Seminar at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London, to meet and work with Globe Theatre staff and Globe Education practitioners;
Scholarships for secondary school teachers to attend the Stratford Study Course(plays, lectures, discussions and workshops, devised and delivered by Shakespearian experts) in Stratford-upon-Avon;
Scholarships for young professionals to attend the International Summer Conference at Mansfield College, in Oxford;
Farming Exchange Programme for young farmers from the UK, who spend time on Argentine estancias, and for young local farmers spending time working in farms in England and Scotland;
The Walter Hines Page Secondary School Exchange Programme for teachers from Argentina and the US who visit a group of the finest schools in the host country;
Capitol Hill Programme, through which local students of international relations, political sciences or law spend a few months as interns in the US Senate in Washington, D.C.;
Annual Business Luncheon, aimed at reaching out and creating awareness of the ESU and its mission within the local business community.
Annual Singing Competition at the British Embassy.
Our challenge for next year is to continue to grow in institutional and individual membership by creating awareness of the ESU and its mission among the education and business communities and by attracting young and/or energetic people interested in promoting good will and understanding.
ESU Argentina is proud of its growth and of its contribution to our community.
Malcolm J. Rodman
Chairman ESU Argentina
The Executive Committee
09/05/2010
THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION ARGENTINA
ESU International Public Speaking Competition 2011
IPSCLondon 2011 : 23 May until 27 May (inclusive) The International Theme:
“Words are not enough”
08/28/2010
THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION ARGENTINA “Creating global understanding through English”
1810 - 2010
Celebrating Argentina’s Bicentenary
XIII Singing Competition Martin Garvie Trophy
As in previous years, ESU Argentina has been offered a Secondary School Exchange Scholarship in the USA. The programme implies living in the USA, either on campus or with an American family, for six months as from January 2011, while attending the sixth form at an excellent American school and graduating from that school in June.
We are looking for an Argentine born boy or girl who graduates from one of our member schools in December 2010, with excellent interpersonal qualities and sound academic skills, and an adequate profile to represent our country.
The scholarship will cover the student’s living expenses whilst in the USA, room, boarding, tuition and fees.
We are convinced that this is a very interesting experience for our graduates from High School, as evinced in the reports of previous scholars. Already, many of our member schools have had students profiting from this opportunity, and last year we began with the reciprocity program in our country.
Candidates interested in this scholarship should send their CV, application form, a brief letter explaining their reasons for applying, parents’authorization and a letter from the School Head to Susana Berdeal de Cravino, ESU Argentina Board Member, Sanchez de Bustamante 1969, 6º B,Buenos Aires 1425. The material must reach us before September 25th; and selected candidates will be called for an interview on the first week of October.
Yours sincerely,
Susana Berdeal de Cravino
ESU Argentina
The Executive Committee
09/01/2010
Report on Shakespeare Cultural Seminar
When you receive a gift wrapped up in beautiful paper and with a fancy ribbon, your heart starts beating faster with anticipation. And as you begin unwrapping it, your mind takes you to unexpected places wondering about what will actually be inside. And you are full of joy.
This is just what happened to me as the Globe Cultural Seminar began to unfold. The first encounter at the entrance of Bankside House and the short walk to The Globe Theatre with thirty delegates from all over the world already was promising. There we were, people from places as remote and exotic to one another as Tajikistan, Moldova, Serbia, Iceland or Latvia, speaking with different accents and brought together by our mutual love of Shakespeare and our keen desire to find out more. Well, we were not disappointed. The Seminar simply outdid our wildest fantasies.
Patrick Spottiswoode, with his wit and enthusiasm, took us in a journey of boldness, perseverance and tenacity as he told us the story of how Sam Wanamaker had managed to get The Globe rebuilt and then walked us through the streets of Southwark where we relived Shakespeare’s times and circumstances. He also showed us how the Great Bard became a true “wordsmith” and managed to convey the sounds of human emotion in a language that consisted mainly of short words and that was considered “rude” at the time.
Glyn MacDonald, with her warmth and unparalleled energy, taught us the magic involved in playing the one instrument we should all know how to play: ourselves. Her insightful views on reflexes, archetypes, circles and elements will no doubt help us stay tuned and play ourselves so that we evolve and allow the sixth sense evaluate the information that all the other senses are giving us.
Yolanda Vazquez playfully “moved” us through all the secrets of the iambic pentameter, feminine verse and the trochaic in a skillful combination of games, chants and hakas. Jenny Tiramani unraveled the mysteries of Elizabethean dress and costume while Stewart Pearce and Giles Block disentangled the alchemy of voice and how not to trip on the tongue for us. And just so that we would be completely bewitched, we were also let into the secret life of The Globe as Bryan Paterson took us on a backstage tour and showed us through the marbled heaven to the hollow cell.
