Esperanto Friends

Lech Walesa (Lehx Vau'enza), pola gvidanto, inter Esperantistoj.

2012-01-24T13:30:00.001-08:00

Pop Jazz Song about Love and Esperanto

2012-01-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.metrolyrics.com/copernicus-lyrics-basia.html

I discovered the song while browsing books at Colony Music Books Store in Manhattan. Copernicus talks of the goodness of the Polish people, seeking change and LOVE. "One Created Esperanto", our L.L. Zamenhof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIZc9FRUFo8

Zamenhof Esperanto Memorials-Objects World-wide

2011-12-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is a modest sampling of streets named after L.L.Zamenhoff or Esperanto. A decade ago a paper book on the subject was published. There were over a thousand Zamenhoff-Esperanto Objects or ZEO's. If you click on the city link you will see the picture of the street sign, monument or building.

http://horizonte.free.fr/esperanto/zeo-oj/zeo-oj.html

In Hungary some 210 streets and monuments are named after a 100 leading hungarian Esperanto-speakers. In many cases the monument or street sign will be bilingual

http://w3.hdsnet.hu/eszperanto/zeo-hu/eszperanto-zeo-hu.htm

Henri Masson built the following slide-show:

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/32119/album/240793/show

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/32119/album/240

Photo of the popular Dizengoff Circle, Tel Aviv from where Zamenhof St. radiates.

http://www.israelimages.com/see_image_details.php?idi=19378

This picture is probably from the early years of its existence (1930's)

http://www.jpost.com/Business/RealEstate/Article.aspx?id=248694

An article about the neighborhood around Zamenhof St., Tel Aviv, Israel. I commented there.

La artikolo cxefe traktas la valorajn domojn/maklerajxon de la strato sed ankau' priskribas la laboron de L.L.Zamenhof.

Paulo Coelho and Irina Bokova on Endangered Languages.

2011-11-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-XozG0RSCo&feature=player_embedded

I got the transcription for Paolo Coelho and Irina Bokova from a Unesco official. Here is the original and the Esperanto translation.

Irina Bokova

Linguistic diversity is under threat. More than half of the seven thousands languages spoken in the world may die out over the next few generations. This loss not only erodes individual communities and cultures but more broadly the very make up of our societies.

LINGVA DIVERSECO ESTAS SUB MINACO. PLI OL DUONO DE LA SEP MIL LINGVOJ PAROLATAJ EN LA MONDO HODIAU' EBLE ESTINGIGXOS DUM LA VENONTAJ GENERACIOJ. TIU-CXI PERDO ERODOS INDIVUAJN KOMUNUMOJN KAJ KULTUROJN SED PLI LARGXE LA VERAN ENGREDIENTOJN DE NIAJ SOCIOJ.

Coelho

From the moment when human being was capable of sharing their feelings everything has changed. We see today most of these languages disappearing. We have one bridge left – and this bridge is called “culture”.

DE LA MOMENTO KIAM LA HOMO ESTIS KAPABLA DIVIDI SIAJN SENTOJN CXIO SXANGXIGXIS. NI VIDAS HODIAU' KE LA PLIPARTO DE TIUJ LINGVOJ MALAPERAS. NI HAVAS UNU RESTANTAN PONTON, TIU CXI PONTO NOMIGXAS "KULTURO".

Bokova

Children who start off learning to read and write in their mother tongue do better in school. Literacy programs in mother languages bring learners to self-confidence they need to participate in their communities and make informed choices.

INFANOJ KIUJ KOMENCAS LERNI LEGI KAJ SKRIBI EN SIA PATRINA LINGVO FARAS PLI BONE EN LA LERNEJO. ALFABETIG-PROGRAMOJ EN LA PATRINA LINGVO PORTAS AL LERNANTOJ PLI DA MEM-FIDO, KION ILI BEZONAS PARTOPRENI EN SIA KOMUNUMOJ KAJ FARI PLI INFORMITAJN ELEKTOJN.

(in Bulgarian) Less than a quarter of all languages in the world are used in education and in cyber space. This is why we have to assist governments in both safeguarding linguistic diversity and promoting multilingual competencies.

(EN LA BULGARA) MALPLI OL KVARONO DE LA LINGVOJ EN LA MONDO ESTAS UZATAJ EN EDUKADO KAJ CIBERNETIKA SPACO. TIAL NI DEVAS
ASISTI REGISTAROJN EN AMBAU' SEKURIGI LINGVAN DIVERSECON KAJ PROMOTI MULTLINGVAJN KOMPETENTECOJN.

Coelho

As a writer, I know importance of a language. Let’s fight to keep these languages alive.

KIEL AU'TORO, MI SCIAS LA GRAVECON DE LINGVO. NI LUKTU GARDI TIUJN LINGVOJN VIVANTAJN.

Vjetnama ambasadoro cxe UNO akceptas kopion de The Life of Zamenhof, lastatempa traduko anglen pri Zamenhof. La originalo estas de Aleksander Korzhenkov.

2011-11-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Neil received an invitation to meet the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs from the deputy-ambassador after informing the deputy ambassador about the World Esperanto Convention in Hanoi this coming summer .In the picture, Neil just gave, as a gift, the new English translation of Alexander Korjxenkov's book on Zamenhof to the ambassador. Neil was among a hundred people to come to the inauguration of the New York City Vietnamese Consulate--adjacent to the UN Mission Offices on Sunday, September 25th, 2011.

51. English Comedian Discusses Esperanto at UN

2011-11-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Comedian, documentarian, Stephen Fry mentions Esperanto in his recent show "Planet Word" (links below), at first as something idealistic. At the end of the program he asks a UN translator/interpreter, Zaha Bustemi, if the world would be a better place if everybody were to speak Esperanto (He didn't say "only" Esperanto.) The translator responds. "Nooo---it is the beauty of languages, every language has its own beauty, its own music" and " it would be a great loss if all languages didn't exist". This is of course the opposite of the intention of most Esperanto speakers. Sadly, the tranlator is probably middle eastern, probably perpetuating the weak Esperanto movement in Arab countries in particular and negatively influencing the spread of Esperanto in Islamic countries generally. As a side-bar it may be noted that Fry is an openly gay secular Jew.

Fry menciis Esperanton. Unue kiel idealisma ideo... Je la fino de la programo, li demandas al tradukistino de la UN se la mondo estus pli bone se chiuj parolu Esperanto... La tradukistino respondas: "Neee! estas beleco en lingvoj, ĉiu lingvo havas sian propran belecon, propran muzikon" kaj "estos granda perdo se tiu lingvoj ne ekzistus!"

Mi vidis la tutan horan programon, rekomendas gxin ekster tiu lasta komento pri Esperanto. Mi aldonas precizajn minutoj de interesaj partoj. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2P6DcSyon4&feature=player_detailpage#t=570s Por elsxuti la programo Planet Word: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AS7VXCDN Por vidi rete: http://www.putlocker.com/file/8847BA37BC6314D2 http://www.megavideo.com/?v=MKBMYH21

Mi korespondis kelk-foje kun la asocia produktorino/enscenigistino, Annie Macnee, antau' jaro kaj antau' monato, originale cxar sxi sugestis pretecon intervjui novjorkajn esperantistojn por la programo. Tiu ne realigxis. Mi petis gxisdatigon pri mencioj de Esperanto, sed sxi ne certis antau' monato.

I corresponded a few times with the documentary producer, Annie Macnee, a year ago and month before writing this letter (in September?). Annie had considered interviewing New York Esperanto speakers but that couldn't happen. Recently I requested updates from her but she still didn't have information at her writing a month before my writing this.

Mi skribis al sxi antau' kelkaj minutoj denove pri tiu-cxi/nia diskuto. Kelkaj aktivaj esperantistoj ankau' havis kontaktojn kun sxi.

Mi sugestas ke ni disvastigu la precizajn minutojn de la traktitaj temoj de intereso de pluraj esperantistoj:

56:30-gxis la fino la esprimoj de la interpretistino.
55:00 Pri UNO lingva politiko
38:40-42:39 Pri plan-lingvoj/Klingon
43:00-49:00 Internacieco de gesto-lingvoj
49:00-55:00 La indo-europa familio de lingvoj

11-23-11

I wrote this a few weeks ago and distrubuted it to a few Yahoo groups:

Since I recently had contacts with several translators/interpreters (French dep.) at the UN this past Thursday and believe that I will eventually speak with the translator, Zaha Bustemi from the T.V. program, "Planet Word", I wanted to analyse better the words of the interviewer, Stephen Fry, a minute before and after the misrepresentation of Esperanto in front of possibly milions of people.

Cxar mi sukcese havis kontaktojn kun pluraj tradukistoj/interpretistoj (franca fako) cxe UNO (pasint-jaud'e) kaj mi kredas ke mi devas eventuale paroli kun la tradukistino, Zaha Bustemi, en televida programo "Planet Word" (Planedo-Vorto)

mi volis analizi pli bone la vortojn de la intervjuanto, Stephen Fry, minuton antau' kaj post la misreprezento de Esperanto antau' eble milionoj da homoj.

Mi prezentas la anglan dialogon pli detale cxi-tie kaj eventuale volas akiri tradukon/mem traduki gxin. Cxar ili parolis iom rapide kun akcento/akcxento (ne mia usona) mi eble devis au'skulti 30 fojojn la celatajn frazojn.

(Inter malmultaj // brakoj // mi aldonas klarigajn vortojn)

Minuto. 54:53

(Post 2 minutoj pri infan-lernado de patrino-lingvoj)

Somechildren do not stop learning one language... and there are plenty of other languages to choose from.

(Stephen Fry, enirante UNO-n)

There are currently 194 member states belonging to the United Nations with over 6,000 languages spoken in them.

Maybe many of our species troubles could be avoided if we understood each other better? Would having one world language--be it Esperanto, English or to be utterly neutral and positively perverse--Klingon, even be an advantage?

Perhaps in World Forums like here in the UN Security Council, which is currently in session discussing the Libyan Crisis it would.

But then it would also put /translator's like/ Zaha Bustemi out of a job.

Stephen Fry: How many working languages are there?

Zaha Bustemi: Two: English and French

S. F. Ony two...I see. And then there are the official languages?

Z. B. Six of them

S. F. Only Six!

Z. B The official language are English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic, which is the most recent addition to the official languages.

S. F. "Zaha..it's rather wonderful watching you translate simultaneously..it seems to us like a...extraordinary..like a conductor able to read a music score..its an incredible thing that a human brain can do. I look down here //while in a UN tranlating booth// it's almost like a living symbol of the Tower of Babel...of the fact that mankind split into so many languages.

Stephen Fry: Do you sometimes think of...//that// the world would be better if everybody spoke Esperanto?

Zaha: 56:57

//Emotionally speaking//

No...there is a beauty to languages... every language has it's own beauty, its own music, it's own imagery, it's way of expressing the sentiments and the nature of the people who speak that language...it would be a loss if that language did not exist // and if everybody spoke Esperanto //

Oh...I'm very much in favor of the Tower of Babel.

//Malrapida klasika muziko au'digxas//

Stephen Fry paroladistas/narrates.

This building where the General Assembly of the United Nations meets perhaps symbolizes more than any other what happened to humankind after Babel:

Thousands of voices upraised in different mutually different, mutually incomprehensible tongues trying to comprehend to understand eachother, trying to build some kind of peace after the wreckage //li ridas iom moke al historio// of the 20th century. Well they sought to solve their problem by reducing all those lanugages to the 6 working languages of the UN in that way people do understand eachother. They understand how they think.. perhaps how they communicate a little bit of the history of each other.

Languages do so much more than that. Languages, in many respects define our identity.. who we are. And that's what I'll be looking at in our next time.

From Kenya to Israel, Ireland to Occitan, New Castle to (Brownsville (ne klare au'debla loko) I'll be looking how our 6,000 plus languges and myriad ---(actions--ne-klara vorto) are threatened with extinction as our global village becomes a reality.

Ni ne volas ataki la dialogantoj--ni konsideras ecx- inviti ilin al nia decembra programo.

Viaj opinioj estas bonvenaj.

Sincere, Nijl Blonstein
http://www.esperanto-un.org/

50.Summer-4 Country-Northern European Tour 2011

2011-08-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

1. I only had one phone E-o contact in Hamburg (July 15th to 19th), where I arrive on July 15th.

2. In Copenhagen I began my Esperanto activitiy with a International League of Esperanto Teacher's (ILEI) Dinner. Heads of the Copenhagen University (where the conference occured) were met. Professors Tove Skutnabb-Kangas and Robert Phillipson were also greeted. (They are notable advocates of linguistic diversity.) About 40 Esperantists were present at the Ravelin Restaurant with the strongest rain beating on the roof making conversation a bit difficult.

A two-day multilingual program (for non-esperantists) was attended, organized by ILEI. Translation or interpretation was usually available.

3. During the Universala Kongreso I collaborated with Humphrey Tonkin at 4 events. a) The Club Fair on Saturday. b) Lecture on the essential bodies with the UN. c) Lecture on Esperanto at the UN where I spoke for 10 minutes. d) Esperantic Studies Foundation lecture with Martin Schaefer. At several of these events I was able to better aquaint myself with Stefano Keller, UEA Director for External Affairs, and with whom I've corresponded with a few dozen times.

Regretably I missed a program on the translation of the Tivadar Soros book. (Elsewhere, I wore a t-shirt, just made to order, with the group photo of the Zamenhof Symposium 2010 twice during the UK, a cause for a few conversations. George and Jonathan Soros are in the picture.).

After the UK I was hosted by esperantists, Jan and Lene Niemann in Elsinore (Helsinore). Jan is a leading member of the International Federation of Esperantist Railroadworkers. I returned to Copenhagen to enjoy a service at the Unitarian Church of Copenhagen with Esperantists, Arne Kasper and Tara Gregors, important organizers of the UK. The nearby cemetary spoke many words when I saw the tomb-stone with a green Esperanto star stating "Magarete Noll, Mother of the Danish Esperanto Movement". With no doubt the founder of the Danish Esperanto movement was also a Unitarian. We'll enjoy photos of this forgotton history. One of the UK conference rooms was named Noll for this founder.

4. In Gothenburg, Sweden (Goteborg-pronounced Jo-te-bu-re in Swedish written in Esperanto) a meeting occured on my behalf at the Esperanto Cafe, a few feet from the large Esperanto Place (one of the largest in the world). The Esperanto flag and that of a dozen other countries stands at the entrance). Language clubs meet there and take the flag of the respective country to there table. The Esperanto Plaza was renovated in 2008 and its glass signs in Esperanto are damaged due to crazed skate boarding which occurs in numerous plazas.

Thanks to Margareta for joining me two days.
Inga Johanson and Siv Burell were the main organizers. I could talk about the UN and Esperanto among several subject during a two hour meeting.

Inga (pronounced Inja in Swedish as written in Esperanto) is a librarian and collected some 300 E-o books at the main public library where she has worked. Because of renovations and her future retirement, this collection is at notable risk.
The library-computer time she offered me was essential in organizing the last 10 day days of my program.

5. Douglas Draper is the motor of the Norwegian Esperanto Association and the Esperanto Office in Oslo, Norway. A half an hour walk, or 15 minutes by bus or tram, this office can accept 20 people for meetings. It was aquired-purchase- in 1981 and had more numerous meetings in previous years. Thoughts for rental arrangement have been considered. As noted in a UN-NY teleconference, like Humphrey Tonkin, Douglas is an expatriate of Britain, base abroad for most of his life. Douglas has given great dedication to learning Norwegian and brought me to a Green Party meeting at a nearby communtiy garden/communty center--by bike.

Six local Esperantists, several immigrants among them, came to hear me talk about my activities in New York at the UN. I showed several enlarged pictures of meeting with UN leaders.

6. In Olso, Norway two conferences were collaboratively organized by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and International Liason Committe of Freethinkers (ILCAF). On Wednesday ILCAF brought a hundred people together from over a dozen countries, with a French majority. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday 400 more people arrived from a total of 50 countries. Unique contacts occured with Indians, Pakistanis and Africans of several countries. ILCAF's website is partially in Esperanto, among 14 other languages. I was informed that Christian Riviere, President of ATEO (atheist Esperantist organization) provide translations.

I photographed the extensive damage to windows in about 5 square blocks of downtown Oslo by an indivdiual who later killed some 70 teenage activists of the Norwegian Labor (Workers) Party. Windows of our Convention Center were also damaged. This tragedy was referred to in several talks at the convention.

Half of the 500 IHEU conference-goers were Norwegians. Fortunately I had ample flyers on Esperanto in Norwegian, provided by Douglas.

When I brought out the large plastic Esperanto sign on Wednesday, a French 18 year old youth, Alex Meyer approached me in enthusiastic Esperanto, pointing out that he rarely used Esperanto outside of his small town on the French Swiss border. He was a friend of Mireille Grosjean, an active Esperantist of Switzerland--sometimes UN representative in Geneva. He said he met another Esperantist already at ILCAF and at lunch introduced me with Dominique Simeone, whose name I heard, and mistakenly thought was a women.

Of some note, Alex was with a group of some 10 younger participants, who undoubtedly heard of Esperanto from him.

Later at the headquarter of Norwegian branch of IHEU I met up with Jose Antonio Vergara, (a former UEA director) where we took a photo with Knut, the head librarian there and a New Yorker of Sri Lankan background and interests, Hemantha.

Speakers of the convention noted that the IHEU buildings in Oslo, Norway and Manhattan, New York (Ethical Culture) are by far the largest offices/centers of the organization.

I set up a larger exhibit of Esperanto materials on Friday, including photos taped to a nearby column of me with Ban Ki-moon and Michelle Bachelet (UN Women) seen by all 500 participants, but discussed individually by about 125 of the participants with me, Jose and Dominique. Since peace and religious tolerance, with acceptance of atheists was key to the discussions I showed literature from a variety of religions and the Esperanto atheist organization.

I estimate that I exchanged some 40 business cards, notably with Sonja, a Dutch organizer who enthusiasticaly agreed to utilize an Esperanto translation of the conference resolutions/conclusions.

I returned to the USA on August 15th with notable jet-lag.

On, Wednesday, August 18th, after a visit to the UEA/NY a teleconference was held with 5 activists, including myself, motivating me to complete this summary of my summer travels to Europe.

