Florencia Ruíz, AFS Exchange Student from Reconquista, having mates opposite the Roman Coliseum in Rome (Italy)

Number 6, June 2011

“It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”

Eleonor Roosevelt

Digital NewsAFS Reconquista Local Chapter

AFS in ReconquistaE-mail: rl.reconquista@afs.org.ar 1544-4471

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

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Congratulations Reconquista AFS Local Chapter forits 32nd Anniversary. I thank you all for the work youdo. I thank the Local Chapter, the people fromReconquista City and especially, my family Buyatti-Calvo, for their generosity and kindness receivedover 30 years now. It has been an experience whichcontinues guiding my life up to the present. In fact, Ithink that some of the most important life lessonswhere learned when I was in Reconquista, but wherenot revealed but years later.As an adult, I realised that I was not mature enough then at the age of 16or 17 (I celebrated my 17th birthday in Reconquista in July 1979), to takeadvantage of all the learning opportunities AFS offered me. I was totallyimmersed in American teenager thought, and adapting to theArgentinian life in a difficult time of my life, adolescence, was rough.However, at the same time I realised I did not have the confidence toparticipate in many activities, just because I was living in a society wherethe language, customs, and expectations where different to the ones Iknew of. Because of that, I became a shy boy who looked for comfort inhis natural family very tightly, to the food, to books and music in English,thus missing all the chances to forge a lifelong friendship in my hostcountry.

Today I think of that time nostalgically. Those were all personal mistakes.But I know that I have learned from all of them.

Those three months in Reconquista helped shape my character and alsoprepared me for adult life.

One year after I returned from Argentina, I left my parents’ home to goto College, and I felt I had all the confidence necessary to prosper as anindependent young adult.

1986 was the year when I found myself ‘diving’ in the native local lifewherever I was visiting. I travelled and spent months in India, Nepal,Hong Kong and the Philippines. Since then, I have travelled countlesstimes, but always taking advantage of the trips, throughout all NorthAmerica, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Now I am a middle-aged married man, father to two lovely children,who does not really think himself just as an American citizen. I feelmore like a World Citizen.

All began in a winter (summer in the North Hemisphere) inReconquista. For that, I am deeply grateful.

I thank all of you for so many happy memories of my time inArgentina. Some of those memories are:

The long but interesting talks with my host mum Iris Calvo. She wasalways sweet, kind and curious about my life in the USA,

My host dad’s humour. Ricardo Buyatti seemed to be interested in allkinds of business,

Eating toasts with ‘dulce de leche’ for breakfast,

Having mates with a silver straw,

After celebrating 32 years of uninterrupted work (June, 1st 1979-2011) helping teenagers and families to grow

and develop intercultural awareness, we are glad to share with you a letter John Gooldwin sent us. He is one of

the first three AFS Exchange Students in our Local Chapter. (Originally written in Spanish)

Congratulations AFS Reconquista

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

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Playing basketball in the open field of ‘Club Atlético Adelante’, onBelgrano Street,

Learning my limits at the time of drinking beer at the Confitería(an important lesson for all American teenagers, and that weusually have to learn again in later years),

All the unthinkable varieties of cooked ‘embutidos’ and of grilledmeat, made in the family backyard,

The trips to Santa Fe City to visit my host brother, Enrique, or toCórdoba City to visit Mario, my other host brother. Having grown ina big city, every visit to Santa Fe brought the sensation of a greatopportunity for exploration,

The crazy way of driving on the roads and main streets of themain Argentinian cities I had the chance to visit. It was amazing forme, and all the avoided accidents then helped me reaffirm my faithin a Benevolent and Overprotective God. It also helped me to standthe buses in Nepal and the Philippines,

The Cassette recording of an English radio programme of Bluesand Rhythm known as The ROSKO Show my brother Mario had leftin Reconquista. It was in the room I shared with my brother Ricardowhere I got delighted by the Fran Stax/Volt de Otis Redding discs(1960s) for the first time.

