Dragi prijatelji / Dear friends,

We have been very industrious and are going to surprise you with an announcement of another exciting addition to Thezaurus.
This time we are offering you the Thezaurus Forums, which are a revamped, broadened, flexible and most accessible version of the Discussion Forums that we had before.

The forums are based on the latest interactive technology. Visitors can easily register or enter as guests, express their opinion, make comments, publish announcements, ask language questions, and they can add their own topic. They give the opportunity for anyone to publish, notify the community about events and draw attention to interesting and important articles on Slovenian language and culture issues. There are ten forums in three clusters: 1. Institute for Slovenian Studies Forums 2. Slovenes Around the World Forums 3. Slovenian Writing Forums include the Links Page. There is now an extended list of interesting and informative links in 13 categories.

Among many special features of the Forums are customised LINKS favourites selection, that are available to all registered. The Forums also serve as a platform for announcements of important events.

Four Secondary Scholarships for Slovenian Language 2002-2003
from Republic of Slovenia

Four students attending Slovenian class in Victorian School of Languages, Princes Hill Secondary College Centre, are to spend two months at a Slovenian Secondary School and attend classes. This is a new initiative, first aired by the teacher Ms Sandi Ceferin, then taken up by the Institute for Slovenian Studies of Victoria, which promoted the project with the Office for the Slovenes Abroad, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and two Catholic Grammar Schools, the Bishop's Classical Gymnasium in Ljubljana and Vipava. In the ISSV Forum you can read more about this most recent initiative by the Institute.

Students: (from left to right) Andrew Bratina, Matija Sraj, Michael Polh, Katherine Polh, Zalika Rizmal, Amra Brnjak, Melissa Bratina, Natalie Postruzin, Amar Falan, Kara Fergeus, Helena Oppelli, Kathlyn Tomazin, (absent: Michelle Kohek, Jan Novak, Lenka Sraj) Teachers: Sandi Ceferin, Pavel Sraj

25th anniversary of Slovenian language teaching in Victoria 1977- 2002

The preparations for our anniversary celebration are continuing on a grand scale and the celebration will be held on 22 March 2003. The venue will be in Melbourne at the SS Ciril and Methodius Hall, the Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre. The whole Slovenian community has been invited to participate.
The celebration introduces the 3-day programme from 22 - 25 March, which includes a conference and a number of meetings .

• Slovenian Language and Culture: the Future - "Lost Generation"
  Conferences in Melbourne on 23 March and Sydney on 28 March 2003

In conjunction with anniversary celebrations we are organizing a conference in Melbourne (Institute for Slovenian Studies of Victoria) on 23 March and in Sydney (Slovenian Media House) on 28 March. The common theme for both conferences is Slovenian Language and Culture: the Future- the "Lost Generation". In Sydney the focus will be on the Slovenian media. The four events promise to be possibly the most significant Slovenian event here of the last decade.

We have invited guests from Slovenia, the Minister of Education, the Head of the Office for the Slovenes Around the World, and the director of the Public Relations and Media Office of the Republic of Slovenia. We hope to achieve a meaningful dialogue between Australian Slovenes and Slovenia that will lead to meaningful exchanges with Slovenia. The aim is to engage our "lost generation".

While it is recognized that the descendants of Slovenian emigrants belong in the country and the social environment where they were born and grew up, it is important for them to have a sense of identity. We believe that every individual has a right to a past and a heritage, which enriches his/her life and fosters greater self-awareness.

• 50 years of Slovenian media in Australia and 10th anniversary of the journal Glas Slovenije in 2003

Slovenian Media House in Sydney will be celebrating 50 years of Slovenian media in Australia,10 years of the publication of the journal Glas Slovenije and the 5th anniversary of the web site Sticisce avstralskih Slovencev www.glasslovenije.com.au. The monthly journal is published in full on the Web, and includes an English section.

The Media House is holding an anniversary celebration and a conference with the focus on Slovenian media, with a 3-day programme from 28-30 March.

Mr. Bojan Bertoncelj, the new Charge d'Affaires in Australia

Slovenian community in Australia welcomes Mr.Bojan Bertoncelj, who started his mandate in Canberra on 3 June 2002. His previous experience has been an appointment at the Slovenian Embassy in Vienna and in the Cabinet of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. His brief in Australia includes bilateral political, economic and cultural exchanges between Australia and Slovenia and collaboration with Slovenian community in Australia. Mr.Bertoncelj has been getting in touch with Slovenian community in Melbourne and Sydney and has attended functions and meetings of Slovenian organizations. The Slovenian Embassy in Canberra and its diplomatic representatives are important to Slovenian community for their role as an intermediary between the community and the Slovenian government.

Meeting in the Office of Slovenian National Council of Victoria In Melbourne on 27 October 2002 (Photo Sasha Ceferin)