49. History of UEA/New York Office Volunteers

2011-06-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

While Rochelle Grossman was the power behind the UEA/New York Office for several decades, there was a time that several people volunteered at the office at 777 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan, each week for a few hours a week or a few days weekly. A notebook called "Volantulaj Kontribuoj- 27 Oct '83-8 Feb. '92" was in the office when I took over August 2008.

Many of the volunteers were active in the Esperanto Society of New York, so I knew them personally. Some are unknown to me. It seems that most of these people never got involved with computers, so this may be the first, if any, documentation on-line of the energy behind the office during the 80's and 90's. Since I came to the office about once a year before 2008, I didn't know so many people regularly came until browsing this notebook.

Known personally to Neil

1. Julius Manson and Elizabeth Manson were a husband and wife team dedicated to Esperanto. Throughout the 1980's they were regulars at the office, several days a week. Like several other active Esperanto speakers they lived in Stuyvesant Town, across the street from where I was born (Beth Israel Hospital). I bumped into Julius a few months before he passed away (a year after his wife), held his arm and slowly walked an hour, just one block with him, near his apartment. He had a cane to assist him. Recently I discovered that Elizabeth's sister was the famous urban planner, Jane Jacobs.

2. Leonid Dzelzitis was known for teaching Esperanto for a number of years at Stuyvesant High School, Adult Education Center. He was an immigrant from a Baltic State. He came a distance (Tarreytown?, New York) to be active for Esperanto, once or twice a week for several years.

3. Lydia Tabor, an immigrant from Poland, came into the UEA office about once a week for several years. She returned to Poland. She gave me (and a Turkish Esperantist, Semra) some furniture when planning to return to Poland. I believe she told me that it was important for her husband to die in Poland. If memory serves me, a portrait of her husband in Polish military garb (pre-communist?) was on the wall. I saw her husband but never got to know him. Lydia was famous for her joviality, her Esperanto-sing-alongs and her support of Servas, where she also volunteered on John St., Manhattan. I was one of the last people to visit the John St. office (which relocated to California), mentioning her, when I joined for one year, a few years back.

4. Nancy Medrano, who at some time was the only paid secretary of the office for a year ( in this time frame, according to conversation with Jim, her husband--probably shortly before I returned from Israel in 1987) visited occasionally, according to the notebook. Nancy, with her husband, Jim, were/are good friends of mine and the motor of the Esperanto Society of New York for over a decade. Jim both edited our paper newsletter, Prismo, and taught our language at Stuyvesant for some years. I hope to revive regular contact with them soon. Jim and Nancy hosted dozens of foreign Esperanto travelers, perhaps until about the year 2000. Their children, Emily and Beka are now 8th gr. highschool and 2nd year college students.

5. Renata Kaczmarska was a new immigrant from Poland (early 1990's) when she volunteered a few times at the office. In recent years she has been helpful as an employee of Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations.

Unknown (personally) to Neil

1. Doris Haim came regulary for several years, once or twice a week.

2. Gerson came occasionally, a few times a month. Could this be Margot Gerson? In the 1950's to early 1970's there was an Esperanto Information Center, headed by Margot, at 156 Fifth Ave, Manhattan. I was among the last people to visit that office (at its doorway), when trying to get my first information on Esperanto in the early 1970's. When Margot Gerson passed away a few years ago, her daughter, Claudia, gave the club a few hundred new and old Esperanto books. (Her daughter used her (native?) skills in German for professional purposes (Lufthansa?).

3. Victor Lopez (several times in May-June 1987)

4. Sharon Bourke came a few times.

5. A. Ried came a few times.

6. In 1984-1985 Neelu Dhoe and M. Tata came seperately a few times.

7. In 1984 John C. Cunningham and Fatima Schoebi came seperately a few times.

8. I. Itzenberger volunteered, i.a. for a conference, a few times in 1984.

9. Irving Shanker came a few times in 1984.

48. GREENS FOR ESPERANTO/PROGRESSIVES

2011-06-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

GREENS AND PROGRESSIVES FOR THE EASY AND JUST SECOND LANGUAGE

ESPERANTO

http://www.labourstart.org/eo/ Multilingual Workers' Site (Esperanto version).

http://www.youtube.com/user/Verduloj Esperanto Green Party videos.

http://www.satesperanto.org/What-is-SAT.html Esperantist Workers' Movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_(Ireland)

(Green Party of Ireland: founded by Christopher Fettes and other leading Esperanto advocates in Ireland).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fettes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1ire_Mullarney

(Maire Mullarney, Irish member of Parliament for the Green Party and author of several books on Esperanto)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Green_Esperantists

http://lingvo.org/ Progressive principals in many languages of Universal Esperanto Association.

http://lesverts.fr/article.php3?id_article=645&var_recherche=Esperanto Esperanto Commission of the Green Party of France (Les verts).

http://eo.mondediplo.com/ Esperanto version of a multilingual progressive site.

http://bemi.free.fr/en.htm Esperanto-bicyclists for practical and environmental goals.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/teva/ World Vegetarian Esperanto Assocation for environmentalism and humane treatment of animals.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-07-27/news/8907272655_1_greenpeace-trident-uss-tennessee
A Greenpeace ship is named “Mond-civitano”, world-citizen in Esperanto.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtpQPIZsXFk Bona Espero School, orphanage and garden in rural Brazil, 200 miles from the Brasilia, founded by Esperantists and teaches it regularly.

http://www.esperanto-un.org/ Advocacy for the United Nations in the Esperanto Community/UEA

http://en.lernu.net/ Free on-line self-instruction of Esperanto used by about 120,000 people.

Contact Neil Blonstein neil_nachum@yahoo.com 777 UN Plaza 212 687 7041
All these links are at http://www.esperantofriends.blogspot.com/

47. The Holocaust and Esperanto

2011-05-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Many UN memorials occur on the Holocaust and other genocides. Here is an attempt for a flyer on Esperanto at such events. It can and will be improved.

THE HOLOCAUST AND ESPERANTO

Charlie Chaplin predicted the Holocaust in The Great Dictator. In the film, signage in the Jewish Ghetto is in Esperanto:
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=PW6fmy0zz_4

http://www.fondumozamenhof.org/index.html
http://donh.best.vwh.net/Esperanto/Literaturo/Recenzoj/dangxera_lingvo.html
http://gxirafo.blogspot.com/2007/03/esperanto-holocaust-museum-holokasto.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._L._Zamenhof#Work_on_Yiddish_language_and_Jewish_issues
http://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kategorio:Familio_Zamenhof
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8159082.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Bia%C5%82ystok
http://www.espero.bialystok.pl/pl/article,24,9,1.html
http://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bialystok

On the 12th of April, 2011, in a New York festivity, the republication of the English translation of the Esperanto piece, Masquerade, of Tivadar Soros (father of George) was launched. This literary work deals with the successful survival of the Soros Family in Budapest during the systemic persecution and killing of Hungarian Jews by the hands of the Nazis in the final years of the Second World War.

This party, in the home of the financier, George Soros, son of Tivadar, brought together groups of outstanding intellectuals of the region; among others were the head editor of the New York Review of Books, representatives of the New York Times, several literary talents, and the known television commentarian, Bill Moyers. Specialists on Esperanto, Prof. Esther Schor and author Arika Okrent were present.

Tivadar Soros. Masquerade: The Incredible True Story of How George Soros’ Father Outsmarted the Gestapo. New York: Arcade Publishing. 2011. 275pĝ.
Tivadar Soros. Crusoes in Siberia and The Fairest Judgment. New York: Mondial. 2010. 31+93pĝ.

http://www.esperanto-un.org/ http://www.esperantofriends.blogspot.com/ http://www.esperanto-nyc.org/

NY OFFICE 777 UN PLAZA-CHURCH CENTER
212 687 7041

Comment not in flyer:
In 1974 I met Miryam Ginz during several hours. She was the mother of Petr Ginz. She was kind and motherly to me, a young Esperantist bicyling Israel. http://www.petrginz.com/
Sekve de la programo cxe UNO oni malkovris ke Petr Ginz, filo de cxeh-israelaj esperantistoj, skribis au'tobiografion. Filmo estas jam disvastigata cxe UNO kaj ankau' libro sekvos.
http://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/filmseries.shtml
Petr Ginz estis filo de konataj israelaj/denaskaj cxehaj esperantistoj. Jam UNO kunlaboras en disvastigo de materialoj pri la vivo de Ginz.

Mi korespondis samteme, ecx samtempe kun Petro Chrdle kaj Miroslav Malovec.

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme

46.World Conferences 1905-2010 Group Photos

2011-04-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

http://blogo21.blogspot.com/2011/04/universalaj-kongresoj-de-esperanto-1905.html

45. Charlie Chaplin and Esperanto/GREAT DICTATOR

2011-03-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to Chaplin's The Great Dictator with most of the Esperanto street signs/ words subtitled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6fmy0zz_4&feature=related There are Esperanto clarifications about Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator at the following link: http://filmoj.net/la-diktatoro Jen Esperanto klarigoj pri la filmo. Lau'dire ankau' estas parto de la filmo kun subskribajxoj. Mi rigardis por la unua fojo la filmon La Granda Diktatoro de Charlie Chaplin (pli ol horo kaj duono). Gxi estas granda morala (amika al judoj) filmo kaj uzas Esperanton. La parto en la getao (kie la judoj versxajne scias Esperanton) estas videbla per la reto. Mi aldonis komenton (malsupre) lastatempe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nGRhLKDI6k

Please note the usage of Esperanto in signage: C'ambroj (rooms) Malnovaj Vestaj'oj (old clothes), Fruktoj kaj Legumoj (Fruits and Vegetables). And near the barber shop is Lipharoj Tonditaj (mustaches cut). Others are Paper-vendisto (paper seller) and Bakisto (baker). Later in the movie you have Pharmacy in Yiddish/Hebrew letters.

Koment from Jose Vergara: Chaplina filmo "La granda diktatoto" ( http://www.esperanto-sat.info/article464.html). Jen la koncerna parto: "La vivo povas esti libera kaj bela, sed ni perdis la vojon. Avideco venenis la homan koron, per malamo barikadis la mondon, puŝis nin al mizero kaj sangoverŝado. Ni krekigis rapidecon sed enfermis nin mem en maŝinaro kiu donas abundon sed kiu lasas nin nekontentaj Nia scio igis nin cinikaj, nian spiriton malfacila kaj nebonkora. Tro multe ni pensas, tro malmulte ni sentas. Pli ol maŝinaro ni bezonas homecon. Pli ol inteligenteco, ni bezonas bonkorecon kaj afablecon. Sen tiuj kvalitoj, vivo fariĝos violenta kaj ĉio estos perdita. Aviado kaj radio pliproksimigis nin. La naturo mem de tiuj inventaĵoj vokas al homa boneco, vokas al universala frateco, al la unueco de ĉiuj el ni"

44. James Fallows on George Soros

2011-01-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

A year ago during the Google Doodle Green Flag, the famous journalist James Fallows, returned to write about Esperanto, after writing a longer article at the Atlantic Monthly Magazine decades earlier. At the Zamenhof Symposium, 2010, George Soros and his son Jonathan participated. Here are James reviews of a Soros book. It would be nice if we could get both their attentions by translating to Esperanto and maybe another language, simultaneously, Jame's reviews of Soros' books? It doesn't seem impossible, but I think I'm lacking time.

http://www.mailstar.net/soros2.html

I included James Fallows article a year ago. Two years ago I also found this interview for a Chinese themed blog where Esperanto is mentioned:

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2008/05/27/James-Fallows-at-the-Bookworm-tonight

He indirectly mentions Psychiatrist Dr. James E. Lieberman, former president of ELNA/Esperanto-USA, one of Fallows earlier Esperanto contacts.

2010-12-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

43. Social Networking Services

2010-11-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

Until a year ago, at a lecture at the UN, I thought that Facebook and Myspace were the only two competing Social Networking Services on-line. Then I learned that language and region is still dividing the usage of Computer Social Networking Services. I discovered through Esperanto that Ipernity is quite popular among Esperanto speakers, so I'm now checking my Ipernity and Facebook accounts on a daily basis. I admire the ample photos and movies on Ipernity but I seem need to learn more how to use it best to expand my circle of Esperanto friends. http://www.ipernity.com/ A leading Iranian Esperantist, Reza, has over a thousand friends, perhaps all Esperanto-speakers. I thought it unfortunate that the list of Social Networking Services on Wikipedia did not include Ipernity. Perhaps I'll edit that--with some luck--I'm a novice at Wikipedia. Here is the list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites Since this list also includes Couchsurfing and Hospitality Club, I was wondering if Pasporta Servo (http://www.pasportaservo.org/) will also qualify?

42.Missing: Asian Pop-singers in USA/Why? Asian opinions on Esperanto.