I cannot believe I had to go all the way from the USA to Argentina tofall in love with the music Alabama. I still enjoy listening to it, and Iam still trying to find recordings of the ROSKO show,

The first time I heard someone talking in Spanish. I was on ofthose DJs who had a wonderful ‘radio voice’. He was presenting anew ABBA song, Supertramp, or some other classic songs fromEuropean bands of the ends of the 70s. It was on the car radio,

And many, many more memories like these…

Please, accept my most sincere THANKS.

AFS, Reconquista City and my family Buyatti-Calvohave contributed to my education. I wish you manymore years of work, helping and enriching youngpeople and their families’ lives, from Argentina, theUSA and all the world.

John Goodwin is a

former AFS USA student who lived in Reconquista in 1979.

The three months I spent in Reconquista have helped me open my eyes before the big spectrum that is human activity, and also helped me open my heart to our human condition we all share.

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

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On June, 2nd Dante Alighieri School N° 384 from Reconquista, invited me to participate of the celebration of the Italian ‘Republic Day’. It was very nice to go and I also get impressed by the fact that a far away country was celebrating something so important for us, the Italian people. In the celebration I read a text where I explained what we celebrate this day. Hopefully, none of them realised (at least none of them told me so) the mistakes I made while I read. The is that I have been living in Avellaneda for 10 months now and I do not remember my own language much. I am a month away from my return and I do not really want to think about it. I get sad every time I think I have to go back to Italy in a few days: here I found many wonderful people who have helped me from the very beginning, when I did not know anything to say. I loved meeting my exchange mates, too: Ida, Eveelina, Myrthe, Niklas, Rux and Max; it was really nice to meet so beautiful people from many different countries!

AFS Reconquista wants to thank Escuela Dante Alighieri N° 384 Headmistress, Prof. Diana Gaggiano and also to Prof. María de Lourdes González (Teacher of Italian) for having invited

Lisa to participate of this school celebration.

June, 2nd - Italian Republic Day By Lisa Volpi

(Originally written in Spanish)

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

I want to thank my family, all my friends, my school and AFS. Thank you all for the memories I am going to take from Argentina, they will be the best! This experience has helped me know another reality, and I have

enjoyed learning many things from the Argentinian culture.

The following is Lisa Volpi’s text (AFS Italy in

Avellaneda), read during a school celebration in Dante

Alighieri School. The Italian Republic Day is celebrated on June 2nd, to

commemorate the Institutional Referendum held in Italy on June 2nd and 3rd 1946, to decide on the Italian form of

government. Those days, the Italian citizens had to decide whether they

wanted a Monarchy or a Republic, and they decided to have a republican form of government.

After 85 years ruled by the Savoy Royal Family, the Italian State was formed and the rulers were exiled.

Mrs. María Lisa Stauder, Italian Citizen and Gladys Furlán’s cousin (mum of former students of the

school), also participated in the celebration as she is in Reconquista on holidays.

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Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

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Saturday, 11th June 2011

1st AFS Orientation forHost Families

All the families receiving the new AFS exchange students next August, participated of the 1st AFS Orientationfor Host Families which took place in Dante Alighieri School N° 384, whose Headmistress we thank for letting

us use the premises.During the orientation, AFS Reconquista introduced the families to the AFS Counsellors who will be helping and guidingthem along the experience. This sets it clear that families and AFS are a team working together towards contributing tothe exchange students’ education. Through different methodology (roll-play, situational games, etc.), the familiesworked on the concept of Culture and how to face a cultural difference before judging values, which could not becorrect at all. Thanks to all the families who participated and do not forget the next orientation ison Saturday, 23rd July 2011.

Families, thanks a lot!

Families and Volunteers after the AFS Orientation

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Meeting with Candidates and their familiesSix teenagers from our region are in the middle of the selection and preparation process toparticipate in an AFS exchange school programme (semester or year programme).As part of such preparation, the different Candidates and families had an informative talk to evacuate doubts, thusface the process, which takes from 8 to 15 months before they actually travel, more secure and confident.In the meeting, volunteers explained the role AFS takes from now on with the candidates as well as with the families.Doubts about what the AFS programme covers were also explained.From now on, all the candidates are part of this big family AFS RL Reconquista is, and as

such, they must participate in all the AFS activities the Chapter organises. AFS volunteers Stefano Pividori, SergioSanchez and Marisa Masin gave each candidate a Welcome Letter with all the different dates they must be available towork with AFS the rest of the year.

