BABEL

Belgian Associations around the WorldBelgium is the country with the largest number of clubs and associations per person in the world! Belgians abroad reproduce this habit everywhere they go and create Belgian associations.
Send us the description of your local association. Last Revision: September 10, 1998.

`North America`
	Canada
	The Belgian Canadian Association of British Columbia is located in Vancouver and organizes activities all year round. The newsletter of the association is the ...
	The Belgian Club of St Boniface, Manitoba. is the oldest in Canada. Read about the early years
	In Toronto, there is the Belgo-Canadian Association Inc. Mrs. Yvonne Kennedy, President, 121 Chillery Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario M1K 4T5 Phone (416) 261-4603 or Mr. Roger Debacker, Vice-President 204 Glow Avenue Hamilton, Ontario, L8H 3W5 Phone (905) 549-1522.
	For doing business in Toronto, Join the Belgian Canadian Business association. It regroups Belgians living in the Greater Toronto area. It has corporate sponsors such as Solvay, Interbrew, Air Canada, Janssen. Belgian Canadian Business association Box 25, Commerce Court West Toronto, Ontario M5L 1A9 Phone: (416) 863-2472 Fax : (416) 863-2653 President: Marc Brisack Visit the official site of the Belgian Canadian Business Association, the Belgian Cyber Community created by
	U S A
	The Belgian Club of Florida is located in Fort Lauderdale If you'd like to join it, please contact (oorspronkelijk-van-Kruibeke) Jef Verhelst
	Read the from the Belgians of Motown and around. Belgian Publishing Co. Inc., Gazette van Detroit 18740 - 13 Mile Road Roseville, Michigan, USA 48066
	After one year in existence, the San Diego Belgian Club already has 70 families who are members. `Ms Anny M Wright 4560 Sea Bluff Circle Carlsbad, CA 92008 Phone (619) 720-1693`
	Belgica, the Belgian Club of Stanford organizes events all year round and present a list of Belgian students.
	The Belgian Club of Northern California in Palo Alto. The Webmaster is Etienne Finet
	Washington, D.C., has 3 associations reflecting the new federal reality or federealism of Belgium. VIW - Washington Flanders Club Flemish-speaking Mr. Thomas Verheye, representative 10 Sangamore Court Bethesda, MD 20816-2509 Please mail inquiries to the WFC-Secretariat: Mr. Patrick Hinderdael 2108 Elliot Avenue McLean, VA 22102 Phone (703) 534-8661 Union Francophone des Belges à l'étranger French-speaking Mr. Didier J. Heiremans, representative 1443 S Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Phone (202) 332-1658 Belgian American Association English-speaking B.Gen Louis Van Rafelgem (retired), President 9516 Emory Grove Road Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Phone (301) 977-9897
	CHICAGO The oldest, and by far the most popular Belgian association in the Chicago metropolitan area is the Belgian-American Club of Chicago, which has been in existence since 1917, went through some tough years in the 70s and 80s (..aging and dwindling membership, out-of state retirements, very few new immigrants,...), but has witnessed a great revival the last few years. The Club is associated with Vlamingen in de Wereld, and meetings are held in both Dutch and English. Membership costs $30.00 per year per family. Contact: `Belgian-American Club of Chicago - Vlamingen in de Wereld". President: Bart Ryckbosch, 2343 W. Montrose, Chicago, IL 60618, (773)583-7540` Also in Chicago, is the Belgian Club of Chicago, which started as the "Chicago Belgian Club" a few years ago, and mainly is geared towards French speaking Belgians . To join them contact Belgian Club of Chicago,
	In beautiful Puget Sound, Washington State, you'll discover Belgians by the Club français of Kitsap County. Their motto is "IMPOSSIBLE N'EST PAS FRANÇAIS". The founder is Marie-Anne Steele.
	If you want to form a Belgian association in Denver, Colorado, please contact Dori & Perry Van Watermeulen or Koen and Kristi Bas
	In Houston, the Belgian Association for Immigrants, Residents & Expatriates (B.O.I.R.E.) Founded 1989 in Houston by Stan Krupa & Jacques Bouchez Contact: J.P. Bex Phone: 713 626-8586
`South America`
	Peru
	The Belgo-Club in Peru gathers Belgian Family from all communities. The goal of the association is to 1/ meet between belgians 2/ promote activities 3/ help newcomers to settle. 4/ supply information 5/ create a "media center" with CD, video tapes, books, comics, magazines, newspapers, ...) allowing Belgian to keep up with their culture. 6/ Maintain a newsletter, including a website 7/ Promote products, service, and know-how of Belgium as well as Belgian living in Peru. Contact Guy Vanackeren BELGO-CLUB Avenida Mariscal La Mar, 144 Lima 18 (Miraflores) Peru. Tel/fax: 51-1-447.96.85
`Europe`
	U.K.