2010-10-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

I have been proud of the presence of Asians from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and recently from Mongolia (Asian Conference, 2010) participating in the Esperanto movement. More and more (Ron Glossup/Casquero) people tell me Esperanto requires a few years of formal study. I have noted that Asians ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American ) in the United States now comprise a significant minority (5.2% nation-wide/much more in major cities), most notably in small businesses and in popular ethnic enclaves--I ate out at Chinese restaurants monthly with my parents as a pre-teen. They seem to also be lacking in the public eye. Recently two asians were elected to political offices, which they never held before, in New York City-- they are still underrepresented in politics. The first Asian now represents China Town of New York City! I sing--and sang, largely non-professionally, and note a near zero percent participation of Asian Americans in the pop-music genre. Today, for the first time, I browsed a few articles and opinions on-line on the subject and few people, if any, consider what I think: there is a cultural and linguistic divide. In the future I wish to examine theses two words: What aspect of the Asian culture would discourage them from singing? How different are western pop-singers from those in Asia? The most common response is I DON'T KNOW WHY. Sad. Most of my readers will know that Asian languages tend to differ from English more than most European languages. It stands out that many Asians are third generation Americans, very visible in my neighborhood, the Village, close to New York University, so the question is even more pronounced for Asians whose grandparents immigrated to the U.S. Below it is discussed in the New York Times article from 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/world/americas/04iht-singer.4787848.html Lau' rekomendo de Henri Masson. El retejo de Renato kaj Anna. (www.bonalingvo.org sub rekontruo?) Nijl Opinioj de azianoj pri Esperanto El La Bona Lingvo Iri al: navigado, serĉi reiru al Tutmondeca Esperanto: artikoloj La unua teksto estas mesaĝo de Germain Pirlot, kiu klarigas la ekeston de la dua teksto. Mesaĝo de Germain Pirlot de: Germain Pirlot gepir.apro ĉe pandora punto be dato: Friday, February 27, 2009 8:24 AM temo: Esperanto - Opinioj de azianoj Estimataj, Post deklaro de belga universitata profesoro kiu skribis en gazeto, ke Esperanto estas tro europeca por azianoj, mi turnis min al la UEA-delegitoj de Chinio, Hinda Unio, Indonezio, Irano, Japanio, Koreio, Mongolio, Nepalo, Pakistano kaj Vjetnamio por demandi ilin tiurilate. Kelkaj afable reagis; ilin mi tutkore dankegas ! Iliajn respondojn, kun traduko en la franca, mi sendis informcele al tiu profesoro. Temas pri 10-pagha dokumento, kiun plezure mi havigos al vi ... se tio interesas vin. Kompreneble vi rajtos uzi ghin lauplache, ekzemple por alilingva traduko. Inter la respondoj legeblas i.a. rimarko, kiun europaj esperantistoj devus bonege pripensi : "Esperanto certe estas ne nur europeca sed ankau europisma lau la opinioj de multaj miaj studentoj, kiuj provis lerni esperanton de mi....Ni lernis Esperanton char tiu lingvo estas pli facila ol la angla. Sed la esperantistoj kreas malfacilan esperanton en paroloj kaj skriboj timigante novajn lernantojn ". Estas bedaurinda realeco : tro ofte europaj esperantistoj fanfaronas pri la "facileco" de Esperanto, sed, char ili ne komprenis la veran spiriton de la lingvo, au char ili ne kapablas pensi internacie, ili " egoisme " plimalfaciligas la lingvon per sennecesaj vortoj. Rezonante nur "nacie" - eble ech "vilaghe" - ili aldonas novajn vortojn cherpitajn el sia propra lingvo, sen neniel pensi pri la aziaj "samideanoj". Sekve oni trovas en Esperanto "francajn" vortojn kiel "animalo" (fr. animal ) por " besto ", "debuti" (fr. débuter ) por " eki ", "hida" (fr. hideŭ ) por " malbelega ", "descendi" (fr. descendre ) por " malsupreniri " , "femalo" (fr. femelle ) por "ino, ina " k.s. ... au anglajn vortojn kiel "olda" (an. old ) por " maljuna ", "chipa" (an. cheap ) por " nekosta, nekostega ", "liva" (an. left, leave) por "maldekstra " k.s. Kiam Esperanto estos tiom malfacila ol la angla, azianoj ne plu havos kialon por eklerni ghin, sed por ellerni la anglan, kiu mondskale estas vole nevole multe pli disvastigita ol la "internacia lingvo de D-ro Zamenhof"! Neniam ni forgesu ke la chefcelo de Esperanto estas ighi "interkomprenilo" inter homoj el diversaj lingvoj, el diversaj kulturoj. Ni, europanoj, devus klopodi - lau mi - multe pli pensi "internacie" kaj ne trudi egoisme al alikontinentanoj sennecese vortojn cherpitajn el niaj europaj "lingvegoj" por nia propra facileco. Kore via, Germain PIRLOT L’ESPERANTO SERAIT-IL TROP EUROPEEN POUR LES ASIATIQUES ? Opinions des intéressés eŭ-mêmes ĈU ESPERANTO ESTUS TRO EŬROPECA POR AZIANOJ? Atestoj de la koncernatoj Germain Pirlot Steenbakkersstraat 21 BE-8400 Oostende, Eŭropa Unio gepir.apro.@.pandora.be Il arrive régulièrement que certaines personnes affirment que l’espéranto ne conviendrait pas pour les Asiatiques, vu que cette langue serait trop « européenne » pour eŭ. Je n’ai nullement l’intention de polémiquer à ce propos, d’autant plus que je ne suis pas compétent en la matière. Tout au plus pourrais-je suggérer de consulter le site multilingue d’un spécialiste dans ce domaine < http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Piron >. D’origine belge, Claude Piron a d’abord étudié l’espéranto comme première langue étrangère avant de travailler au siège de l’ONU à New York où, pendant quelques années, il fut traducteur-correcteur vers le français à partir de l’anglais, du chinois, de l’espagnol et du russe. Il enseigna par la suite à l’université de Genève. J’ai pensé qu’il serait sans doute opportun de poser la question aŭ intéressés eŭ-mêmes, à ces Asiatiques, pour qui le choix d’un « moyen d’intercompréhension international » se limite généralement à une seule alternative : l’English à la sauce britannique ou l’English à la sauce étatsunienne ! Voyez ci-après quelques réactions – en espéranto avec une traduction littérale - que je vous livre sans commentaires. Regule iuj personoj certigas ke Esperanto ne taŭgus por azianoj, pro la fakto ke tiu lingvo estus tro « eŭropa ». Neniel mi intencas polemiki tiurilate, des pli ke mi ne estas kompetenta pri tio. Mi nur povus sugesti konsulti la plurlingvan paĝaron de specialisto http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Piron >. Belgdevena Claude Piron lernis Esperanton kiel unuan fremdlingvon antaŭ ol labori dum pluraj jaroj ĉe UNo en Novjorko kiel tradukisto-korektisto al la franca el la angla, ĉina, hispana kaj rusa. Poste li instruis en la universitato de Ĝenevo. Mi pensis ke endus demandi tiurilate la koncernatajn personojn mem, t.e. la azianoj, por kiuj la elekto de « internacia interkompreniĝilo » ĝenerale limiĝas je ununura alternativo : la English laŭ brita modo aŭ la English laŭ usona modo. Vidu ĉi-poste kelkajn reagojn – en Esperanto kun laŭvorta traduko – sen iuj ajn komentoj. février / februaro 2009 : Bill Mak - linguiste / lingvisto, Japon / Japanio : Mi estas lingvisto nun verkante mian doktoran tezon ĉe Kiota Universitato. La koncepto de Azio estas tre problema. Ĉar inter azianoj ekzistas tiom da diferencoj, eĉ multe pli ol inter eŭropanoj. Cetere, inter dekoj da aziaj lingvoj, eble nur en la korea kaj en la japana [r] kaj [l] estas alofonaj variaĵoj de la sama fonemo. La kantona ĉina estas mia denaska lingvo. Mi neniam konfuziĝas inter [r] kaj [l]. Tia antaŭjuĝo estas mita. Je suis linguiste et je prépare une thèse de doctorat à l'Université de Kyoto. Le concept Asie est problématique, car il existe tellement de différences entre les Asiatiques, davantage même qu'entre les Européens. Par ailleurs, parmi des dizaines de langues asiatiques, il n'y a peut-être qu'en coréen et qu'en japonais que [r] et [l] sont des variantes allophones d'un même phonème. Le chinois cantonnais est ma langue native. Je n'ai jamais fait de confusion entre [r] et [l]. Ce préjugé est un mythe. La realeco estas jena: inter aziaj popoloj mankas komuneco. Se temas pri lingvo, praktike la angla estas la nuna solvo kiu interalie ne tiom bone funkcias. Sed ideale Esperanto estas pli bona solvo, ĉu teorie ĉu praktike. Se oni elpensas ian absolute logikan kaj neŭtralan lingvon kiel la "filozofa lingvo" de John Wilkins en la 17a jarcento, neniu povos lerni ĝin pro la malfacileco. La réalité est la suivante : il manque une communauté entre les peuples "asiatiques". S'il s'agit de la langue, l'anglais est pratiquement la solution actuelle qui, d'ailleurs, ne fonctionne pas tellement bien. Mais l'espéranto est idéalement une meilleure solution, théoriquement et pratiquement. Si l'on envisageait une langue absolument logique et neutre, comme la "langue philosophique" de John Wilkins au 17e siècle, personne ne pourrait l'étudier à cause de sa difficulté. Vidu mian artikoleton antaŭnelongan / Voyez mon récent article : http://www.ipernity.com/blog/billmak/120344 Shaozhong Liu - professeur universitaire/ universitata profesoro, Chine / Ĉinio : Estas ega problemo, tamen mi ne pensas ke ĉiuj azianoj havas malfacilaĵojn por prononci [l] kaj [r]. C'est un problème important; cependant je ne pense pas que tous les Asiatiques aient des difficultés pour prononcer [l] et [r]. Han Zuwu - enseignant de langues étrangères / instruisto pri fremdlingvoj, Chine / Ĉinio : Mi neimageble renkontas la problemon, kiun vi skribis al mi, pri la lernado de Esperanto. Ĉiuj scias, ke Esperanto estas plej facila inter ĉiuj lingvoj en la mondo. Kompreneble mi lernas Esperanton pli multe facile ol la angla lingvo. Mi prononcas literojn [l] kaj [r] facile kaj senprobleme. De façon inimaginable je rencontre le problème que vous me décrivez à propos de l'étude de l'espéranto. Tous savent que l'espéranto est la plus facile de toutes les langues dans le monde. Evidemment j'étudie l'espéranto beaucoup plus rapidement que l'anglais. Je prononce les lettres [l] et [r] facilement et sans problème. Hoshida Acushi - ingénieur retraité / emerita inĝeniero , Japon / Japanio : Ĉu Azianoj renkontas pli da problemoj por lerni Esperanton ol por lerni la anglan? Tute ne, laŭ mia sperto. Esperanto estas multe pli facila ol la angla por lerni. En kelkaj lingvoj, ekz. la japana, la korea, kaj multaj oceaniaj (polineziaj) lingvoj mankas distingo inter [l] kaj [r], do junaj lernantoj sentas malfacilon por prononci anglajn vortojn en lernejoj. Sed tio estas preskaŭ sama ankaŭ ĉe Esperanto. La distingo de [l] kaj [r] en Esperanto estas multe pli klara (do facila) ol en la angla, al mi ŝajnas. Les Asiatiques rencontrent-ils davantage de problèmes pour étudier l'espéranto que pour apprendre l'anglais? Pas du tout, selon mon expérience. L'espéranto est beaucoup plus facile à étudier. Dans quelques langues, par exemple en japonais, en coréen, et dans plusieurs langues océaniennes (polynésiennes), il n'y a pas de distinction entre [l] et [r]; de jeunes étudiants éprouvent donc une difficulté à prononcer des mots anglais dans les écoles. Mais c'est aussi presque le même pour l'espéranto. Il me semble que la distinction entre [l] et [r] est beaucoup plus claire (donc plus facile) en espéranto qu'en anglais. Ranga - médecin-professeur dans un collège de médecine traditionnelle / kuracisto-instruisto en kolegio de tradicia medicino, Inde / Hinda Unio : Esperanto certe estas ne nur eŭropeca sed ankaŭ eŭropisma laŭ la opinioj de multaj miaj studentoj, kiuj provis lerni Esperanton de mi. Mi loĝas en suda Barato, kie oni parolas dravidajn lingvojn, kiuj malsimilas al hind-eŭropaj lingvoj de norda barato. Niaj lingvoj havas verbon en la fino de la frazo. Selon l'opinion de plusieurs de mes étudiants, qui ont essayé de l'étudier avec moi, l'espéranto n'est pas seulement une langue européenne, mais aussi européaniste. J'habite dans le sud de l'Inde, où l'on parle des langues dravidiennes, différentes des langues indo-européennes du nord de l'Inde. Nos langues ont le verbe à la fin de la phrase. Por ni estas malfacile prononci [c , ĵ, z]. Eble por japanoj estas malfacile prononci [l] kaj [r] sed ne ĉe ni. Por esplori la veron oni devas renkonti tiun kiu lernis Esperanton rekte per iu barata lingvo sen la fona scio en la angla. Mi pensas ke ĉiu esperantisto en Barato scipovas iom da aŭ ian anglan. Barataj lingvoj ne havas sonon [f]. Mi opinias ke oni ankaŭ ŝanĝu la ortografion de Esperanto por esti tute internacia. Il est difficile pour nous de prononcer les [c, ĵ, z]. ( « c » se prononce « ts » comme dans «tsunami » -« ĵ » se prononce « j » comme dans «jeudi » ). Peut-être est-il difficile pour des Japonais de prononcer [l] et [r], mais pas chez nous. Pour rechercher la vérité, l'on devrait rencontrer quelqu'un qui a étudié directement l'espéranto via une langue indienne, sans avoir une base d'anglais. Je pense que tout espérantiste en Inde connaît plus ou moins l'anglais. Des langues indiennes n'ont pas le son [f]. Je pense que l'on devrait changer l'orthographe de l'espéranto pour être tout à fait international. Ni lernis Esperanton ĉar tiu lingvo estas pli facila ol la angla. Sed la esperantistoj kreas malfacilan Esperanton en paroloj kaj skriboj timigante novajn lernantojn. Nous avons étudié l'espéranto parce que cette langue est plus facile que l'anglais. Mais les espérantistes créent un espéranto difficile, oral et écrit, qui intimide de nouveaŭ étudiants. Lee Hyun Hee - commerçant / komercisto , Corée du Sud / Sud-Koreio : Laŭ mia opinio Esperanto ne havas problemon por azianoj, precipe por Japanoj. Estas iom malfacile distingi prononcon [r] kaj [l], tamen tio estas problemo de kutimiĝo. Mia amiko Harada Tsukuru (Japano) tre perfekte prononcas ilin, ĉar li multe faris penadon por ĝuste prononci tiun literojn. Kompreneble por koreoj tute ne estas problemo pri prononco. Laŭ mia opinio, Esperanto vere devas fariĝi komuna lingvo por homaro krom siaj naciaj lingvoj. A mon avis l’espéranto n’est pas un problème pour des Asiatiques, principalement pour des Japonais. Il y a une certaine difficulté à faire une distinction dans la prononciation de [r] et de [l] ; c’est cependant une question d’habitude. Mon ami Harada Tsukuru (Japonais) les prononce à la perfection, car il a fait des efforts pour bien prononcer ces lettres. Evidemment pour des Coréens il n’y a pas du tout de problème de prononciation. Selon mon opinion, l’espéranto doit vraiment devenir une langue commune pour l’humanité en plus des langues nationales. Probal Dasgupta - enseignant universitaire de linguistique / universitata instruisto pri lingvistiko, Inde / Hinda Unio : Mi trovas Esperanton la plej facile lernebla lingvo por azianoj el inter la kandidatoj por la statuso de internacia lingvo. Je trouve que, parmi les langues candidates au statut de langue internationale, l'espéranto est la langue la plus facile à étudier. Hamzeh Shafiee - ingénieur en télécommunication / inĝeniero pri telekomunikado, Iran / Irano : Por ni irananoj, mi neniam aŭdis pri problemo en prononcado de literoj [l] kaj [r]. Ambaŭ literoj ekzistas ankaŭ en persa alfabeto. Lernado kaj uzado de Esperanto estas ege pli facila ol ĉiuj aliaj lingvoj de la mondo. La nura problemeto en prononcado de Esperanto inter irananoj estas [c]; sed eĉ tio estas facile prononcata post iom da praktiko. Pour nous, Iraniens, je n'ai jamais entendu parler de problèmes dans la prononciation des lettres [l] et [r]; ces deŭ lettres existent dans l'alphabet perse. L'apprentissage et l'emploi de l'espéranto est beaucoup plus facile que ceŭ de toutes les autres langues du monde. Le seul petit problème pour des Iraniens est la prononciation en espéranto de la lettre [c] (prononcée « ts » comme dans « tsar»); mais même cette lettre peut être facilement prononcée avec un peu de pratique. Somekawa Takatosi - enseignant / instruisto, Japon / Japanio : Jes, prononco de [l] kaj [r] estas malfacila por ni, japanoj. Facileco aŭ malfacileco de prononco estas grava afero, troviĝas aliaj aferoj koncerne lingvon, mi pensas. Oui, la prononciation de [l] et [r] est difficile pour nous, Japonais. La facilité ou la difficulté de prononciation est une chose grave, mais je pense qu'il y a d'autres affaires en ce qui concerne une langue. Tahira Masako - Japon / Japanio : Jes, ĝenerale japanoj malfacile prononcas ne nur[l] kaj [r] sed ankaŭ [ĝ], [ĵ], [f]kaj [v]; tio dependas de individuoj. Por mi [l] kaj [r] facile distingeblas, sed [ĝ] kaj [ĵ] malfacile. Feliĉe, hazarde, por japanoj la vokaloj de Esperanto [a, e, i, o,u] tute samas al la japanaj vokaloj, dum koreoj kaj ĉinoj havas pli multe da vokaloj malfacile prononceblaj. Sed por japanoj estas alia problemo. Japana lingvo ne havas memstarajn konsonantojn escepte de [n]. Tial al konsonanto akompanas vokalo, ekzemple: "estas" emas prononciĝi al "esutasu", "lernanto" al "lerunanto", "frukto" al "furukuto", "adreso" al "adoreso", ktp. Inverse mankas [u], ĉar la japana [u] estas malforte aŭ preskaŭ ne prononcata, ekzemple: "okupita" al "okpita", "instruisto" al "instristo", "februaro" al "febraro" ktp. Eĉ mikso de eraroj okazas, ekzemple: "studento" al "sutdento", "industrio" al "indsuturio" ktp. Sed la malfacileco de Esperanto por azianoj ne devenas simple de prononco, sed ĉefe de fremdaj vortoj kaj gramatikaĵoj. Malgraŭ ĉio Esperanto estas multe pli facila ol la angla lingvo por azianoj. Oui, généralement les Japonais prononcent difficilement non seulement [l] et [r], mais aussi [ĝ], [ĵ], [f] et [v] ; cela dépend des individus. Pour moi, je distingue facilement [l] et [r], mais plus difficilement [ĝ] et [ĵ] (« ĝ » se prononce « dj » comme dans « adjoint » ; « ĵ » se prononce « j » comme dans « juin »). Heureusement, par hasard, pour les Japonais les voyelles de l'espéranto [a, e, i, o, u] (« u » se prononce « ou ») sont tout à fait semblables aŭ voyelles japonaises, alors que les Coréens et les Chinois ont beaucoup plus de voyelles difficilement prononçables. Mais pour les Japonais il y a un autre problème. La langue japonaise n'a pas de consonnes indépendantes, à l'exception de [n]. C'est ainsi qu'une consonne accompagne une voyelle, par exemple : "estas" a tendance à être prononcé "esutasu", "lernanto" comme "lerunanto", "frukto" comme "furukuto", "adreso" comme "adoreso", etc. A l'inverse il manque [u], car le japonais [u] est peu voire presque pas prononcé, par exemple : "okupita" comme "okpita", "instruisto" comme "instristo", "februaro" comme "febraro". Il y a même des mélanges d'erreurs, par exemple : "studento" devient "sutdento", "industrio" "indsuturio", etc. Mais la difficulté de l'espéranto pour des Asiatiques ne réside pas seulement dans la prononciation, mais principalement dans les mots étrangers et les points grammaticaŭ. Malgré tout l'espéranto est beaucoup plus facile que l'anglais pour des Asiatiques. Aikawa Sekuto - technicien médical retraité / emerita medicina teknikisto, Japon / Japanio : (a ) Pri prononco japanlingvanoj malfacile distingas [r] kaj [l], sed koreoj facile prononcas tiujn du sonojn. Aziaj nacioj estas multe pli diversaj ol eŭropaj nacioj. Ni japanlingvanoj malfacile prononcas [r] kaj [l], sed tio okazas ne nur en Esperanto, sed ankaŭ en lernado de la angla, franca, germana... Tio do ne estas problemo sole de Esperanto. (b) Pri gramatiko kaj vortordo la japana lingvo kaj la ĉina lingvo havas tute malsamajn gramatikojn kaj vort-ordojn. Kaj ambaŭ lingvoj gramatike malsamas ol la eŭropaj lingvoj. Esperanto do pli malfacilas por azianoj ol por eŭropanoj. Tamen la naciaj lingvoj, ekzemple la angla, multe pli malfacilas ol Esperanto ankaŭ por ni. Esperanto ne estas absolute neŭtrala por azianoj, sed kiel internacia lingvo ĝi estas pli justa solvo ol la angla. En ce qui concerne la prononciation les Japonais font difficilement la distinction entre [r] et [l], mais les Coréens prononcent plus facilement ces sons. Les nations asiatiques sont beaucoup plus différentes que les nations européennes. Nous, Japonais, prononçons difficilement [r] et [l], mais ce n'est pas seulement le cas avec l'espéranto; c'est aussi la même chose pour l'étude de l'anglais, du français, de l'allemand ... Cela n'est donc pas seulement un problème lié à l'espéranto. En ce qui concerne la grammaire et l'ordre des mots, ils sont tout à fait différents que dans la langue japonaise et la langue chinoise. Ces deŭ langues sont grammaticalement différentes des langues européennes. L'espéranto est donc plus difficile pour des Asiatiques que pour des Européens. Cependant, les langues nationales, comme par exemple l'anglais, sont aussi pour nous de loin plus difficiles que l'espéranto. L'espéranto n'est absolument pas neutre pour des Asiatiques, mais comme langue internationale il est plus équitable que l'anglais. Firdaus Shukurov - enseignant universitaire de mathématique et d’informatique / universitata instruisto pri matematiko kaj informadiko, Tadjikistan / Taghikio : Lernado de Esperanto estis por mi la plej facila afero. Mi havas neniun problemon pri literoj [l] kaj [r]. Tiuj homoj, kiuj kritikas Esperanton, similas al tiuj, kiuj kritikis Pasternak kaj Solzhenicyn, ne leginte iliajn verkojn. Mi parolas la anglan kaj la germanan, sed Esperanto estas la plej bona kaj bela. Bedaŭrinde la politikistoj estas kontraŭ Esperanto. Ili volas, ke la angla disvastiĝu kaj ke granda parto de la homaro liveru tempon por ĉi tiu lingvo L'étude de l'espéranto est pour moi la plus facile des choses. Je n'ai aucun problème avec les lettres [l] et[r]. Ces personnes qui critiquent l'espéranto ressemblent à celles qui critiquaient Pasternak et Soljenitsyne, mais qui n'avaient pas lu leurs oeuvres. Je parle l'anglais et l'allemand, mais l'espéranto est meilleur et plus beau. Malheureusement les politiciens sont contre l'espéranto; ils veulent que l'anglais se répande et qu'une grande partie de l'humanité consacre du temps à cette langue. Liu Baoguo - enseignant / instruisto , Chine / Ĉinio : Verdire, mi ankaŭ opinias, ke Esperanto estas iomete tro eŭropeca, ĉar en Esperanto troviĝas ege malmultaj aziaj terminoj. Tamen, kompare kun la angla lingvo, Esperanto estas multe pli facile lernebla. Multaj ĉinoj lernis la anglan pli ol dek jarojn kaj ne povas bone uzi ĝin. En norda Ĉinio, oni povas facile prononci la literon [l], tamen en suda Ĉinio, oni malfacile diferencigas la literojn [l] kaj [n]. En ĉina lingvo ne troviĝas la litero [r] ; multaj ĉinoj ne povas facile prononci ĝin. Tamen post ekzercado, multaj povas pli facile prononci ĝin. Mi kaj mia frato povas bone prononci la literon [r]. A vrai dire, je crois aussi que l'espéranto est un peu trop européen, car en espéranto il y a très peu de termes asiatiques. Cependant, comparé à l'anglais, l'espéranto est beaucoup plus facile à étudier. De nombreŭ Chinois ont étudié l'anglais plus de dix ans et ils sont incapables de bien l'utiliser. Dans le nord de la Chine, on prononce plus facilement la lettre [l] ; cependant, dans le sud, on fait difficilement la différence entre les lettres [l] et [n]. Dans la langue chinoise l'on ne trouve pas la lettre [r] ; de nombreŭ Chinois ne peuvent pas la prononcer facilement. Toutefois après un entraînement, ils sont nombreŭ à la prononcer plus facilement. Mon frère et moi pouvons bien prononcer la lettre [r]. Simin Emrani - enseignante / instruistino, Iran / Irano : Por perslingvanoj prononcado de esperantaj literoj estas tre flua, simpla kaj nenia problemo ekziztas. Sed menciindas ke ankaŭ francoj ne povas la literon [r] ĝuste prononci. Laŭ la plej lastaj esploroj pri lingvolerno estas indikita : « Oni per praktikado povos solvi la naciajn prononc-kutimojn ». Pour des personnes de langue perse la prononciation des lettres de l'espéranto est très fluide, simple, et il n'existe aucun problème. Mais il faut aussi mentionner que des Français également ne prononcent pas correctement la lettre [r]. Selon les recherches les plus récentes sur l'enseignement des langues, « l'on peut par la pratique résoudre les habitudes des prononciations nationales ». Eruda Li - Chine / Ĉinio : Mi estas ino kaj mi eklernis Esperanton ekde la 15-a jaro. Por mi ĝi ja estas la plej facile lernebla lingvo. Post kelkjara lernado , kiam mi vizitis Varsovion por la Universala Kongreso（en la jaro 1987). La Pola Radio intervjuis min, kaj dissendis la programon tutmonde. Poste. mi informiĝis, ke la Pola Radio ricevis multajn leterojn de diverslandaj esperantistoj, kiuj diris ke " la knabino parolas tiel bele , klare kaj flue nian lingvon Esperanton, ke ŝi povas esti la modelo por ni okcidentanoj... Fakte. ne nur mi, sed ankaŭ la plej multo el ĉinaj Esperanto-parolantoj povas klare kaj bone prononci ne nur [l] kaj [r], sed ankaŭ " iujn literojn" . Mi ankauŭ kantas esperante; jam mi havis plurfojan propran Esperanto- koncerton en diversaj landoj . La Radioj Pekino kaj Polonia ofte dissendas miajn Esperanto-kantojn al la tuta mondo. Mi neniam aŭdis plendojn, ke mi ne bone prononcis [l] kaj [r]. Je suis une femme et j'ai commencé à étudier l'espéranto dès l'âge de 15 ans. Pour moi c'est certainement la plus facile des langues à étudier. Après quelques années, lorsque j'ai participé au congrès universel de Varsovie (en 1987), la radio polonaise m'a interviewée et a diffusé le programme dans le monde. Par la suite, j'ai appris que cette radio avait reçu de nombreuses lettres d'espérantistes de divers pays, disant que "la demoiselle parle si bien, si clairement et si couramment l'espéranto, qu'elle pouvait être un modèle pour nous Occidentaŭ". En fait, pas seulement moi, mais aussi la majorité des Chinois parlant l'espéranto peuvent prononcer clairement et correctement, non seulement [l] et [r], mais aussi d'autres lettres. Je chante également en espéranto; j'ai déjà donné plusieurs fois mon propre concert en espéranto dans divers pays. Souvent Radio Pékin et Radio Polonia diffusent à travers le monde mes chansons en espéranto. Je n'ai jamais entendu de plaintes quant à une mauvaise prononciation de [l] et de [r]. (Quotidiennement ces deŭ stations de radio émettent en espéranto : Radio Pékin http://esperanto.cri.cn/ ; Radio Polonia : http://www.polskieradio.pl/eo/ ). Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan - professeur retraité de français et d'anglais / emerita instruistino pri la franca kaj la angla, Vietnam / Vietnamio : En mia lando grandaĝaj intelektuloj povoscias la francan lingvon. De antaŭ kelkdekoj da jaroj, la angla lingvo estas la ĉefa fremda lingvo instruata en lernejoj kaj universitatoj. La franca, ĉina kaj rusa lingvoj estas ankaŭ instruataj, sed nur en malmultaj lernejoj en grandaj urboj. Aliaj lingvoj, nome la araba, germana, hispana, itala, japana kaj korea estas instruataj en kelkaj universitatoj de fremdaj lingvoj. La lernado de iu ajn fremda lingvo necesigas minimuman kapablecon. La vjetnamoj, kiuj estas kapablaj pri la franca aŭ la angla lingvoj ankaŭ kapablas pri Esperanto. Tiuj, kiuj povoscias neniun fremdan lingvon, povas lerni Esperanton, sed kun malfaciloj konsistantaj ĉefe en prononco kaj sintakso. Estas do malfacile por ili plialtigi sian lingvo-nivelon, kaj iuj estas eternaj komencantoj. La miskompreno pri la internacia lingvo ankaŭ ekzistas en Vjetnamio. Dans mon pays, les intellectuels fort âgés savent le français. Depuis quelques dizaines d'années l'anglais est la langue principalement enseignée dans les écoles et dans les universités. Le français, le chinois et le russe sont également enseignés, mais seulement dans peu d'écoles des grandes villes. D'autres langues, comme l'arabe, l'allemand, l'espagnol, le japonais et le coréen sont enseignées dans quelques universités des langues étrangères. L'étude de n'importe quelle langue étrangère requiert un minimum d'aptitude. Les Vietnamiens qui en ont pour le français et l'anglais, en ont aussi pour l'espéranto. Ceŭ qui ne peuvent étudier aucune langue étrangère, peuvent étudier l'espéranto, mais avec des difficultés, principalement pour la prononciation et la syntaxe. Ils éprouvent donc des difficultés pour élever leur niveau linguistique, et ils sont d'éternels débutants. La méprise à propos de la langue internationale existe aussi au Vietnam. Kimura Goro - assistant universitaire / universitata vicprofesoro, Japon / Japanio La ĉiama demando...Jen (parto de) mia vidpunkto: Certe eŭropanoj havas relativan avantaĝon je lernado de esperantaj vortradikoj. Sed Esperanto fakte allogis ankaŭ azianojn. Ne pro sia lingva neŭtraleco (tio ja fakte ne eblas), sed pro tio ke ĝi ne estas ligita politike kaj identece al definita denaskularo, popolo aŭ lando. En tiu punkto Esperanto havas unikan valoron, certe ankaŭ por azianoj. L'éternelle question ... Voici (partiellement) mon point de vue. Des Européens ont certainement un avantage relatif dans l'étude des racines de l'espéranto. Mais en fait l'espéranto a séduit aussi des Asiatiques. Non pour sa neutralité linguistique (en réalité cela n'est pas possible), mais vu le fait qu'il n'est lié ni politiquement, ni identitairement à une ethnie définie, à un peuple ou à un pays. De ce point de vue l'espéranto a une valeur unique, certainement aussi pour des Asiatiques. Miajn opiniojn pri tiu demando por esperantistoj skribis en "La Ondo de Esperanto" n-ro 127, 13: Sur cette question j'ai écrit mes opinions pour des espérantistes dans "La Ondo de Esperanto" (la vague de l'espéranto) n° 127, 13 - - Esperanto: ĉu nur por Eŭropo? /L'espéranto : seulement pour l'Europe? http://www.esperanto.org/Ondo/Eb/127-eb.htm#Eb37-05 kaj /et - Ĉu eblas deeŭropigi Esperanton? / Est-il possible de déseuropéaniser l'espéranto? http://www.bonalingvo.it/index.php/Orienta_Esperanto :_KIMURA_Goro_Christ Navin Shesta – Népal / Nepalo : Por ni en Nepalo ne estas malfacile prononci [l] kaj [r]. Eble por ĉinlingvaj parolantoj. Pour nous, au Népal, il n’est pas difficile de prononcer [l] et [r]. Peut-être pour les locuteurs chinois. +++++++++++ Opinion d’une européenne / Opinio de eŭropanino : Mireille Grosjean - enseignante retraitée / emerita instruistino, Suisse / Svislando : Mi estas en Japanio por ses monatoj kaj mi observas la jenon. Japanoj penas prononci malsame [l] kaj [r], [v] kaj [b], [f] kaj [h] . Ili ankaŭ penas prononci [u], ĉar ĝi malaperas en la japana same kiel nia [e] en fina pozicio. Ili kutimas erari parolante sen artikolo kaj sen subjekto. Samaj malfacilaĵoj estas por ili en la angla. Plie japanoj havas multnombrajn malfacilaĵojn lernante la prononcon de la angla. Ili devas lerni meti prepoziciojn antaŭ la nomo, en la japana ili estas post la nomo. La vortvico en la japana estas tute alia ol en Esperanto kaj en la angla. Krome ili devas lerni ĉiujn vortojn, ne povas diveni "tablo, manĝi" ktp...kiel franclingvanoj. Japanoj diris al mi, ke ili pli rapide lernas Esperanton, ĉar en ĝi ili lernas "ĉevalo" kaj povas senprobleme konstrui "ĉevalino, ĉevalido, ĉevalejo ....Sed en la angla, ili devas lerni ĉiujn vortojn tiajn. Japanoj konas "Kyoto no eki": eki= stacidomo. no = de Stacidomo de Kyoto ; sed la vortvico estas mala. En la angla ekzistas sama vortvico kiel en la japana, tamen sen prepozicio. Alia pli bona ekzemplo: "basu no noriba". "Basu" = buso; "noriba" = haltejo. Bushaltejo = "basu no noriba". Je suis au Japon pour six mois et voici ce que j’ai observé. Les Japonais s’efforcent de prononcer différemment [l] et [r], [v] et [b], [f] et [h]. Ils s’efforcent aussi de prononcer [u] (prononcé « ou »), car il devient muet en japonais à la façon de notre [e] final. Ils ont pour habitude de parler erronément en omettant l’article et le pronom. Ce sont pour eŭ les mêmes difficultés que pour l’anglais. Par ailleurs les Japonais éprouvent de nombreuses difficultés en apprenant la prononciation de l’anglais. Ils doivent apprendre à mettre les prépositions devant le substantif, qui se trouvent derrière en japonais. L’ordre des mots en japonais est tout à fait différent qu’en espéranto ou qu’en anglais. Par ailleurs ils doivent apprendre tous les mots, et ils ne peuvent deviner le sens de « tablo », « manĝhi » (prononcé « mandji »), etc. comme les francophones. Les Japonais m’ont dit qu’ils étudient plus rapidement l’espéranto car, dans cette langue, lorsqu’ils étudient « ĉevalo » (prononcé « tchévalo » ), ils peuvent construire sans problème « ĉevalino » (jument), « ĉevalido » (poulain), « ĉevalejo » (écurie) … Mais en anglais ils doivent étudier tous ces mots. Les Japonais connaissent « Kyoto no eki » (eki / gare ; no / de – gare de Tokyo), mais l’ordre des mots est différent. En anglais il existe le même ordre qu’en japonais, mais sans préposition. Un meilleur exemple : « basu no noriba » / halte de bus ( basu / bus ; noriba / halte).

