Issue number one hundred and forty-six (February 2013) from the WorldU3A Service, sent on the first of every month to U3A members anywhere in the world.

Feel free to copy any or all of this information in your newsletters.
 Please send items of possible interest to the editor, Tom Holloway.

The Asia Pacific Alliance of Universities of the Third Age announce an International Conference - to be held in Melbourne, Australia, on 14th and 15th of October 2013 in the historic Melbourne Town Hall.

Speakers will include Professor Francois Vellas, IAUTA President, and many more distinguished international guests.

Click here to learn more >>

French Groups: Bernard Mouzer of U3A Poole, UK, tells us: "After leading French language groups for U3A in Poole, Dorset UK for some years and experimenting with various learning resources which might best suit U3A members I have eventually teamed up with a Parisian friend to develop our own free website, for French Improvers - and Beginners.

I'm using it for my present group of 30 members with great success. The site enables the reader to take time to try to emulate Patrick’s clear pronunciation and the complete programme of stories contains a substantial and growing vocabulary. The link is http://froggish.host22.com/ or just entering froggyspeak in Google should reach both the website and our Facebook page.
I would be grateful if your French language group leaders could find a few minutes to have a look - and we would love to have feedback.


We are very pleased to announce the formation of Thailand's first U3A at a talk given by Thomas Kuan of U3A's Asia Pacific Alliance. Based at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, U3A-Thailand will follow the British's model of self-help and learning from each other.

U3A-Thailand may act as a central body, advising other groups on setting up their U3As. An official from their Ministry of Social Development and Human Security was also present. The organisation will be led by Prof. Archanya Ratana-ubol (on Thomas Kuan's right - wearing blue dress) and Prof. Ratana Pompaisarn on my left. We hope that they will accept an invitation to join the U3A Asia Pacific Alliance at the APA regular weekly tele-conference.

We welcome the first entry from the Irish Republic in our project MY U3A - U3A Tramore. Group Secretary Mollie Hunt says "As most of our members are not from local families, or have retired here after many years away, they are pleased to be able to meet with people in similar situations and similar interests, and I'm sure any visitor from a U3A group would find a warm welcome from our members".
Science/Technology Groups: Easily the best tour of the International Space Station yet, 25 minutes long, conducted by Sunita Williams, the Indian-born American Commander of Mission number 34. Watch it or download it here >>
(Thanks Rick Swindell - U3A Online GEMS)
A compendium, down-loadable in different formats of free College Courses on many subjects; some good, many middling.

THIRD AGE ONLINE is a European initiative and its main goal is to make it easier for older people to take advantage of the opportunities offered by online communities.

TAO also seeks to develop strategies for online communities who wish to encourage older people to contribute content. With their life experience, knowledge and relatively high amounts of free time, older adults have the potential to become an important group among Wikipedia authors.


U3A Online: A complete GEMs Archive - Rick Swindell's newsletter - pdf printouts of all prior editions can be found at www.u3aonline.org.au

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