	The Oxford Belgian Society at the University of Oxford. The association organises activities, drawing attention to the Belgian gastronomy, culture and history. Membership of the association is not only open to Belgians, but also to interested foreigners. `Ruben Lombaert St-Hugh's College, OX2 6LE, U.K.` It can be reached most easily through accessing the server of Oxford University, then choosing, in the following order, "students","students societies", "national interest groups", "Belgian Society".
`ASIA`
	Thailand
	The Belgian Club of Thailand is very active and counts about 90 families. Its mission is to be a home away from home. If you move to Thailand, they can assist them in settling there. Read Kramiek, their newsletter. `Contact Peter Decorte with "attn. Peter Decorte" in subject field President Belgian Club of Thailand`
	Singapore
	The BLAS The Belgian-Luxembourg Association of Singapore was founded in 1983 by Guy Robbe (Sabena), Philippe Seron (Generale de Banque) and Chris Maryssael (Tractebel). Today, the secretary of the BLAS is Arlette Vanderlinden. Visit the BLAS site by Guy Vanderlinden. The BLAS organises every month a meeting. The one which is very popular, the monthly "Belgian Café" is held each month at a different members place. Guests are welcome. It works like a café, you drink, you pay. Only Belgian beer is served! The Association also organises typical Belgian dinners. A top hit is the BLASS Mussel evening. The Mussels are actually flown in from Belgium, the day before, all this, with the famous BLAS fries, prepared by a Belgian chef. Attendance ± 150 persons...!
`Middle East`
	U.A.E.
	If you live / work in the region and like to meet other belgians, join BEL, the Belgians in the Emirates Link. Contact Peter Bekaert Peter is an anesthesist operating in El Ain.
`South Pacific`
	Australia
	Belgian Aussies if you want to create a club in Perth, Australia, contact Christian H. Maryssael . In the region, there is a small community of about 50 Belgians (including kids, cats, dogs and kangaroos) plus a certain number of Australians with strong relation (commercial or other) with Belgium Christian H. Maryssael 11/2 Aberdare Road Shenton Park WA 6008 Australia Tel +(61-9) 382 3719
	The Belgian Circle of VICTORIA (AUSTRALIA) is an 100% Belgian Club with members of the 3 communities. It is a social club that organizes barbecues and outings in restaurants. The most important activities are The DINNER- at the National Day (July 21) and Santa Klaus for the kids. `Contact: Ms Jacqueline JOSEFSKI 19 SIXTH Av BURWOOD 3125 Victoria Tel:(03)98084741 or Paul Zangalis`
	The Belgian Club of North-Sydney `Contact: Alain Verheyden & Hilde Wuyts (married, both Belgians) P.O. Box 1938 North-Sydney NSW 2059 AUSTRALIA Alain Verheyden & Hilde Wuyts`
`AFRICA`
	South Africa
	In Cape Town, Belgians meet at the `BELGICA Club P.O. Box 2714 7129 Somerset West Tel (Président): +27-21-5110114 Fax (Président): +27-21-5111841` Visit also the homepage of Jacques Vandenschrik, Belgian honorary Consul of Port Elizabeth and dog breeder.
	Zaïre
	Many Belgians lived and worked in Zaïre. They make up the informal community of the Veterans of Zaïre. The project, here, is to create a virtual meeting of this diaspora. Send us a note.
	Peter Bekaert would like to get in touch with the Class 75 of the Belgian School of Likasi, Shaba. He wants to organize a big party in Belgium in the year 2000.
`Belgians Abroad`
	UFBE One of the mandates of the L' Union Francophone des Belges a l'Etranger) is to provide social and fiscal support to Belgians abroad. Meet the UFBE delegates Didier J. Heiremans in Washington, U.S.A. Piet Bekaert in El Ain, United Arab Emirates.
	Vlamingen in de Wereld. has many members around the world. The New York Chapter PACWEST The California Chapter