41. Esperanto Outreach/Eksteraj Rilatoj/Nobel/Google

2010-10-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Under Construction-feedback welcome.
I am looking for the right headline/titleline for a single mailing to all my non-esperanto-speaking friends and contacts.

In the long run it must be more individual for convincing sceptical intellectuals and dignitaries that Esperanto is the right answer for an eternal problem.

Here's some ideas.

Nobel Prize for Esperanto?/Google Celebrates.
or
Nobel P & Esperanto/Google Celebrates
or
Nobel Peace/Esperanto/Google
or
Nob. Peace Prize/Esperanto/Google Campaign for Esperanto
or
Nobel Peace/Esperanto/Google Doodle for Esperanto

I would like to include the number of Esperanto speakers/advocates who have received a Nobel Prize and some details on the 3 nominations of Esperanto/UEA for the Noble Peace Prize by Polish, Swiss and British parliamentarians. Brian Barkers blog www.Esperantolobby@wordpress.org
seems to be a good source. I shall search wikipedia (the English and Esperanto versions) for the missing information.

Ten British MPs have nominated the World Esperanto Association for the Nobel Peace Prize 2010.

They include Charles Kennedy, the former Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

All MPs have confirmed, in writing, to the Esperanto Lobby, that they have nominated Esperanto for the Peace Prize. The list is as follows:

•Lord Robin Corbett, Labour
•Bill Etherington, Labour
•Roger Gale, Conservative
•Oliver Heald, Conservative
•Sadiq Khan, Labour
•Charles Kennedy, Liberal Democrat
•Lord Bob Maclennan, Liberal Democrat
•Rob Marris, Labour
•Austin Mitchell, Labour
•Andrew Smith, Labour

As a short followup I'd like to add the results of the Google Doodle, last December 15th, 2009. Several million people read about Esperanto or Zamenhof in the following days, in several languages.

The well-known Japanese Esperantist, Etsuo Miyoshi, expanded on Esperantists who recieved a Nobel Prize at
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.126774254070234.31721.100002129801373

40.SAM GREEN VISITS UEA/NEW YORK

2010-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

After various correspondences, the producer of Utopia in Four Movements visited the Esperanto office in New York City early in the summer of 2010. Sam Green spends a considerable amount of time in New York. Neil offered him a Jarlibro or Yearbook, a guide to the Esperanto movement (including a list of thousands of specialists and activists in nearly a hundred countries) which Sam graciously accepted.

Our office guest book indicates he visited previously with Rochelle Grossman in 2006, in the earliest stages of developing his thoughts on Esperanto.

39. Summary of UN-Esperanto Activity/NY-Geneva

2010-06-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

This is the official report UEA must submit to the United Nations to maintain relations with the most powerful International Organization.

It is called the QUADRENNIAL REPORT FOR YEARS 2006 - 2009
Part I
Introduction: Universal Esperanto Association (UEA) was founded in 1908 in Geneva. It is the largest international organization for Esperanto speakers with members in 124 countries. Its headquarters are in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. UEA has UN office in New York and regional office for Africa in Lokossa (Benin).

Aims and purposes of the organization and its main course of action: UEA works not only to promote Esperanto, but to stimulate discussion of the world language problem and to call attention to the necessity of equality among languages. Its statute lists the following four goals: - to promote the use of the international language Esperanto; - to act for the solution of the language problem in international relations and to facilitate international communication; - to encourage all types of spiritual and material relations among people, irrespective of differences of nationality, race, sex, religion, politics, or language; - to nurture among its members a strong sense of solidarity, and to develop in them understanding and respect for other peoples.

Any change that made have had a significant impact on the organizations vision:

There have been no changes in the constitution and by-laws of the Association during the four-year period. The number of countries where the Association has members has increased from 113 in 2005 to 124 in 2009. New national associations have been accepted in Burundi, Madagascar, Mongolia, Nepal and Tajikistan. In 2006 the Association set up its regional office for African countries in Lokossa (Benin). In 2007 Dr. Probal Dasgupta from India was elected as the President of the Association for a three year term. Other Board members are from Chile, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Poland.