But there was more to come. The wonderful dinner at Dartmouth House, which we shared with ESU delegates from the International Relations Summer Conference, was preceded by James Bisgood’s stunning display of musical instruments and his fascinating performance of the music of the time. Then, after the warm welcoming words by ESU Director General Michael Lake, we presented them with our own simple but heart-felt gift by reciting Romeo and Juliet’s sonnet in different languages.
The week was crowned by the three magnificent performances we were invited to: Henry VIII, Henry IV Part 1 and The Merry Wives of Windsor. It is difficult to describe in words the experience of being a groundling: standing so close to the stage, letting the actors walk past you or even holding props for them when they require it! Not to mention being sprinkled on and off by the showers of London! It is simply a real taste of the fact that “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely playing.
Anyway, as the Great Bard said “Brevity is the soul of wit”, so I think there is just one more thing left for me to say that sums up this experience: thank you ESU for having given me this amazing gift!!!
Silvia Stagnaro
The Shakespeare Study Course in Stratford-upon-Avon
Mr Jaime Campomar from Hans Cristian Anderson
As to Jaime Campomar, I can say that in spite of his youth, he has managed to develop an interesting career in the field of Literature andintertextuality which will be enhanced by attending this Stratford Seminar.He will also be able to share and spread the word at higher education level. I must add that Jaime is a graduate of the Catholic University in Argentina which is a very active participant in all activities organised by our branchof The English Speaking Union. “Jaime Campomar who has just returned from the cultural seminar is extremely thankful to ESU for just an amaizing experience.
ESU Argentina Coordinator Mrs Teresa Davis Shakespeare Study Course a 'Feast of Languages'
16 Aug 2010
This year's ESU Shakespeare Study Course saw 19 delegates from 17 different countries descend upon the bard's birthplace.
Dr Nick Walton, lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, wrote about his experience of this unique event:
I've just waved goodbye to a remarkable group of people. It is often said that Shakespeare can bring people together - and that has certainly been the case in Stratford over the last week. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of The English-Speaking Union, teachers, theatre practitioners and university students from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Latvia, Malta, Mauritius, Denmark, Portugal, Russia, Tajikstan, Turkey, and the USA, have had the chance to spend a week immersed in all matters Shakespearian - they have moved from "speaking sugar'd" sonnets, to saucy speculation about Shakespeare's sex life! For some this was their first trip to England, and their visit to his birthplace marked the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition. For others this course provided their first opportunity to hear Shakespeare's plays performed in the English language. And for me, this global gathering represented a rare opportunity to hear first hand about Shakespeare's influence across continents and cultures.
It is a rare privilege to discuss Shakespeare's works with an audience of this kind. Casual conversation about Shakespeare's plays soon slips into anecdotes about ways in which language, culture, and tradition play a significant role in shaping an individual's response to drama. The RSC's Complete Works Festival in 2006/7 gave me an appetite for global Shakespeare, and I am always excited by news of Shakespearian happenings outside of the UK. Each delegate comes with a story about how he or she was introduced to Shakespeare and perhaps more importantly an idea of how they wish to inspire and excite the next generation of readers and theatregoers. We can all learn such a great deal from one another through conversation - "only connect..." as E.M. Forster wrote.
One of our guests this week was Sava Dragunchev from Bulgaria. Sava is a company actor at Bulgaria's National Theatre which was founded in 1904. Sava has recently played the role of the King in Love's Labour's Lost, and is currently performing in a production of King Lear. The production has a renowned Bulgarian actor in the title role, and at the age of 81 this performer is the true embodiment of Lear's ‘four score' king. The play is performed against a backdrop of metal walls, lending the production a tough, unsettling atmosphere. Naturally Sava was interested to hear about the RSC's current production of the play, and it was interesting to compare some of the choices the two companies have made for major scenes.
Thank you to all of the members of this year's international delegation - it was a pleasure and a privilege to spend time in your company, share in your stories, and learn from your experiences of working with Shakespeare in 'a feast of languages'. You will be missed, but hopefully we will meet again.
The Secondary School Exchange Program brings another USA scholar to Argentina
As you must all know, last year we started receiving students from USA on our SSE Reciprocity Program. Clara Mc Neil came to Northlands College for two months and then travelled to Mar del Plata to attend Holy Trinity School for another two months.
This year we will be hosting Matthew Coz from Avon Old Farms School, Connecticut, USA. He will come to study at St George’s College, Quilmes, from August 2nd to September 16th. Then he will go to Escuela Argentina Modelo from September 17th to November 20th.
