Highlights - August 2009

INTERVIEW: Jurij Souček

In April Jurij Souček celebrated his 80th birthday. Although he formally retired in 1993 after 40 years of acting and 50 years of collaboration with Drama (theatre), he still acts. Souček is among the most recognizable actors and voices in Slovenia, because he dubbed into Slovene all of Slovenia's successful animated cartoons - Čebelica Maja (Maya, the Little Bee), Palček Smuk (Smuk The Dwarf), Buš Buš, Medvedek Uhec (Uhec The Teddy Bear), Maksi pes Fik (Fik The Maxi Dog) and dva prašička »Pipi in Melkijad (Piggeldy and Frederick,The Two Pigs).« For his work he received many prizes including the Borštnik Ring. He says of himself, that he still has the power and desire to act and despite his mature years he has no time to write his memories. Jurij Souček is a living legend.

THE TOPIC OF THE MONTH: Summer meetings in Slovenia

On the 2nd of July in the National Assembly the 9th All-Slovenian meeting was held and the title for this year`s meeting was »Dealing with integration and assimilation«. Many Slovenes from the neighboring countries and around the world, experts and respected guests attended the meeting. Dr.Sc.Pavel Gantar, the president of the the National Assembly, opened the All-Slovenian meeting with a welcome address, joined by the greetings of Dr.Sc. Boštjan Žekš, the minister responsible for the Slovenes Abroad and the Neighboring Countries and Miro Petek, the president of National Assembly Commission, responsible for relations with the Slovenes Abroad and the Neighboring Countries.The discussions and socializing lasted through the evening. On the 4th of July Slovenes from near and far gathered for the now 16th Jamboree of the Slovenes Abroad arranged by the Emigration Association »Slovenia Around the World«. The honorable guest of the meeting - this year in Šmarješke Toplice - was the minister Boštjan Žekš, who emphasized among other things: »It does not matter where Slovenians come from, all of them are our people«. Within the jamboree the planners organised the round table debate on »How we connect with our expatriates and how we would like to connect with them«. In the afternoon the participants attended the cultural programme and enjoyed the natural beauties of Šmarješke toplice. Also on the 4th July in another part of Slovenia in Nova Gorica the traditional »Meeting in Our Country« was held, organised by the Slovene Emigrant Association at the now 53rd gathering. In the morning the movie premiere »The Alexandrians« (Aleksandrinke) was shown in the city of Nova Gorica and in the afternoon the opening of the exhibition »Hidden faces of Alexandria« was held at Kromberk castle. The meeting was then continued in the theatre of Nova Gorica, where the ceremony speaker was the president of the state Dr.Sc.Danilo Türk. In a completely full hall of the Nova Gorica theatre - where numerous folk and other cultural groups provided the evening's entertainment, President Türk emphasized the importance of patriotism and of the Slovene language and culture.

A TALK TO THE FELLOWCOUNTRYMEN: Tone Mizerit

Between the pillars of the Slovenian society in Argentina, Tone Mizerit, our countryman from Lower Carniola, occupies an important place. He was barely 10 years old, when he left there with his father, a refugee, but it is still barely possible to detect the Lower Carniola accent in his speech. But it is not only by his accent that we can tell he is from Lower Carniola. It is also his cheerful nature, openness to people, tolerance for others and for different views. Tone Mizerit is collaborator and editor of the weekly magazine Svobodna Slovenija and collaborator and editor of the cultural rewue Meddobje. Since 1991 as Professor he has been teaching Slovenian literature (up to Prešeren) and social education (History of Slovenian Settlement in Argentine and Slovenian Community Structure) at the Slovenian secondary course level under the headmaster Marko Bajuk in Buenos Aires. In 2007 he was elected to the Council for Slovenians Abroad at the Government of the Republic of Slovenia as a delegate for Argentine at a special convention.

OUR NOTICE: Summer is the time for the Slovene language

During the summer months there were some summer schools and seminars at several locations to encourage youth to learn the Slovene language. In July a course of the Slovenian language was held, entitled »Hello, here is the Slovenian Mediterranean« under the auspices of the Littoral University. The forty-hour course lasted for two weeks, was divided into two parts and was designed to teach linguistic structure and conversation. From June 29th to July 24th the 28th Summer School of Slovene language was held in Ljubljana, organized by the Centre for Slovene as a second or foreign language by the Faculty of Arts of the University in Ljubljana. The participants, from 18 years of age onwards, were able to attend the two-week or the four-week course. For adolescents aged 13 to 17 years old the Centre for Slovene as a second or foreign language for the 4th year organized the 4th Youth Summer School of Slovene Language in the capital. The Summer School of Slovene language, geared to children of Slovenian origin living abroad, was held from July 24th to August 8th in 2009. It was organized by The National Education Institute of The Republic of Slovenia in collaboration with the Elementary School Jože Gorjup Kostanjevica at Krka and financed by The Ministry of Education and Sport. In Summer School the Slovenian language is learned by children aged 7 to 12 years old.