Part II
Contribution of the organization to the work of the United Nations:

Over the years, UEA has organized a number of conferences and symposia in New York on aspects of languages and the work of the United Nations. Its latest such event focused specifically on the contribution of Esperanto. On 15 December 2009, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Zamenhof, the founder of Esperanto, the Association organized a commemorative symposium on Zamenhof at the Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza. Some eighty people attended, including United Nations officials, diplomats, NGO representatives, and others. The Association is represented at the United Nations in New York by Humphrey Tonkin and Neil Blonstein, who has managed the UEA New York office since 2008. They are assisted by Scott Paige, Thomas Eccardt, and Ulrich Becker. The work of this team has three aspects: to bring the work of the Association to the attention of the UN (particularly in such areas as human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, mother-tongue education, and the many other topics where language and language equality are issues), to bring the work of the UN to the attention of Esperanto speakers throughout the world, and to pursue connections with other members of the NGO community. Under the leadership of this team, UEA recently decided to launch a website designed to provide information on the work of the United Nations and UNESCO. The website will describe the structure and operations of the United Nations and UNESCO, include translations of major United Nations and UNESCO documents, provide suggestions for teaching about the United Nations, and explain how speakers of Esperanto can get involved in working to promote the United Nations and its various organizations. The goal is to educate speakers of Esperanto about the work of the United Nations and to enlist their support for the United Nations in their respective countries. Given the distribution of Esperanto speakers across the world, and the fact that many of them are teachers and academics, this website has the potential to be highly influential in publicizing the work of the United Nations. UEA regularly distributes information about the United Nations, including the Esperanto translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the children?s book "The United Nations: Come along with me!" by Nane Annan. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the Associaton launched a special website, www.linguistic-rights.org . During the World Congress of Esperanto in Florence (Italy) in August 2006 special attention was given to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. During the International Year of Languages 2008, UEA was particularly active in promoting the goals of the Year, especially its emphasis on the value of multilingualism. Languages and language learning received particular attention at the World Congress of Esperanto in Rotterdam (July 2008), and the Association was represented at numbers of United Nations and UNESCO meetings on the topic, including the conference "Languages Matter" at the United Nations Headquartes in New York (December 2008). David Barratt, songwriter, composer, recording artist and producer, presented his audio sculpture Karito in the General Assembly lobby in New York City from October 15 to November 19, 2008. According to his website, Karito is an audio sculpture made from interpretations of the 192 national anthems of the member states layered one upon another and projected simultaneously from multiple sound sources. Karito is the Esperanto word meaning "love of one?s neighbour."
Participation to the United Nations: The Association is a regular attendee at the Thursday NGO briefings in New York and is actively involved in the work of the UN Department of Public Information. It has been represented each year at the DPI/NGO Conference and at other meetings (for example the Annual Meeting of UNICEF). 1-3 September 2008, three representatives of UEA attended the Social Forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council on poverty and human rights in Geneva. A statement of UEA on linguistic human rights was submitted to the 9th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in September 2008. 15-16 December 2008 UEA participated in the First Session of the Forum on Minority Issues of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Representative of UEA, Stefan Keller, spoke at the Session. 02-27 March 2009 UEA participated in the 10th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. UEA representative spoke about violation of linguistic human rights in several countries. 12-13 November 2009 UEA participated in the Second Session of Forum on Minority Issues of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Cooperation with United Nations bodies: On 24 April 2008 a symposium on linguistic human rights was held in cooperation with the United Nations Office at Geneva, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the UEA and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Some 70 people from 13 countries participated, among them officials of the United Nations and Geneva-based NGO's.
Initiatives taken by the organization in support of the MDGs: Esperanto translation of the MDGs has been widely distributed, for example in Wikipedia: http://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarmilaj_Evoluigaj_Celoj Attention to MDGs is given in speeches, lectures, seminars etc. during the annual World Congresses of Esperanto and in the Congress resolutions as well as in periodicals of the Association, and national Esperanto associations are called to join this activity in their congresses and publications.

Neil with important posters speaking at Esperanto-Usa Conference

2010-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

38. Esperanto and Utopia

2010-05-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/10903101 Sam Green's movie about Utopia-starting with Esperanto, will be a great energizer in the English-speaking Esperanto movement. I had computer problems (home and at the UEA office) for several weeks, exactly when this excerpt was put out. Enjoy!

http://filmoj.net/utopio-en-kvar-movimentoj
Sam Green informed me that he had initially tried to require a code to visit the excerpts, intended for film-festival directors and not the general public.

Positive and negative comments appeared at Libera Folio.
http://www.liberafolio.org/2010/filmo-pri-utopio-ignoras-la-realan-esperantujon

37. Park Slope Food Coop Lectures

2010-04-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've recently lectured twice at the Park Slope Food Coop (16,000 members) on Esperanto. The newsletter (The Linewaiter Gazette available at http://www.foodcoop.com/ ) had a few paragraphs on Esperanto. Thousands of members are likely to have read them. Esperantists Maki Sano and Tomaso Eccardt were at the first event. Here is Maki's photo.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/F0fOGPV4b1JsU-ny9TXx6A

36. PODKASTO.NET Esperanto Radio

2010-04-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

A Warsaw Esperantist grouped the links of several well-known ongoing radio programs and archives at the easily memorizable site:
Varsovia Esperantisto kunigas ligilojn de pluraj radio programoj cxe facile parkerebla:

http://www.podkasto.net/

also noteworthy/ankau' utilas

http://www.polskieradio.pl/eo/

In February 2011 after decades of programs at Polish Radio, two employees informed us that the programs were discontinued. There is an archive at the following link:

http://retradio.posterous.com/

35. The Agressor Language: Esperanto 1953

2010-03-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Many long-time Esperantists know that in a rare misuse of Esperanto, the United States Army prepared an instructional manual: Esperanto, the Agressor Language. It is now available for view on-line at:

Esperanto As A Second Language - The Smoking Gun: Archive

Well, there was a time U.S. military commanders thought that was a good idea, as these excerpts from an Army field manual ...
www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/esperanto1.html

Don Shelton, a long-time friend of my partner, Melinda Schroeder, is the only ex-soldier I've met, of many soldiers who took the introductory Esperanto course, around 1953 while serving in the army. I have asked him to say a few words about the experience. Here is his comments in English with my translation into Esperanto. An English Esperantist, Ian Fantom, encouraged me to keep the memory of this misunderstanding of the goals of most Esperantists alive.
Thanks also to Don's wife, Barbara.

> Dear Neil,
>
> Sorry this has taken so long to answer but we had a little set
> back here
> - Barbara will explain in her e-mail to you.
>
> However I have racked my brain to try to remember when I last used
> Esperanto .
>MI LUKTAS CERBUMI MEMORI KIAM MI LASTE UZIS ESPERANTON.
> So here goes -- When I was in the Army in basic training, the
> Korean war
JEN MI EKPROVOS-KIAM MI ESTIS EN LA ARMEO EN BAZA TREJNADO, LA KOREA MILITO FINIGXIS.
> got over. We were slated to go to Korea as part of an
ONI SKRIBE INFORMIS NIN KE NI IROS AL KOREO PARTOPRENI EN INTELIGENTEC-KAJ-REKON-SPIONADO SEKCIO, SED LA ARMEO SXANGXIS LA PLANOJN KAJ TROVIS NOVAN TASKON/DEVIGON.
> intelligence and
> recon section. The army then changed their plans and found us a new
> assignment. We became part of a training section for new recruits.
NI IGXIS PARTO DE TREJNAD-SEKCIO POR NOVAJ REKRUTITULOJ. NIA LABORO ESTIS LUDI PARTON DE MALAMIKO DUM KELKAJ NOKTOJ PO SEMAJNO.
Our
> job was to play the part of the enemy a couple nights a week. We had
> special uniforms and learned a few words in Esperanto.
NI HAVIS SPECIALAJN UNIFORMOJN KAJ LERNIS KELKAJ VORTOJN EN ESPERANTO.

We
> used the limited knowledge of the language to communicate with each
> other.
NI UZIS LIMIGITAN KONON DE LA LINGVO KOMUNIKI UNU KUN LA ALIA.
The job was a little depressing because each time we went into
> action,
LA TASKO ESTIS IOM DEPREMIGA CXAR CXIAM KIAM NI EKMANOVRIS, NI ESTIS MORTIGITAJ, VUNDITAJ KAJ KAPTITAJ.

we were either killed, wounded, or captured. In any case the
> U.S. Army personnel *acquired our cigarettes*.
CXIU-OKAZE LA USONA ARMEA PERSONARO *AKIRIS NIAJN CIGAREDOJN*
The trainers said that this was the way they handled captured enemy troops in the real wars.

LA TREJNISTOJ DIRIS KE TIEL ESTIS MANIERO TRAKTI KAPTITAJN MALAMIKAJN TRUPOJN EN LA VERAJ MILITOJ.
>
> While going thru this program I had a roommate whose first
> name was Phil.

DUM LA SPERTO DE LA PROGRAMO MI HAVIS KUN-CXAMBRANO KIES UNUA NOMO ESTIS PHIL. MI NE MEMORAS FAMILIAN NOMON.
> I do not remember his last name. Remember this was back in 1953.

GXI OKAZIS EN LA JARO 1953.

> Phil's father was a language professor in a Mid West University.
PHIL ESTIS LINGVO PROFESORO EN MEZ-OKCIDENT-USONA UNIVERSITATO. LI SUBTENIS LA UZON DE ESPERANTO KIEL UNIVERSALA LINGVO

> He advocated the use of Esperanto as the universal international
> language

> and had written a book to advocate making Esperanto the
> International language.
KAJ SKRIBIS LIBRON PRI LA UNIVERSALIGO DE ESPERANTO KIEL INTERNACIA LINGVO.

>
> Shortly after having this assignment, I was transferred to the Regimental
> Headquarters to act as the S2 (intelligence) section as acting Master

MALLONGE POST TIU-CXI TASKO, MI ESTIS TRANSFERITA LA LA REGXIMENTA CXEF-SIDEJO AGI KIEL S2 (INTELIGENTECO) SEKCIO KIEL ESTRO KVANKAM MI ESTIS NUR KORPORALO.
> Sergeant even though I was just a Corporal.
>
> Hope this gives you a background on my experience with your
> favorite language.
MI ESPERAS KE TIO-CXI DONAS LA FONON DE MIA SPERTO PRI VIA FAVORITA LINGVO.
>
> If you have any questions please e-mail or call.
>
> Best Regards, Don

The founder of the biggest chain of language schools, David Berlitzheimer (Berlitz), produced the most famous polyglot, his grandson, Charles Berlitz. Charles Berlitz spent 13 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, mostly in intelligence. I suspect this included the Korean war.
In 1950, he married Valerie Seary, with whom he had a daughter, Lynn.
Charles died in 2003 at the age of 89 at University Hospital in Tamarac, Florida, not far from my home in Sunrise.

Mario Pei, the most famous linguist-supporter of Esperanto in the USA in my lifetime, (mentioned in an earlier article here) worked for a time at the US military's most famous language-training school in Monterey, California. His facility with languages was in demand during World War II, and Pei served as a language consultant with two agencies of the Department of War. In this role, he wrote language textbooks, developed language courses and wrote language guidebooks (Wikipedia). His writings in favor of Esperanto date from the 1930's through the 1960's, several which I first saw at the UEA/New York Office.

It is, for now, unknown if either Berlitz or Pei had anything to do with Esperanto's usage for military purposes.

In early December 2011 a government video on the Aggressor Language Program spread on Facebook. Dozens of Esperanto speakers expressed interest in the history of this video.

http://kafejo.com/lingvoj/auxlangs/eo/maneuver also has good coverage on the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ2ei7e6aAs

34. Subtitles for British Singer on US T.V

2010-02-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Susan Boyle, a popular new British singer appeared on the Charles Osgood t.v. show in the US with subtitles. Her spoken voice is quite incomprehensible for the average American.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/14/sunday/main6207724.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

33. Best Color Brochure on Esperanto

2010-02-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

http://ikso.net/broshuro/pdf/malkovru_esperanton_en.pdf

I received a few paper copies at the World or Universal Congress of Esperanto in Bialystok, Poland, 2009. Young technologically savvy Esperantists are working on getting this translated and printed in over a dozen languages.

32.Google, National Geographic and James Fallows/Atlantic Monthly on Esperanto

2010-01-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

Dec 15, 2009 LL Zamenhof's 150th Birthday - Founder of Esperanto -
As a consequence of Google's memorial logo for Esperanto MILLIONS OF PEOPLE BROWSED ARTICLES ON ESPERANTO after clicking on the logo. Here is NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S RECENT ARTICLE ON ESPERANTO:
L.L. Zamenhof: Who He Was, Why He's on Google Dec 15, 2009 ... No, Google hasn't been taken over by a foreign country. The green-and-white flag over the Google logo today is the banner of the artificial ...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091215-ll-zamenhof-google-doodle-esperanto-150th-birthday.html

For a comparison of the Esperanto Doodle and others in 2009: http://www.google.com/logos/logos09-4.html

James Fallows is the most prominent American born journalist to write extensively on Esperanto and to write about it several times. To his credit he was speech-writer for President Jimmy Carter and Editor-in-chief of US News and World Report. During the Olympic Games in China he was the most sought after American-born journalist who lived several years in both China and Japan.

http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/12/esperabto.php

And from a lesser known blog:
Thanks to The Son, who asked me to log in to Google.com today. And it turns out that today is the 150th birthday of L. L. Zamenhof, the man who created Esperanto—still the best bet for a stable, neutral, second language to serve as an interlanguage. But the world would rather spend billions up billions hiring simultaneous translators, wiring up all those headphones, paying translators and printing the same document 5 times in 5 different evolved languages. I don’t understand people, sometimes. Well, mostly.

31. Neil at Zamenhof Symposium 777 UN Plaza

2010-01-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

Maki Sano's photos of December 2009's Zamenhof Symposium is at
http://picasaweb.google.com/makisano/ZamenhofSymposium#

All my labeled pictures of the December 15th conference near the UN are available at
at 1. www.picasaweb.google.com/neil.nachum/ZamenhofSymposiumParticipants # and
2. www.picasaweb.google.com/neil.nachum/ZamenhofSpeakers
Nearly 70 people participated.
The following picture is also in the middle of the two albums (1.Participants 2. Speakers) is the first frame of a video of me. I spoke for 2 minutes at the 2-7PM event. A few other videos are mixed into the albums.

30. Esperanto and Religions

2009-12-31T18:09:00.000-08:00

Thousands of religious people advocate Esperanto but I can't find a seperate list of their websites and or discussion groups. This is an initial start. Contact me if there is a better one in English or Esperanto. I'm quoting the 2009 Yearbook of Universal Esperanto Association.

Bahai http://www.bel.bahai.de/

Budhist www.esperanto.us/budhana

Christian :
1.Catholic http://www.ikue.org/

2.Protestant/Evangelical www.chez.com/keli

3.Orthodox www.groups.yahoo.com/group/kristana-ortodoksa-rondo-esperantista

4. Mormons http://www.mvgcontact.org/esperanto.htm

5. Quaker http://www.kveker.no/ (left bottom to links in English and Esperanto)

6. Spiritism http://esperanto-spiritismo.org/

Islamic: http://www.arabujo.org/ and http://groups.google.com/group/islama-kulturo-en-la-monda-lingvo

League of Good Will (Brazilian-based): http://www.boavontade.com/esperanto/

Oomoto http://www.epa.jp/

Unitarian Univesalists/Unitarian Universalist Esperanto Network
unitaraj-esperantistoj@googlegroups.com
http://www.grupoamikema.org/UUEN.html

Ateista Tutmonda Esperanto-Organizo (World Atheist Esperanto Organization) http://ateismo.iespana.es/

Atheist Esperantists (ATEO) publishes Ateismo in paper and on line.
http://www.gazetejo.org/eo/gazetoj/dato_2000/2002/2002-03 (Sample newsletter, scroll to midpage).

There is a recent book on Esperanto and Christianity. It has a few translations. The Portuguese translator hosted me in Brazil.
http://www.u-matthias.de/latino/latin_ru.htm

29. Neil on Cover of Esperanto/UEA Nov., 2009

2009-11-15T01:26:00.000-08:00

With the collaboration of Martin Schaefer and several Mexican Esperanto speakers, I received the honor of a photo of myself going on the cover page of the paper monthly Esperanto/UEA, November 2009. A large group of mostly female volunteers of the Annual Convention of the UN Department of Public Information stand beside me. I received my copy courtesy of Martin on Oct. 21. In an inner page our group picture, taken in the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can also be seen.
Since I am technologically challenged here are my Mexican pictures: The second picture is similar (sans guitar) to the one on the UEA monthly: www.picasaweb.google.com/neil.nachum/MeksikoDPI

HERE IS THE ARTICLE IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE.
UEA partoprenis la 62-an konferencon de neregistaraj organizoj en la urbo Meksiko, 09.09.09 – 11.09.09.
En la teamo estis Neil Blonstein (UEA- oficejo Nov- Jorko ) ,
Martha Cárdenas (estraranino de Esperanto-USA kaj de Meksika Esperanto-Federacio, MEF, Usono), Mallely Martínez Mateos (prezidantino de MEF, Meksiko), Daniel Moreno (ĝenerala sekretario de MEF, Meksiko), mi (Martin Schäffer, ĝenerala sekretario de Germana Esperanto-Asocio) kaj David López Rueda (estrarano de MEF, Meksiko).
La inaŭgura ceremonio okazis la 9-an de septembro en la bela malnova ekskonvento San Hipólito en la centro de Meksiko-urbo. La inaŭguron partoprenis altranguloj kiel Ban Ki-moon, la ĝenerala sekretario de UN, Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, ministrino pri eksteraj rilatoj de la meksika registaro, kaj Jody Williams, ricevinto de la Nobelpremio pri paco.
Por la kongreso ni preparis informfoliojn: La pozicio de UEA pri lingvaj rajtoj, Praga Manifesto kaj adreskartetojn.
Tuj ĉe la komenco ni komencis la laboron, informante la partoprenantojn individue pri la ekzisto de UEA kaj pri Esperanto.
Venis ĉirkaŭ 1300 delegitoj de diversaj neregistaraj organizoj el la tuta mondo.
La temo de la konferenco estis: "Malarmu nun! Ni laboru por paco kaj evoluigo".
Ĉiu el nia teamo havis proprajn spertojn kaj konversaciojn. Juna advokato de Kostariko, Roberto Zamora, sciigis ke li jam aŭdis pri Esperanto en la Monda Socia Forumo en Niĝerio. Li tre subtenis la ideon kaj miris ke ankaŭ en la universitato de Kostariko oni povas lerni Esperanton. Neil Blonstein kantis kune kun kelkaj meksikaj volontulinoj kantojn en Esperanto dum la junulara ekspozicio, kiu okazis en la parko Alameda, ni metis flugfoliojn sur oficialan informtabulon kaj malantaŭ ĝi deĵoris kvazaŭ temus pri nia tablo, ni partoprenis kun afiŝo la pacmarŝon, ekhavis kontakton kun multaj meksikaj organizaĵoj kaj informis la multnombrajn volontulojn. Ekestis ankaŭ kontakto kun lokaj ĵurnalistoj.
Dum la 3-taga konferenco ni babilis kun pli ol 400 personoj individue kaj plej verŝajne aliaj 400 eksciis pri ni pro la flugfolioj kaj informafiŝoj. Entute do tre bona sukceso! Laŭ mia sperto al du argumentoj la personoj estis speciale
perceptemaj: 1) Esperanto jam nun estas bone uzebla kiel dua lingvo post la angla; kaj 2) Esperanto estas bona alternativo kiel internacia lingvo, ĉar pli justa. Nune la malriĉaj landoj ne povas garantii al siaj ŝtatanoj lernadon de fremdaj lingvoj aŭ nur je malalta nivelo.
Internacia komunikado ne estu privilegio de la riĉaj landoj aŭ de riĉaj homoj.
La venontjaran konferencon invitis la registaro de Aŭstralio. Ni partoprenu; eble kun kelkaj novaj ideoj.
Post la konferenco mi havis la okazon partopreni la unuan internacian kongreson de WATUN (Monda Alianco por transformado de la UN). Ankaŭ tie mi parolis kun multaj homoj kaj neniam en mia vivo mi spertis tiom malferman
opinion pri la ideo de internacia lingvo.
La partopreno montras kiom gravaj estas tiaj eventoj kaj la laboro de Neil Blonstein en la novjorka oficejo de UEA. Ni subtenu tian agadon!
Martin Schäffer

In a message dated 10/21/2009 11:51:25 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, AMIKEMA writes:
Saluton,
Jen foto de la kovrilo de la novembra numero de la revuo Esperanto. En ĝi aperas la artikolo pri la kongreso de la Unuig'inta naciaro en la urbo de Meksiko. Neil Blonstein (reprezentanto de UEA en nov-Jorko) kaj David Lopez (estrarano de la Meksika Esperanto Federacio) estas bonŝanculoj. Ili eĉ aperas sur la titolpaĝo de la revuo.
Rimarku ankau la simbolo sur la saketo de David. G'i estas la simbolo de la venonta UK en Kubo.
Antauen!
Mar =)

28. Humanitarian Day at United Nations/Church Center/Ban Ki-moon

2009-08-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

August 2009, New York City/UN

27. Historical Esperanto-Unitarian Connection

2009-08-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

An early Unitarian-Esperanto connection may exist, perhaps ignored till today. It deals with an indirect relation with a leading Unitarian--Ralph Waldo Emerson and a leading Esperantist--Colonel George Brinton McClellan Harvey.
The first literary journal in the United States was the North American Review, which ran regularly between 1815 to 1940. From 1818 onwards its main theme was public education.
The North American Review was initiated by the Anthology Society (or Club). The well-to-do members (of the Boston area) were led by Reverend William Emerson. Reverend Emerson was the father of Ralph Waldo Emerson, perhaps the most cited all-time Unitarian. (While living a year in Brazil, I noted numerous Esperantists and others with the name Emerson. Some acknowledged that the name was in respect for Ralph Waldo Emerson--some didn't know the history of the name.)
During the life of L.L. Zamenhof, perhaps the most famous U.S . citizen advocating Esperanto was Colonel George Brinton McClellan Harvey--sometimes called just George Harvey.
Here is a brief time-line in Harvey's life:
1. 1889 - He purchased the North American Review.
2. 1901- He purchased Harper's Weekly.
3. 1906-1908 - He advocated Esperanto regularly in the North American Review.
4. 1908-1909 - He was president of the Esperanto Asociation of North America.
5. 1921-1923 - He was the United States Ambassador to England.