Matthew is eager to make the most of this opportunity to meet new people of his age and exchange experiences. He is an excellent student, President of the Student Council, and fully committed to his scholastic responsibilities. He is also very keen on sports and truly devoted to social work.
Let us get ready to welcome Matthew and, later on, all the others that will keep on coming to our country to learn about us and continue strengthening bonds among ESU members in the world.
NATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION 2010 - Results
Winner, Marina Filiba, Northlands School , “ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS”
Runner up Francisco Huarte Petite , Escuela Argentina Modelo, “KEEP GOING”
3rd prize Guillermina Perez , Lomas High School , “My Shoping List
04/07/2010
THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires, 7th April 2010
Dear Member,
Re: International Summer Conference 8th – 14th August 2010, Mansfield College, Oxford
The English Speaking Union Dartmouth House has invited candidates from Argentina to apply for sponsorship to attend this year’s “International Relations Conference” at Mansfield College, Oxford, England.
Details of the conference are included on a separate attachment and it can be seen that the successful applicant will be given a unique opportunity to take part in a conference, which will focus on topics of worldwide importance. Over thirty countries will be represented so the candidate will gain an insight into the international perspective on Britain today.
The average age of participants is between 30 and 35 but those as young as 22 have also attended. We would not recommend undergraduates participating. Young people of all professions will be taking part.
The scholarship covers all costs while at Mansfield College (lectures, receptions, visits, accommodation and meals) but does not cover the return travel costs to and from Oxford. These costs shall be paid by the applicant.
If you are interested, complete the enclosed application form and return it before the end of business of Friday, 30th April, to Ms. Amelia Sola at AS@RMLex.com
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Malcolm Rodman
Chairman
The English-Speaking Union de Argentina
Patricia S. Schroeder - Elected Chairman of
The English-Speaking Union
of the United States.
The other night we invited Patricia S. Schroeder - Elected Chairman of the English Specking Union –USA- out to dinner with Malcom Rodman - Chairman ESU Arg – and Eric Campbell –
She is an enchanting person and came to dinner with her husband and three other friends who were travelling with her. Of course, we took them to a Parrilla, namely Fervor on Posadas as they were staying at a nearby Hotel. They really enjoyed their dinner and tried some of the local Achuras and then had a beatifull Bife. Their interest, apart from the ESU was on what we thought about our government and some of the measures they had taken regarding Pensioners and how we saw the future of Our Country. They also wanted to see an Ombu, so we told them to go to The Botanical Gardens, and later found out there is one on Plaza Lavalle in front of the Courthouses. The dinner went off very well, as they made up a lovely group and we were told tovisit them if we go to the States.
Michael Rattagan Deputy Chair of ESU Argentina meeting in Paris with Mme Beatrix de Montgermont-Keil National President of ESU France .
11/23/2009
If the concept of “Cool Britannia” was a strong selling-point in the Tony Blair success story, climate change has made the world anything but cool for his successor as prime minister, Gordon Brown. Less than three weeks away from the Copenhagen global conference on climate change, British Ambassador Shan Morgan could hardly have chosen a more timely topic for the annual business luncheon of the English-Speaking Union (ESU) last Tuesday.
Throughout her speech Morgan was at pains to present the issue as an opportunity as much as a problem, She described climate change as “my top personal priority” since arriving here almost a year ago and among the big four for London’s Foreign Office alongside counter-terrorism, conflict resolution and developing effective international institutions. And nor is British Foreign Secretary David Milliband a lone voice here — the recent disappearance of an entire village in a flash flood has really awoken public awareness.
Environmental concern was not just “tree-hugging,” she said, but a profoundly economic issue with alarming implications for agricultural drought, strain on buildings and many other aspects. British economist Lord Stern has been a pioneer in quantifying this economic cost, estimating that it could cost as much as 20 percent of global production by mid-century — to place this in context, the acute international crisis of the past year is expected to cost between two and four percent of global production.
And because this is a global problem (greenhouse gases do not respect borders), Britain is looking at the whole world including Argentina — London is helping to finance a CEPAL/Fundación Bariloche study on the economic impact of climate change for Argentina, with input from British ministerial experts.
Britain (responsible for two percent of global emissions) has a “historic responsibility” as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution and has more than complied with the Kyoto Protocol with the firm commitment to reduce emissions by 80 percent by mid-century. But action is needed from the United States, China, Brazil and the rest of the European Union if emissions are to be halved as urged by the world’s top scientists — otherwise all countries will suffer together.