Saturday, 11th June 2011

We thanks all the Candidates and their families, as well asMarisa Masin, an AFS volunteer who shared her own

exchange experience for a year in teaching in USA. A specialthanks to Dante Alighieri School, for the premises

they kindly lent us for the talk.

Informative Talk with candidates

and their parents

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

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On Flag’s Day, Host Family Moschen-Vogelfrom Reconquista, invited AFS volunteers,host families and exchange students tocelebrate Father’s Day.

Everything started at 11 in the morning, in Reconquistaand in Roxana Vogel and Hugo Moschen’shome. They started to be part of AFS as a Sending Family.Their eldest daughter, Betiana, participated in an year

programme in the USA in 2004.

In 2005, her younger sister Luciana travelled to Italy in

a year programme as well, and when she came back shebecame an AFS volunteer for AFS Rosario.

Besides, they have hosted three different students fromdifferent countries: Rachel Whiteside (AFS USA2006 – Intensive Programme), Gabriella Schivardi(AFS Italy 2007 – Semester Programme) and AlfurBjarnason (AFS Island 2011 – Year Programme), whohas been living with them ‘the unique lifetimeexperience’ for the last four months.

Happy Father’s Day

All together toasting the Fathers

Hugo Moschen and César Delbón cookingConnecting lives, Sharing Cultures

Two great Local Chapters shared an authentic family reunion in the Argentinian Style. It was a great

opportunity to share different experiences from the one who have already come back, and the ones who

are about to leave. A nice moment for families, volunteers and exchange students.

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AFS Volunteers from Reconquista participated in themeeting and lunch: José Manuel Buyatti andGabriela Zamer (with their daughters), StefanoPividori, and Virginia Loza. Also present were HostFamilies Fabrissin, Quatrin and Stechina fromReconquista, and some of the exchange students: Ida(Norway), Eveliina (Finland), Alfur (Island - and host ofthe party) and Myrthe (The Netherlands).

AFS Rosario also took two of its volunteers and one studentto the party as well: Luciana Moschen andMatias Speranza, and Joel Baillon fromAustralia, who lives in Rosario with the Weiss family.

Hugo Moschen cooked chicken and cabrito. We all thankhim for the initiative and example of amiability.

When lunch was over, we all ate a dessert made by Álfurand later took a picture which unites the big families of AFSReconquista and Rosario.

Dessert made by Alfur

Thanks to the Moschen-Vogel family for this

wonderful lunch

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

Maria Elena Landi is a volunteer who has got a very long experience in AFS. Her

first contact with the Organisation was in 1974 when she participated in an annual programme in France. In June 1979, convinced with the AFS Mission, she decided to start

the AFS Reconquista Local Chapter.

Since then, she has been an active volunteer. She has been Host Mum of four young students who chose Argentina for their exchange year. They are Vittorio Depaulis

(Italy), Benoit Arlandis (France), Paula Müller (Germany) and Öykü Oral (Turkey).

In 2010, she received the Award to the Volunteer Experience. The Award also meant an active participation of the recipient in the EFIL* Volunteer Summer Summit 2010 held in

Hungary.

Taking advantage of her visit to the Old Continent, Marilena visited her exchange children. In this picture we see her with her Italian son, Vittorio, who shares the bike-riding

passion with her. In the picture, they are enjoying some mates and visiting Pisa (Italy). They stopped to take a picture opposite the Bell Tower of Pisa’s Cathedral, commonly known as

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the most representative architectural

monuments of the city of Pisa.

*EFIL (European Federation for Intercultural Learning unites all the AFS from European Countries).

The AFS Mate from Pisa (Italy)

Vittorio & Maria Elena in Pisa

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

AFS Reconquista ContactsJosé Manuel Buyatti 1544-4471 María Elena Landi 421350 Claudia Lanteri 424507Sergio Sanchez 1545-7527

E-mail: rl.reconquista@afs.org.ar www.afs.org.ar

AFS RL RECONQUISTA