Considering the Unitarian concerns for public education, the emphasis of the North American Review on education and eventually Esperanto, its relationship to the Emerson family and the more recent and conscious resurgence of Esperantism-Unitarianism (article # 17/"older article" below), I consider this one more historical link between the two movements.

26. Poland and the BBC

2009-08-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

As a consequence of the conferences in Bialystok and Malbork, in which I participated, several BBC programs have aired.

http://skirlet.free.fr/bbc27.07.2009.mp3
Istvan Ertl's interview.

http://skirlet.free.fr/breakfast_cambridge11.08.2009.mp3
Tim Morley's program.

Thanks to Istvan--Bonan aŭskultadon!

A converation with Arika Okrent, author of “In the Land of Invented Languages"
www.theworld.org/tag/patrick-cox (scroll to middle of page)
PRI's The World: The World in Words from PRI/BBC/WGBH - 5:02pm
Comment at language@pri.org
Original Broadcast:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009,
Minutes on Esperanto 15:40 for 5 minutes and 31:56 in the song Girl From Ipanema in Esperanto.
WIWpodcast62.mp3

25. Esperanto Music Lives

2009-06-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

I've gone to a musicians' conference for Esperanto-speakers in the year 2000 just outside the city Toulouse, France. There have been several conferences called Kultura Artista Festivalo Esperantista (KAFE) in this southern French town. About 200 people from 20 countries participated. I was the only North American participating.

I hope a similarly good conference will be held (summer 2009) in Helsingor (pronounce approximately Elsinor or just Elsinoro in Esperanto) outside of Copenhagen, to which I signed up to participate. This is one of a series of conferences on Esperanto music, in Scandinavia, known as KEF or Kultura Esperanto Festivalo. Organizers clarify that the northern conference on Esperanto music emphasizes ORIGINAL esperanto music.

Sat. August 15th, 2009: To sample the conference, which was both in Denmark and Sweden (130 participants) from 30 countries, go to www.ipernity.com/doc/fritzon/5454372/

For samples of live Esperanto music one can link up to the multi-lingual Brazilian site Music Express, based in the capital, Brasilia: MusicExpress en Esperanto . Click on "style or elektu stilon" (on the upper right), go to ESPERANTO and sample some 200 different artists. You may enjoy some diverse Brazilian music while your at it!
Retejo pri muziko kun rajtigita MP3, paĝoj de diversĝenraj artistoj, muziktekstoj kun akordoj, partituroj, novaĵoj, informoj pri albumoj, www.musicexpress.com.br/Artisto.asp?Artista=344

There are about 300 music albums or cd's available in Esperanto. Here is a fairly updated list placed at wikipedia:
La liston de tiuj preskaŭ 300 muzikalbumoj metigxis cxe vikipedio:http://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto-muzikalbumoj :
The list was organized by Lu Wunsch-Rolshoven
Some more useful links are:
Vinilkosmo: http://www.myspace.com/vinilkosmo Muziko: http://esperanto-panorama.net/unikode/muziko.htm Muziko: http://www.kke.org.br/eo/musicas/indice Muzikeroj de Kajto: http://www.musicexpress.com.br/kajto Muzikeroj el Afriko: http://www.studio-pro.ch/esperanto-muziko.html Diversaj muzikvideoj: http://www.youtube.com/user/kosmuzik

Just to remind us of the use of Esperanto in a video of MICHAEL JACKSON (Deceased June 26th, 2009 at the age of 50).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c93o05SrWzE

In the beginning of the video appears the line:
"?? chiuj de la mondo konstruas chi tiun skulptajon en la nomo de tutmonda
patrineco kaj amo kaj la kuraca forto de muziko."
or Everyone of the world builds this sculpture in the name of the worldly motherhood and the healing force of music."

With French and Esperanto comments on Michael Jacksons History go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jfvA_Ug_qk

Tone of Brazil is a popular Esperanto rapper. Here is his rap on the history of Esperanto, sung by hundred of youth in all corneres of the world. A full translation in English appears in Karaeoke form:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FexMAmOXsj0&feature=related

In December 2010 I found this link:
http://esperanto-tv.com/vinilkosmo

For learning to sing Esperanto lyrics or plays scores or tunes here is a good start:
http://kantaro.ikso.net/akvo_fluas

Karaoke for House of the Rising Sun in Esperanto:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150239480123964&id=670528963#!/video/video.php?v=243767855643119¬if_t=video_tag

Polish-born singer, Basia, sings about her homeland, mentioning Esperanto in the English and some partially Polish song, Copernicus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ1P-ELhIEE&feature=fvsr

24. ESPERANTO, INDIGENOUS FORUM AND UN

2009-06-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

1. At NYU with 4 Peruvian parlamentarians and Miriam. I addressed a group of 30 professors and other indigenous, all South Americans. Wednesday evening, May 20th, '09.

2. In an all-day week-end pre-conference (May 16-17th'09) at 777 United Nations Plaza (where Universal Esperanto Association has an office) about 250 indigenous prepared for the Permanent Forum on the Indigenous.

3. In the UN corridors.

4. At 777 UN Plaza Neil presented Universal Esperanto Association to 235 indigenous leaders and hoped for cooperation in the preservation of indigenous languages. Sat. May 16th, 2009

24. Indigenous Forum at UN

2009-05-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures about my activities with indigenous groups and their arrival at the UN. In the first of five pictures (click on the above picture-sorry you may have to join the group.) I am speaking in front of 235 indigenous representatives (the capacity for the room) at 777 UN plaza, where UEA has its office. Special thanks to Professor Miryam Yataco of NYU.

23: Esperanto and Sports: World Languages

2009-04-28T05:53:00.001-07:00

I recently discovered Wikinews, a division of Wikipedia. Wikinews has not utilized Esperanto like its parent Wikipedia but I offered the following article which may require additional editing before full publishing is allowed:

Before the article I've included a PICTURE of the UN top official, General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, British Ambassador John Sawyers and myself:
<http://www.lingvaj-rajtoj.org/bildoj/John_Sawyers_brita_ambasadoro__Ban_Ki-moon_Ghenerala_sekretario_UN__Neil_Blonstein_UEA-reprezentanto_UN_Novjorko.jpg>

in short:

http://uri.fi/HE/
Additional pictures of me at the football field or the UN are here:

UN Football
April 24, 2009 -
20 ambasadoroj konkurencas por bonkoraj organizoj en militintaj landoj
View Album Play slideshow
Message from neil.nachum:

Sports and Esperanto: World Languages
Monday, April 27, 2009
As a volunteer at the United Nations, Neil Blontein was pleased to know that the Lichtenstein and Chilean delegations were sponsoring a "diplomatic" soccer match on April the 25th, 2009 for charitable purposes. Upon arriving he learned that it was even better. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, and a dozen other ambassadors were playing soccer for peace.
This seemed as idealistic as the Universal Esperanto Association, which he represents at the UN.(There are a few thousand non-governmental-organizations with annual permits at the UN.) Wikipedia readers know that Esperanto is a widely used langauge, often among the 20 most used languages in the history of wikipedia. Esperanto initiator, L.L.Zamenhof, emphasized the application of the Golden Rule and international friendship as a prerequsite for lasting peace.
The players represented a diverse age range from men in their 30's to their 60's and one Italian female diplomat. Good feelings were present throughout the games and when the winning and losing teams posed for pictures.
Neil was in a unique position to discuss the benefits of Esperanto-it seemed only about 80 friends and family of the diplomats were present. Former Australian Ambassador Ralph Harry knew Esperanto could facilitate relations among athletes and produced 40 multilingual dictionaries and distributed many before the Munich Olympics, all including Esperanto.
The UEA rep was pleased to share individual information on Esperanto with the ambassadors of Paraguay, Chile, East Timor, Lichtenstein, Austria, Great Britain, Zambia, as well as Ban Ki-moon.
Realistically many leaders still need more information to understand the usefullness of Esperanto and at the same time average people need to be more numerous in their support of Esperanto before it becomes a true Universal Language.

sources
U.N. Ambassadors Kick It Around in N.Y.C. - Goal BlogU.N. Ambassadors Kick It Around in N.Y.C.. By Jack Bell. For too many people in the United States and around the world, the game of soccer is viewed as a ...April 24, 2009 - Goal

Other Sources

*
La diplomato kiu ridis / Ralph Harry ; bildoj de Vane Lindesay
Aventuroj en Esperantujo / de Ralph Harry
The North was always near / Ralph Harry
No man is a hero : pioneers of Australian diplomacy / Ralph Harry
Adventures in Esperantoland / by Ralph Henry

22. UEA United Nations Office/New York Photos

2009-04-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ĉe la NovJorka Oficejo de UEA

www.flikr.com/photos/limako/3432873775/in/pool-esperantujo/

fotoj cxe UEA Oficejo sabate Aprilo 11a 2009

Hit the word Limako on the upper right of the Flickr page for additional pictures of the office and one at the Esperanto Cafe (http://www.esperantocafe.com/ )

A few photos from an April 11, 2009 visit by Esperantists from Italy, New York and New England.
Mauro, Margarita, Lau'ra, Sally, Steven, Sofiya, Daniel, and Neil.

21. Forgotten World German Culture

2009-03-31T04:46:00.000-07:00

What does Beethoven, Karl Marx, Bach, Einstein, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Freud have in common?'
Great question. Another great question is what would most people answer as to the main language of culture from 1750 to 1900? I only get one answer: French. So what did happen to the Beethoven, Marx, Bach, and Einstein who were at the elite of world culture and music. They forgot to speak French and spoke German! Here is an excerpt from wikipedia to update people on some of the causes of a sudden international lapse of memory about the elite position of German in World Culture a short century ago:

Anti-German Sentiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There was a flow of German Canadians into the United States. Ironically a good number were Mennonites who immigrated to Cananda under the condition that they would not be conscripted for miltary service, some who were refused entrance to the United States and nevertheless suffered prejudices following World War II. Some German
Amercans and others were jailed during the war. The mayor of Montreal (not-German) was jailed due to his opposition to conscription during World War II. Source: Canadian Encyclopedia.

In the United States between 1917-18, German-American schools and newspapers by the thousands were forced to permanently close. In cities and towns across the nation, libraries burned their German-language books in public burnings. The officials of German-named towns that had been founded by German-Americans were intimidated by county, state, and federal government officials into anglicizing their names, and into destroying all traces of their German heritage. In cities across the United States, German-sounding street names were banned. Many families with a German-sounding last name changed their surname.

Wiki and other biographical sources tell me that even a comedian's false accent that was formerly considered amusing became dangerous and self-incriminating:

For a time in vaudeville Groucho Marx and all the brothers performed using ethnic accents. Leonard Marx, the oldest Marx brother, developed the Italian accent he used as Chico to convince some roving bullies that he was Italian, not Jewish. Julius Marx's character from Fun In Hi Skule was an ethnic German, so Julius played him with a German accent. However, after the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915, public anti-German sentiment was widespread, and Marx's German character was booed, so he quickly dropped the accent and developed the fast-talking wise-guy character he would be.

THOSE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT. ENGLISH APPEARS TO BE THE WORLD LANGUAGE, BUT SADLY IT WILL DISAPPEAR AS QUICKLY AS GERMAN ROSE AND FELL.

For more info on the disappearance of German culture go to www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-German_sentiment

Few Americans would imagine the vast size of the German American community of today: German Americans (German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of German ancestry, with traditions and self-identity based on German language and culture. They currently form the largest self-reported ancestry group in the United States, accounting for 49 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population.[2] California and Texas have the largest populations of German origin, although upper Midwestern states, including North Dakota and Wisconsin, have the highest proportion of German-American population. (source: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-American

A wealthy German-Amercan, Oswald Ottendorfer, founded the first public library of New York City. Later, he returned to his childhood town in Europe to create a community center that has recently been converted partially into an Esperanto Museum and partially into a memorial for Oskar Schindler. Schindler, of Schindler's List fame, via the film, has become the best-know German individual to have saved Jewish lives during World War II.

Svitavy was best known as Zwittau' in German when Ottendorfer and Schindler were born there.
In 1930, 88.4 % of the population was German. In the beginning of the 20th century the town saw tensions between Czech and German speaking people, resulting in the expulsion of Germans following World War II.

To get to the website and pictures of the Ottendorfer Center/Esperanto Museum (of Svitavy Czech Republic) first press http://www.muzeum.esperanto.cz/ and then go to the photo gallery and exhibition (Fotogalerie and Expozicie). (Funding: Esperantic Studies Foundation-Source:Humphrey Tonkin)

Ipernity has a page and discussion in Esperanto about the Esperanto Museum:
http://www.ipernity.com/blog/181031/302426

New York City Public Library Branch History
The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1884 as New York City's first free public library. Designed by German-born architect William Schickel, this landmark building combines Queen Anne and neo-Italian Renaissance styles with an exterior ornamented by innovative terracotta putti. The Branch was a gift of Oswald Ottendorfer, owner of the New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung. At the time, the neighborhood was called Kleindeutschland (Little Germany) and had a population of over 150,000 people of German descent. Ottendorfer wished to provide this community with books to cultivate their minds and assist assimilation into American culture. Half of the 8,000 original books were in German with the other half in English. In the same tradition, the branch continues to reflect its community and remains a vital educational and cultural resource for the East Village today. The building, which is a designated New York City landmark, has been completely renovated through the Library's Adopt-A-Branch program, through which private donors join public funders to restore branch libraries. While the original Ottendorfer Branch was designed as a bilingual library to serve the German community, the restored library can now better serve its multilingual community and provide an increased level of accessibility to all people. Highlights include restored, repointed, and cleaned façade, new elevator, new air-conditioning system, five new computer workstations, and new children's floor with story hour room.

One of the most powerful early Americans founded the first German-Language Newspaper:The German-language press in the United States has a long if somewhat faded history. It was none other than Benjamin Franklin who published the first German-language newspaper in North America, the Philadelphische Zeitung, in 1732. Although Franklin's German newspaper failed before the year was out, many others in the New World would be more successful. ( source:www.german.about.com/library/weekly/aa07/2299.htm )

A German-American, John/Johann Jacob/Jakob Astor funded the main branch (with the lion statues) of the New York City Public Library.

John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob or Johann Jacob Astor) (July 17, 1763–March 29, 1848) was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States. He was the creator of the first trust in America, from which he made his fortune in fur trading, real estate, and opium

At the time of his death in 1848, Astor was the wealthiest person in the United States, leaving an estate estimated to be worth at least $20 million; according to the latest Forbes rankings, he would be worth $115 billion in 2007 U.S. dollars, making him the fourth wealthiest person in American history.

John Jacob Astor's ancestors were Waldensian refugees from Savoy. He was born in Walldorf, near Heidelberg in the old Palatinate which became part of Baden during the 19th century, Germany (currently in the Rhein-Neckar district). His father (Johann Jacob Astor) was a butcher. The son John Jacob Astor learned English in London while working for his brother, George Astor, manufacturing musical instruments.

In his will, Astor left $400,000 to build the Astor Library for the New York public (later consolidated with other libraries to form New York Public Library), as well as $50,000 for a poorhouse in his German hometown, Walldorf.

One provocative question: Could it be that the country whose language is most widely dispersed then thinks that its culture and leadership is in demand and therefore MUST lead or dominate the world. Is this what Hitler believed? Is this what the United States' leading class has believed for the past century?