In Morgan’s view, this global scourge is especially relevant to Argentina both as a threat and as an opportunity. The South American region as a whole is vulnerable, according to Britain’s Hadley Centre, with scenarios of Amazon drought, the disappearance of Andean glaciers, sagging farm productions and extreme weather events in general. Argentina certainly knows all about drought and an acute lack of water is forecast for the Cuyo region in particular.
But switching to renewable sources of energy is an investment as much as a cost, said Morgan — all these new technologies will require new industries and the creation of “green jobs” will spur growth while important sums would be saved from expensive fossil fuel bills (not to mention public health from less urban pollution). As Brown has pointed out, those switching first will reap important advantages from these growth areas of the future.
If the City of London has become a world leader in the carbon trading emerging from the Kyoto Protocol, the finances to pay for this transition to a low-carbon economy will flow from developed to developing countries (to the tune of 100 billion dollars by 2020 according to Brown) — and this can only benefit Argentina. And, as always, Argentina has its natural advantages such as some of the windiest places on the planet.
Looking ahead to Copenhagen, Morgan warned her audience from expecting everything from this event which could only be a milestone at best — but she also warned them against resigning themselves to the impossibility of a deal in Denmark, as frequently forecast in the press. While a final legal treaty looked improbable, it was consensus which really mattered and that looked eminently possible, judging from the statements of the US, Chinese, Indian and Brazilian leaders.
Yet she also stressed that this negotiation would not be easy (“if it was, then a global deal would have been achieved a long time ago”) and that there were many voices to urge that tackling global recession came first. But that logic was fallacious, Morgan insisted — inaction was too expensive while action now would speed up the new opportunities for the future (“opportunities that can drive economic growth, promote social development and create jobs”).
Based on Britain’s experience, Morgan said that the next stage in Argentina was to spread awareness via the media and civil society, also highlighting that “this is an opportunity, not just a threat.” In Britain the issue had seemed too technically difficult for much of the population and had encountered widespread skepticism — now there was a national consensus that this issue is “too important to ignore.”
Asked by the Herald if organic farming and windmills would suffice for a world population expected to reach nine billion in the next 30 years, Morgan admitted the need for nuclear power — she also touched on the problem of agricultural emissions in feeding the world of the future.
Her speech was preceded by Gerónimo Frigerio from the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), the recipient of an ESU scholarship to attend a week of international debate at Mansfield College, Oxford. Frigerio said he had expected a politically correct consensus and was startled by the frank discussion of global thinking versus local action, the future of Western dominance with the rise of China, development, poverty, corruption, etc.
Morgan was introduced by ESU president Malcolm Rodman, who said that the shadow of drought in the four last harvests should make the urgency of climate change evident, even if day-to-day politics always seemed to take priority.
The guest speaker was accompanied by fellow-ambassadors Lucy Duncan (New Zealand), Philomena Murnaghan (Ireland) and Tony Leon (South Africa) as well as the US Embassy attaché for the environment, science and technology, Russell Menyhart; also representatives of HSBC Bank and British Airways and such luminaries of the English language world as Ofelia Veltri and Litty Mora.
Institutional
When you receive a gift wrapped up in beautiful paper and with a fancy ribbon, your heart starts beating faster with anticipation. And as you begin unwrapping it, your mind takes you to unexpected places wondering about what will actually be inside. And you are full of joy. 
story of how Sam Wanamaker had managed to get The Globe rebuilt and then walked us through the streets of Southwark where we relived Shakespeare’s times and circumstances. He also showed us how the Great Bard became a true “wordsmith” and managed to convey the sounds of human emotion in a language that consisted mainly of short words and that was considered “rude” at the time. 
The other night we invited Patricia S. Schroeder - Elected Chairman of the English Specking Union –USA- out to dinner with Malcom Rodman - Chairman ESU Arg – and Eric Campbell – 
Environmental concern was not just “tree-hugging,” she said, but a profoundly economic issue with alarming implications for agricultural drought, strain on buildings and many other aspects. British economist Lord Stern has been a pioneer in quantifying this economic cost, estimating that it could cost as much as 20 percent of global production by mid-century — to place this in context, the acute international crisis of the past year is expected to cost between two and four percent of global production.
And because this is a global problem (greenhouse gases do not respect borders), Britain is looking at the whole world including Argentina — London is helping to finance a CEPAL/Fundación Bariloche study on the economic impact of climate change for Argentina, with input from British ministerial experts.
Britain (responsible for two percent of global emissions) has a “historic responsibility” as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution and has more than complied with the Kyoto Protocol with the firm commitment to reduce emissions by 80 percent by mid-century. But action is needed from the United States, China, Brazil and the rest of the European Union if emissions are to be halved as urged by the world’s top scientists — otherwise all countries will suffer together.
