This communication was founded in the United Kingdom under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. This was to be a meeting point of the Commonwealth countries. Its good work spread to the United States and soon the rest of the world and acquired an international image. The President of the Union is H R H Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair, is the Vice-President.

The ESU pursues its aims of international understanding through educational exchanges. It organises educational interchanges of young people and adults to study in each others countries. Conferences on current affairs and on the culture of different countries, ensures the participation of its sponsored visitors and scholars in the traditional aspect of the country visited.

The Pune India branch of the English Speaking Union was established about 25 years ago. S L Kirloskar put forward the idea and his wife Yamutai Kirloskar, became the Founder President. In 1982, the president handed over charge to Dilip Borawake who is also one of the founder members. Today, the ESU has 160 life members and 50 student members. These members are selected from all walks of life. There are an equal number of men and women members from the academics, the civil services, the allied services, business and arts.

Several global conferences of the ESU are held all over the world. The International Cultural Seminar is held at Cambridge in the month of March. Discussions are held on studies in European art, literature and music of a particular period using the English language as the medium. This year Sister Monica Joseph, Principal, St. Joseph's High School for Girls, was representing Pune.

The International Public Speaking competition is held in London in the month of May. Students between the age of 16-20 years participate. Last year the theme was ``All the Worlds' a Stage.'' Revati Borawake and Monica Bhatia represented Pune.

The International Summer Conference on current affairs is held annually in Oxford in July. The World Members Conference is held once in three years and this year it will be held in Australia.

In the last 17 years, at least one member from the Pune chapter has made up the two-member team that is selected to participate in these international conferences. What is more, they have been winning accolades and have put Pune on the world map.

Besides all these prescribed activities, the Pune chapter under the able guidance of Dilip Borawake, a noted agriculturist and agro-industrialist and Social worker, aims to promote and encourage education taken as a whole. This includes historical, cultural, literacy, artistic, economic, constitutional, diplomatic and social development. Also, visiting professorships are organised so as to make possible an exchange of ideas through talks and celebrating the national days of various countries.

The latest development in the Union has been in the field of business. Through the ESU, Pune is now connected to the International Business link that helps businessmen to expand beyond the borders of their homeland.

The English Speaking Union with its independent, non-political, and non-sectarian base has only one goal - developing a global friendship and understanding - we, the people in our own way are chalking out an agenda for peace, away from political battles.