Germany and Swahili

Having met the ambassador of Tanzania, Augustine Amhiga, and other speakers of Swahili in April 2009 I read about Swahili, the language and its history. I found it interesting that this commercial-business-seafaring cross between Arabic and Bantu languages was officialized by Germany in 1886 one year before Esperanto was publicly proposed for the world lingua franca. The full article in wikipedia indicates that numerous dialects of mutually unintelligible swahili exist although the ambassador suggested that 100 million people in Tanzania and neighboring countries effectively spoke the same swahili in Africa:

After Germany seized the region known as Tanganyika (present day mainland Tanzania) for a colony in 1886, it took notice of the wide (but shallow) dissemination of Swahili, and soon designated Swahili as a colony-wide official administrative language. The British did not do so in neighbouring Kenya, even though they made moves in that direction. The British and Germans both were keen to facilitate their rule over colonies with dozens of languages spoken by selecting a single local language that hopefully would be well accepted by the natives. Swahili was the only good candidate in these two colonies.
In the aftermath of Germany's defeat in World War I, it was dispossessed of all its overseas territories. Perhaps Germany made a good move with not choosing to spread German but Swahili as the Swahili speaking region (Tanzania and Kenya) seems relatively stable in Africa.

There was a relationship between German Canandians and German Americans with numerous German Canadian obtaining American citizenship and others who were denied entrance to the United States between the world wars.

German Canadian number around 3,200,000 today out of a total of 34,150,000 Canadians.

Ironically numerous German Canadians entered Canada with the written agreement that they would be exempt from military service (due to their beliefs as Mennonites). However since even the non-German mayor of Montreal was interred due to his opposition to conscription, many Mennonite Germans were interred to camps. Source below.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0003238

In a recent discussion on Globish (May, 2010) in the Economist, Britain's most dispersed weekly we found the following comment about language policy in Spain, regarding German:
enriquecost wrote: Jun 1st 2010 12:57 GMT .

It is evident Global English is just a consequence of Domination, Colonalism and War. Invading other nations, murdering millions of natives, enslaving millions of peoples, forcing Chinese to consume drugs, destroying Indian manufacturing (to replace it by British manufacturing)...all that led to Global English.

The English language is a "survivor" by itself as it could have disappeared after centuries of Plantagenet rule since William the Conqueror. For centuries the British elite used to speak in French and even the Royal Coat of Arms is French: "Dieu et mon droit". Still today English has two kind of words: Latin (Liberty) and Germanic (Freedom) But under the Francophone domination of Britain the Anglo-Saxon people kept their culture even if heavily influenced by the French, and that´s is why today English sounds so different from German or Dutch (while German and Dutch sound very similar to foreigners)...even we can add that Quebecois did the same on the reverse and even if dominated by an Anglo elite they kept their culture.

Before WWII in Spain German was the language of Philosophy, and as much used as English for Science and Technology. The defeat of Germany and its complete submission and obligaration by the U.S. and the U.K. led also to the end of the German language which now few people study.

More than German and English, in Spain French was the language of choice, and most people until the 70s used to study the French language, not just because it ws the language of Diplomacy and Arts but also because France was a more progressive and developed nation, the gate of Europe. Now, nobody studies French. Only English. (source: http://www.economist.com/node/16213950?story_id=16213950

Hitler's thoughts on German langauge purism and anti-semitism are expressed in this article:

http://autodidactproject.org/quote/gilman_zamenhof.html

I reiterate: when a language, as German, is revered as German was in the 1900's, delusional leader of the native speakers receive delusions of grandeur....and racist ideology.
It is, of cause not the only source of the problems but of great significance..

20. Commercial Usage of Esperanto Words

2009-03-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is my personal contact with Esperanto as a commercial tool. Certainly I don't know it all. While there is an Esperanto Restaurant in Manhattan(http://www.esperantony.com/), an Esperanto Cafe-- http://www.esperantocafe.com/* -- (near prestigious New York University-closed by 2009--it was vacant for many months--then boarded up for several months-a new store is replacing it summer 2010 called Saigon), and a small restaurant in Saratoga Springs called Esperanto http://www.go2esperanto.com/ , I suspect the most lucrative use of Esperanto in the United States involves the originally Swiss watch company Movado. Several adds in newspapers made note that Movado is the Esperanto word meaning "always in motion". About half of the following models have Esperanto names: Amorosa, Bela, Buleto, Certa, Corporate, Exclusive, Eliro, Elliptica, Esperanza, Exclusive, Faceto, Fiero, Folio, Gentry, Junior Sport , Juro, Kara, Kardelo, Luno, Metio, Meza, Military, Museum, Ono, Ono Due, Rava, Rondiro, Safiro, Sapphire, Sports Edition, SL, Stiri, Strato, Temo, Timema, Trembrili (from two words-shake and shine), Valor, Viro, Vivo, Vizio (source with pictures http://www.jomashop.com/movado-watches.html ) . Esperanto words have been highlighted in green. I recall Rochelle Grossman, several years back, saying that some efforts were made to get the president of Movado to speak at the Esperanto Society or make a financial contribution to the movement (La Movado) but to no avail. There is an encyclopedia on Movado in their store-branch at Rockerfeller Center, New York on page 23 it describe a time when the Esperanto movement and watch industry of Le Chaud-de-Fonds, Switzerland, were both strong. Thus the naming of the company Movado. There is also an electronics company named Vizio. http://www.vizio.com/ Since there is only a positive meaning in Esperanto and a negative meaning (I ruin) in Italian I conclude that Esperato was the main influence. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vizio Mirejo Grosjean states that other Swiss watch companies have Esperanto brand names: UNIVERSO and ETERNA. RADO (wheel) was named with an Esperanto word by chance. I requested information on the successful usage of Esperanto in commerce (at Reago and Informado Yahoo Groups) and Henri Masson came up with half of this article below in red. An Esperantist with the pseudonym Fajro (Fire) also contributed. I sought information on the founder of Daewoo, Kim Woo Chung, whether may have been sympathetic to Esperanto, supported the publication of his autobiography in Esperanto (I have a copy in Florida --and wanted to know how it was called), and had particular interest in the following car models: 1. Espero (oni foje sxangxis gxin al Aranos en hispanaj landoj) 2. Cielo (cxu devenas de Cxielo au' la hispana?) 3. Sens I'm curious about the company Kia? Certainly the name has an interesting meaning in Esperanto (What a!). Certe la nomo, de tiu entrepreno (Kia) havas interesan signifon en Esperanto. 1. Forte 2. Optima 3. Rondo Some may originate from identical world in Spanish. Cxiuj povas diveni de aliaj latinaj lingvoj. I've got this response based on an L.A. Times review of the car, Rondo: Kia rondo? Ne unu granda rondo familia, ŝajne. Hodiaŭ en la usona ĵurnalo L.A. Times aperis eta sed ironie amuza mencio de Esperanto kadre de anglalingva recenzo pri sud-koreia aŭto. Skribis la aŭtoro: I would have thought twice before calling it the Kia Rondo [...] Kia calls this vehicle the Carens in other world markets, but I guess that Kia Motors America thought that name was too soft and vaguely Esperanto-ish for U.S. ears. > Mi volas aldoni informojn pri sukcesa uzo de Esperanto en komerco kaj ne povis trovi konfirmon cxu fondinto de Daewoo, Kim Woo Chung eble simpatiis al Esperanto, eldonis biografion en Esperanto (mi posedas kopion en Florido-aliloke-- kiel gxi nomigxas esperante?) The name of the founders book in Esperanto mean The World is Vast, The Work is Much". Reviews follow. Temas pri "Vastas la Mondo, Multas Laboro" : http://cojo.tistory.com/5 http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/eskruco/035/u-21.html http://www.esperanto.org/internacia/UEA/gaz3.htm http://www.uea.org/dokumentoj/komunikoj/gaz03c.htm Oni tamen atentu ke Kim Woo Chung fifamiĝis kaj estas serĉata de Interpol. > , kaj nomis iujn au'tomobilojn en Esperanto, ekzemple: > > 1. Espero (oni foje sxangxis gxin al Aranos en hispanaj landoj) > bildoj pri la veturilo : Here are pictures of the Espero (Hope). http://www.google.fr/images?hl=eo&client=opera&hs=AVe&rls=fr&q=espero+daewo&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=Jd2aTMHxBZXh4AaqrLwy&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQsAQwAA (se ne funkcias, serĉu per "espero daewoo". > 2. Cielo (cxu devenas de Cxielo au' la hispana?) Kiel prononci gxin kutime? > same pri "daewoo cielo" kaj "daewo sens". > 3. Sens > > Mi estas scivolema ankau' pri Kia? Certe la nomo de tiu entrepreno havas interesan signifon en Esperanto. Mi trovis cxinan fonton de la vorto. > > Du au'tomobiloj estas. > > 1. Forte > 2. Optima > > Ambau' povas diveni de aliaj latinaj lingvoj. > Aliaj nomoj : http://www.webcarcenter.com/guide/kia.html > > http://esperantofriends.blogspot.com/2009/03/commercial-usage-of-esperanto-words.html Ne tre maloftaj estas Esperanto-nomoj aŭ nomoj aspektataj kiel esperantaj. En Francio estas radiostacio "Nova ", produktoj por purigado, bontenado kaj higieno "Spado" (ŝajnas ke ili ne havas retejon, sed ne mankas produktoj sub tiu nomo), insekticidoj "Kapo "... Amike. Henri *I've cut and pasted the site for Esperanto Cafe, since the link may disappear at some future point (it is still there on 9-22-10, several months after its closing): Contact Us Online: www.esperantocafe.com Email: esperantocafe@aol.com Phone: (212) 475-5000 Fax: (212) 475-4300 Address: Esperanto Cafe 114 MacDougal Street New York, NY 10012 We’d love to hear your comments or suggestions regarding our products or service. Please email the owner directly at esperantocafe@aol.com. About Us Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, Esperanto Cafe is a cafe with a unique atmosphere that offers more than a typical coffee shop. It’s an eclectic experience, where patrons come and converse with each other and amid the sounds of music playing in the background. We have over 30 different kinds of pastries, quality salads and sandwiches. We also serve the best coffee, cappuccino, Latte and other exotic drinks.

Pepsico calls a drink Mirinda or "Wonderful in Esperanto". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirinda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhIJH56YIWE Littlewoods, a large British on-line clothing announced a commercial in Esperanto, but most esperantists beieve the vocabulary and prononciation was so bad it my be called a "mock Esperanto" or a "not-Esperanto commercial".

A Brazilian Esperantist, Fabricio Valle, has argued and written in favor of great commercial use of Esperanto. http://esperanto-na-midia.blogspot.com/

Another Brazilian Esperantist, Amarilio Hevia de Carvalho, has been successful in selling large quanitites of Esperanto-related t-shirts in and outside the Esperanto community (at the beach).

In the USA I've used http://www.cafepress.com/ to design a dozen of my own t-shirts touching on Esperanto. Search for Esperanto or International.

19. Ameican Idol VIDEO and Esperanto

2009-03-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

I love the show-American Idol (but know people who don't). Here is a VIDEO of a former winner and recent returner to the show who sat next to an Esperanto enthusiast. She studies a short lesson of Esperanto.
Tim Morley recommended the following version to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcRYBhLcjmM&fmt=18
Another copy is:
YouTube - Kelly Clarkson learns Esperanto on the Paul O'Grady Show
Tim Morley teaches Esperanto on the Paul O'Grady Show from ITV in Britain. Airdate: 26 October 2005 (Season 3, Episode 33)www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNDt8j60UH0 - 98k -

18. UTNE READER/SPIRITUALITY/ ESPERANTO

2009-03-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Although not a perfect article, I include it here. I LOVE UTNE READER. It is a very positive, uplifting magazine.

Enthusiastic Speakers Keep Utopian Language Alive
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:11 AM
by Miranda Trimmier
Tags: Spirituality, mindful living, around the globe, language, communication, Esperanto, Boston Phoenix, AltWeeklies
Esperanto began as a stab at linguistic utopia. Imagining a world unfettered by communication barriers, Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof invented the grammatically simple language in late-19th century Poland. He dreamed that it eventually would be adopted worldwide as a universal second tongue. While these ambitious plans never reached fruition, the Boston Phoenix reports that a small, but tight-knit, international community of speakers keep Esperanto alive.
These loyal fans translate books, write songs, and hold annual conferences. They’ve also benefited from a host of web resources, using services like Skype and Facebook to stay connected and practice conversation. It helps that the language has only 16 basic grammar rules; the simple structure makes it easy for budding Esperantists to learn quickly.
Check out the article to learn more about the language and read comments by some enthusiastic speakers. Wikipedia’s also got an extensive page on Esperanto, with plenty of historical info and good links for further exploration.
(Thanks, AltWeeklies.)

17. Is Esperanto compatible with the Unitarianism? Unitarian religion?

2009-02-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

Many leading Esperanto speakers in the United States have discovered Unitarian Universalism. Here is a list of people, nearly all are active in both the Esperanto Movement and the Unitarian Religion in the US and abroad. (Periodically people of many persuasions have been active for Esperanto, most notably Bahai, Spiritism-in Brazil, Oomoto-mostly in Japan, Catholicism, and Quakers but that will be for a much longer article-I do posess a bibliography of Esperanto literature from 100 religious organizations.) Atheism is also organized within the Esperanto movement. The religious/philosophical influence of L.L. Zamenhof, born Jewish, buried in the Jewish cemetary of Warsaw, cannot be ignored (in many existing articles elsewhere.)

"Neil Blonstein" neil_nachumcxeyahoopunktocom, New York and Florida "Allan Boschen" aboschencxegmailpunktocom, Massachussetts "Mar Cardenas" mar-kardenascxegrupoamikemapunktoorg, California "John Dale" , globuulojcxeyahoopunktocom, Arizona "Den Drown" dencxjocxehotmail.com, Florida planning on Montreal "Steven Farrington" stevenfarringtoncxeyahoopunktocom, New York "Erik Felker" ejfelkercxedslextremepunktocom, California "Charlie Galvin" cxarlicxeidiompunktocom, California "Ronald Glossop" rglossopcxemindspringpunktocom, Missouri "Tara Gregers" gregers03cxeyahoopunktodk Denmark at the same church as Tara: Torkil Olesen torkilocxecomxnetpunktodk "Sue Good" suecxeaberdeenfairtradepunktoorgpunktouk, Skotlando, UK "Lucy Harmon" LusiHarmoncxeaolpunktocom, California "Dorothy Holland" dorothyjeanhcxegmailpunktocom, California "Jerry Johnson" jerrygjohnsoncxemindspringpunktocom, Missouri "Karen Klahr" karenacxeesperanto-mepunktoorg, Maine Sally Lawton slaw-ocxecrockerpunktocom, Massachusetts "Pam Lieber" liberperlocxehotmailpunktocom, New York "Neal McBurnett" nealcxebcn.boulderpunktocopunktous, Colorado "Rick Miller" Wisconsin "Maria Murphy" winson148cxehotmailpunktocom, Florida "Chris Nelson" musiccxeuufnnpunktoorg, Nevada "Scott Page" swpage24cxeverizonpunktonet, New York "Orlando Raola" oraolacxegmailpunktocom, California "Stecxjo Schwichow"schwichscxegmailpunktocom, California "Allan Simon" mclaresimoncxehotmailpunktocom, Canada "Mato Spekuljak" mspekuljcxegmailpunktocom Croatia "Julie Spickler" pjspicklercxegmailpunktocom, California "Sherry Wells" esperantosherrycxetmpunktonet Michigan

"Peter Benson petebensoncxestarpowerpunktonet

OregonPete is both a famous Esperantist, due to his English-Esperanto dictionary, and an isolated Esperantist, often living far from organized clubs, based on e-mail from March 23, 2009) After a pause in activity, we were eager to see him at EUSA National Convention, 2010, in Washington, D.C. Aug 8, 2009 07:20:25 AM

On Sally Lawton:

Lawton, a retired art teacher, began studying Esperanto when she was 59 years old. She learned of it from Boschen at a Unitarian conference in 1984 and then found a book at the Forbes Library in Northampton written in a comic book format, which appealed to her.

-- Gvidanta Au'strala/Brita Esperantistino, Jennifer Bishop, informis min (cxe Post-Kongreso en Polio) ke sxia avo (patrina flanko) estis aktiva skota unitariano. The leading esperantist, Steven Brewer, grew up with Unitarian activity, along with his brother Philip and mother Lucy--all known in the Esperanto movement. We discussed this at Silver Bay, N.Y., Regional Esperanto Meeting, October, 2010. Based on the blog of Rev. Scott Wells and a Norwegian Esperantist: Knut Heidelberg responds: November 2009 at 2:50 am Do not think much of the classical American Unitarian texts are found in Esperanto. But I will look into it. Here in Norway the Unitarian church rent meeting place in the Esperanto Office in Oslo. In fact we are planning to start regular Services using Esperanto. The Bible is of course in Esperanto too, so we have the basic text for our use. And there is an Esperanto ecumenical book of liturgy available (Adoru. Ekumena diserva libro). Byron Windhorst byronintcxenewwindpunktocom Oregon Dennis Newton Unitarian participants met the pair at General Assembly in Portland, Oregon where they are locals. Jeff Blakeslee New York (2009 Prezidanto de ESNY) James O'Neil (Unitarian Minister) has a large blog sympathetic to Esperanto http://www.arionshome.com/ Wisconsin Edwin P. Grobe informed me today, February 15th, 2011, that he was for many years active in the Unitarian Church of Phoenix. He is known for his translations of Edgar Allen Poe, which was recently reissued. He is now 84 years old. His wife passed away two years ago. Didn't he once publish a regional newletter? He is a bit isolated, not on-line. Cxe means at in Esperanto and replaces @ for anti-spam and security purposes. Punkto replaces a dot. Thanks to Ron Glossup for much of the paperwork. We know of several others with strong interest in both movements but we lack contact information: John Mayer in Niagara, Canada Early in the 1990's I met with Rel Davis, minister of the Unitarian Universalist congregation of Hollywood, Fl. We spoke in Esperanto and he told me he occasionally spoke about Esperanto or taught it in his congregation. Rel is now available at Facebook and resides in Arkansas. Dori Vallon Wheeler has been a Yearbook delegate for peace in San Mateo California where she is active in the local UU church.

I have tried to keep a brief history of activists in both movements who are recently deceased: 1.This would include Jay Tilman Williams (2008), former Mayor of Garden Grove, California. I may have been the last visiting Esperantist. He was hospitable to many Esperantists and local dignitaries. We visited the Anaheim UU congregation with his wife, Nina. 2.Rudiger Eicholz (around 1980) was born in Germany but lived many years in Canada, where he published a large bilingual book on Esperanto. He also published a booklet on Unitarianism in Esperanto, shortly before the unification with Universalism. 3.Another Canadian of German backround was Paul Ronald (2008). Quebec Esperantists have documented that Paul was a founder of organized Esperanto in Montreal. Paul's parents forsaw difficulties for German Jews and left for South Africa for several years before settling in Canada. Paul told me that he was Unitarian at his last visit to Lake George regional Esperanto meeting. 4. I discovered that Paulo Ereno (2004) was Unitarian. He was a founder of Unitarianism in Brazil. In my final conversation with him, at the Social Forum, Porto Alegre, in January, 2005, I saw the word 'unitariano' in his e-mail address. He passed relatively young. This Portuguese statement of a friend of Paulo states that Paulo founded the Unitarian movement in Brazil, was interested in Budhism and Esperanto. Falecimento de Paulo Ereno Jun 6, '05 5:50 PM by Bruno for everyone brunomaroneze Faleceu, no último dia 31, Paulo Isaías Ereno, amigo e companheiro UUista. Ele foi o primeiro brasileiro a se interessar pelo UUismo, e contribuiu muito para a difusão da religião no Brasil e na América Latina. Era esperantista, e praticava também o budismo da linha theravada. No encontro de UUistas latino-americanos, em janeiro, na Argentina, celebramos juntos seu último aniversário. 5. Mary Jackson Gibson is the only Unitarian Esperantist here to be discovered posthumously. According to Esperanto-USA, Mary Jackson worked 14 years as a Social Worker and for 54 YEARS WAS ACTIVE AT FRESNO UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH. Impressive!

6. Cathy Schulze was one of the USA's best known Esperantists till she passed away in 1999. Sherry has confirmed she was involved in Unitarianism. According to Esperantic Studies Foundation, I suspect she was among the most generous Esperantists posthumously (http://www.esperantic.org/). I found that Cathy lectured on Unitarianism in front of 150 people at the Universal Congress in Helsinki on the 29th of July, 1969. It was part of several talks on religion. It was published as: La Hombildo de Diversaj Religioj : kolekto de la referaĵoj prez. en la Interreligia Kunveno Esperantista (IRKE) or The Human-picture of Diverse Religions: collection of reference works presented at the Interreligious Convention of Esperanto Author: Yoshimi Umeda Publisher: [Kameoka], 1970. Series: Interreligia Kunveno Esperantista, 1; Kolekto de la referaĵoj prezentitaj en la ... Interreligia kunveno esperantista, 1 Edition/Format: Book : Esperanto Here is my English translation from the Esperanto: I can speak to you about Unitarianism, but I bring to your attention that nobody can speak about Unitarians. Because as it is with Esperantists, they consist of very diverse types of people. Unitarianism began as a branch of Christianity by people who didn't accept the "tri-godliness' of the father, son and the holy spirit/ghost, the "trinity", thus the name of the religion. For lack of strict dogma, Unitarians have the right to freely use the mind to find their own philosophy. Thereby, among them you'll find God-believers, atheists and agnostics. Even though Unitarians honor Christ as one the sagest philosophers in human evolution, they pay homage to many other philosophers: Socrates, Mohammed, Goutama, Abraham, Jefferson, Tolstoy, Gandhi and many others. The lives of Albert Schweitzer and Martin Luther King reflect the ideals of a Unitarian. The main trait which characterizes Unitarianism is that it is more active than passive. Unitarians actively work for bringing about changes and improvements. In modern life they tend to sympathize more with the youth than the establishment. Before praying they send resolutions to parlamentarians and other authorities who make the laws and decisions about human rights, nature conservation and everything that is valuable in our life. One of the early martyrs of the American battle for the human rights of African-Americans was a Unitarian--Pastor Reet, who marched with Martin Luther King. Unitarian pastors coucil young people who conscientiously oppose military service and to serve in prisons, hospitals and for the poor as an alternative. I've given as an outline a picture of Unitarianism. Finally and briefly, individual dignity is important for the Unitarian and in that respect Unitarianism is quite similar to the neutral humanism/homaranism of Zamenhof. A booklet on Unitarianism exists in Esperanto. 7. Jim Deer, iama gvidanto de Portland, Oregonaj Esperantistoj (lau' informoj de Sxeri Welz) 8. ESCONDIDO Kathlyn W. Loftus, 94, died Friday, Oct. 10, 2003, in San Diego of pneumonia. Born Jan. 27, 1909, in El Cajon, she lived in Escondido for 22 years. She was a retired schoolteacher for the Los Angeles County School District. She was a published poet. She was a member of the Herb Society of Vista, Esperanto Club, PEO and Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She enjoyed gardening, music, reading and traveling. Mrs. Loftus was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Megan Larmer, in 1976; and husband William Loftus in 1978. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Eugene and Cathie Davis of Manteca and Willard and Paula Davis of La Selva Beach; daughter Lynn Davis of San Diego; grandchildren John, Kay, Pam, Jim, Joanna, Scott and Katy; and seven great-grandchildren. A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Vista. Her ashes will be scattered.

16. 1,400 POSTCARDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WITH ESPERANTO CLARIFICATION

2009-02-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

This may be the largest on-line exhibit of Esperanto postcards. Click on the following Esperanto line to view it. ( I enjoy the 84 "ZEOj" or objects --hotels, statues, streets--named after 'Esperanto', Zamenhof or a few other famous Esperanto speakers. There are about a thousand of these in the world.)
Virtuala ekspozicio pri Esperantaj bildkartoj
La ekspozicio prezentas pli ol 1400 fabrike produktitajn Esperantajn poŝtkartojn.

The source, http://www.eventoj.hu/ , formerly a paper newspaper, is one of the most up to date calender of events in the Esperanto world.

Survey for Parents Language Interests for Children

2009-02-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

Click Here to take survey

Will the European Parliament support Esperanto?

2009-01-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

Esperanto must be supported by the European Parliament to further understanding. English will not suffice, according to parliamentarian Ljudmila Novak:

Evropski parlament - European Parliament
Esperanto - a common language of communication in the EU?
Sreda, 28. januar 2009

In relation to the document "Language-learning, multilinguism and linguistic diversity", MEP Novak has stepped forward and presented three amendments promoting Esperanto as a possible common language of communication in the European Union. You can find the amendments in MS Word format here. For the moment they are available in Esperanto only.What do you think about this initiative? What are your arguments in favor or against? You have a possibility to express your opinion in our guestbook.

PLEASE VOTE in our poll by clicking here.

For more information on lobbying for Esperanto in England and other parts of Europe see:
http://esperantolobby.wordpress.%20com/how-to-lobby/

NEXT STEP CHANGE.GOV

2009-01-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

OTHER IDEAS FOR WWW.CHANGE.GOV FOLLOWING WWW.CHANGE.ORG CAMPAIGN

BY Cindy Mckee je 2009-01-16 13:50
Finally Oleg found the right website. He should also consider the following possibilities initiated by others.

Esperanto for Just International Dialog: http://citizenszbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004uH1&srPos=1&srKp=087

Esperanto, a peaceful change, an easy language: http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004qpU&srPos=2&srKp=087

Teach Esperanto to children: http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004wGe&srPos=4&srKp=087

copied and loosely translated from www.liberafolio.org

25th Place But Still a Winner

2009-01-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

With a few dozen activists repeatedly reminding thousands of Esperantists to vote at http://www.change.org/ during round two, The Instruction of Esperanto in the Public Schools of the United States came in first in the Education category and 25th over all. This is an accomplishment considering the nearly 600,000 votes cast, over 7,000 proposals in round one and approximately 90 proposals in round two.
Since I only voted for 2 items, while the organizers encouraged everybody to vote for EACH VOTER'S TEN most important issues I'm going to take an unscientific estimate that nearly 100,000 people took part. Change.org only announces the NUMBER OF VOTES but not the number of people taking part. I'll update this blog if a get better information.
While initially everbody was told that special support to the top ten ideas would be granted by the organizers, in the day after balloting it was announced that all ideas receiving over 2,500 votes would receive support from change.org. We received 3,597 votes. Many of the supporters of the initiative consider Esperanto a big winner. Neil

change.org SECOND PLACE FINISH

2009-01-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

With over two thousand votes favoring Esperanto and three challengers within a hundred votes of us we made it to the second round of votes, beginning January 5th, 2009. http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/education Then scroll to INTRODUCE ESPERANTO AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUBJECT IN SCHOOLS
Many enthusiasts (Enrique Ellemberg, Emile Mas, Jose Marquez and numerous others --living notably in France and Brazil--brought about this success). The propanant of the original idea was Oleg Izyumenko, a Swedish student with a very Ukrainian sound to his name.

UNESCO-PARIS HEADQUARTERS CELEBRATES ZAMENHOF

2008-12-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, December 15, was one of the largest ONE DAY meetings in favor of the work of Ludovik Lazurus Zamenhof. This was Zamenhof's birthday and is usually celebrated in all of the Esperanto Clubs of the world in December. I estimate this at a thousand clubs in over 100 countries.
FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE filled a hall in UNESCO's headquarters in Paris. I was pleased that L.L.Zamenhof's grandson, active for decades in the Movement spoke there. Zaleski-Zamenhof has himself lived an impressive life.
Unesco also sponsored a conference (Languages Matter) in New York inside of the UN. During the two day conference on the preservation of diversity, in a room built for over 400 participants there was never more than 150 people in the room simultaneously. I was able to mention Esperanto during two question periods. I was pleased with the opportunity.
Free tickets were available to the public at the entrance of the UN but the majority of participants were probably diplomats or employees of the UN. A few ambassadors (Mali, Luxembourg, Portugal) were there. To explain the partially empty room an organizer said publicly "Other important meetings of the General Assembly'' were going on simultaneously. I think it is an indication that this is not a priority for UN staff.
While many of the participants still cannot understand how a multilingual society is supported by the instruction of Esperanto, I am totally convinced that Esperanto encouraged me to continue studies in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and Hebrew.
All the speakers received an Update on Esperanto flyer and/or the Prague Manifesto booklet (printed in 5 languages).

Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. by Zamenhof

2008-12-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

These are the principals of Zamenhof that motivated many, if not most, early Esperanto speaker's to use Esperanto. He named an earlier version Hilelismo. Homaro means mankind and homaranismo is a form of Humanism. Excerpt from the declaration of Homaranismo

I am a human being, and I believe that there are only human ideals and ideals linked to the country of origin; every ideal which brings hatred among peoples and entails the power of one ethnicity over another I believe it to be human egoism, which sooner or later must disappear and to which disappearance I must contribute according to my possibilities.
I believe that every peoples are equally part of humankind, and I value every person only according to his personal values and actions, and not according to his/her origin. Every offense or persecutions of people because they belong to a different ethnicity, with a different language or religion, I regard it as a barbarity.
I believe that every country does not belong to a particular group of people, but equally to every people who live in it, regardless of their language or religion; the mixing of the country’s interests with those of one or another group of people, language or religion I regard it as reminiscence of barbarian times, when there was only the right of fist and sword.
I believe that in his/her own family life each person has the natural and indisputable right to speak whatever language or dialect he/she wants and to confess whatever religion he/she wants; nevertheless, when communicating with people from other origins he/she must, when it is possible, aim to use a neutral language and to live according to neutral religious principles. Every attempt of a person to impose his/her language or religion to other people when it is not absolutely necessary, I regard it as a barbarity.

Another excellent informantional video

2008-12-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670

Change.org My Comment

2008-12-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

As an American who has lived 16 years of my life abroad in the recent and distant past, I find Esperanto the greatest tool for my self respect. I DO NOT ENJOY the so called advantages of speaking with non-native speakers of English in my mother tongue when I can be in an egalitarian relationship with individuals via Esperanto. When traveling in Eastern Europe as a teenager I found Esperanto speakers who treated me with royal respect. My government insisted we were destined to go to war with the same people I befriended. Esperanto has brought me hope time and time again. Sincerely, Neil Blonstein, volunteer representative for Esperanto at the United Nations, New York
Posted by Neil Blonstein on 12/19/2008 @ 09:14AM PST

Barack Obama/ Change.org for E-o

2008-12-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

As of today, December 14, 2008, several hundred people, mostly Esperanto speakers, have discussed Esperanto on Barack Obama's website http://www.change.org/ This is an e-mail to me on that subject. Go to the bottom link to enter the discussion.
There has been a new response posted to the following discussion on Change.org:Idea for Change in America: Introduce Esperanto as a foreign language subject in schools If the good wind blows from America, we in Europe also have good results. Start your language education with Esperanto, and the doors will open for other and more languages. Click the link below to view this discussion.http://www.change.org/ideas/view/introduce_esperanto_as_a_foreign_language_subject_in_schools

5. Professor Mario Pei, from books to the web

2008-11-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

In the 1960's and 1970's the easiest way to hear about Esperanto in English (in the USA) was through the works of Columbia University Professor Mario Pei. I was fortunate enough to meet him at his home in 1971. (Neil)
About Esperanto and International Language :"One language for the World and how to achieve it" http://miresperanto.narod.ru/biblioteko/pei.htm by Mario Pei (Univ. Columbia)
http://www.esperanto-chicago.org/jones/pei.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Pei
Posted by Henri Masson on 11/28/2008 @ 01:37AM PST

Excellent Videos Will Attract Youth

2008-11-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

www.video.google.com/videoplay?docid=29841445498437542&hl=en

Miami Book Fair and Esperanto

2008-11-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

I took the two hour trip by bus and three trains from Sunrise to Downtown Miami. (The last train isn't essential-The Metromover- I could have walked the half mile.) The Goal: to distribute 50 informational flyers on Esperanto at the 25th annual Miami Book Fair. This weekend is the Street Fair part of the week long series of lectures by well-known authors at Miami Dade College.
Upon arriving at 11:45 AM, students, perhaps highschoolers, perhaps college students, marched through the street-fair with bands.
The first booth that caught my eye was an author ofa part comedic book on the mixture of Spanish and English. Yes the book is called Spanglish by Bill something or other. I will look it up later.
I brought food and a dozen books and magazines to show, if possible, but I was hopeful that the Spiritists, mostly of Brazil, would let me store my stuff. They had a large booth. Roberto Cabraz (of Fortaleza) , spoke a sentence in Esperanto, told me he studied a few years ago and was out of touch. Three other Brazilians and a Peruvian were eager to talk in Portuguese. Fortunately for me they were not being overwhelmed by buyers so we got to know eachother. Eleuz, Almir, Aldrin (the Peruvian). Another female spiritist was also volunteering. One of my larger albums with pictures from a dozen Brazilian cities convinced them that I knew their native country like few natives. They were kind, attentive and liked me talking to them in Portuguese. The main question is will I understand them? So, so I think. (http://www.spiritist.com/) rcabraz@hotmail.com
Roberto was the last person I spoke to as well . He apparently works not far away and was there early and at the end. When I said obrigado his last word was dankon. thankyou in Esperanto.
He urged us to collaborate in the future, to get a lecture on Esperanto at his prayer house.
I had a dozen conversations varying in length from 5 minutes to half an hour.
I was a little surprised to get a great deal of attention from a Muslim group called Ahmediyyah. Nureddin Al Hadith of Washington, D.C. spoke about a Red Cross-like division of this Islamic group called Humanity First (http://www.humanityfirst.org/ ) . When I returned with the Koran in it's bilingual addition of Esperanto and Arabic I got into another lenghthy conversation with F. Zafar Suraleigh (zsuraleigh@gmail.com) .
The young lady at PEN International clarified that she has met Esperanto activists at PEN meetings in New York City. http://www.pen.org/
The english accented guy at the Nation Books exhibit said that another publisher (Bloomsbury he thought) with good relations to Nation informed them of a project to publish a history of Esperanto http://www.thenation.com/ . letters@thenation.com
Another booth that kept me busy for half and hour was the Florida Association of Writers. Although Gene Hull had never heard of Esperanto before, we shared our stories. He was a former horn player for Duke Ellington and tells about it in his book Hooked on the Horn. genehull@msn.com Paola, an author of Italian birth, showed her book about Balsamic Vinigrette. I was able to show both Italo Chiussi's translation of the Koran and Umberto Ecco's book In Seach of the Perfect Language, in its Esperanto version. A nearby author Virginia Nygard gave my her business card. nygardv@comcast.net
I learned of a movement called logosophy from a Brazilian women, named Magdalena. She emphasized that her library on the subject, at home, includes books in Esperanto. http://www.logosophy.info/ The website mentions books in Esperanto as well.
All of the above groups and individuals shared thoughts on what is important to them and listened attentively about Esperanto and accepted a 4 page informational flyer. Only a handful of people were less receptive to information on Esperanto. TO BE CONTINUED

Specialty Groups Promise to Learn Esperanto

2008-11-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

In collaboration with Martin Schleiffer and others to find those simpathetic to Esperanto I will be looking for groups that already have some simpathy towards Esperanto. These might be Unitarians, Quakers, Bahais, Legion of Good Will, Rotary International and the International Radical Party. I may be seeking members of other organizations but this would be a good start. Some may say that I'm concentrating on groups with too many controversial viewpoints, however Esperanto for many is controversial.
Could we get 50,ooo people from these groups to make the declaration Zamenhof asked of a smaller number to declare their future readiness to learn the language if others do so as well. Sincerely, Neil

1.Getting friends to learn Esperanto

2008-11-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, an Esperanto Friend, e-mailed that he wants Esperantists to get the UN to participate in a petition of sorts that would get people to learn Esperanto if, let's say, a certain number of people promised to learn the language. He may have said 50,000. It's not too important the number is negotiable. Whereas there may be a few million people who speak or read or do both in Esperanto the number, we only can have intelligent estimates, usually based on how many Teach Yourself Books or Dictionaries have been sold, distributed etc. Some estimate based on how many people join local groups or come to national conventions.
Martin Schlaefer is encouraging this petition idea. Wouldn't it be nice if 50,000 people would learn Esperanto simultaneously, probably on-line or some other method (courses, Teach Yourself Books etc) . Zamenhof had this idea early on.
I believe Esperanto is most effective when you study a few lessons, go somewhere where other people really want to talk in Esperanto, or better yet somewhere where nobody speaks English. Wishful Thinking! Neil