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 =)
Why is Esperanto worthy of the role World Second Language? Why are national or ethnic languages not worthy of the role World Second Language?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
27. Historical Esperanto-Unitarian Connection
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 Association 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.
The very well-known French Esperantist, Henri Mason, has linked friendship between Urban Planner-Esperantist, Howard Ebenezer and Unitarian Ralph Waldo Emerson. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=483587785019334&set=a.348332581878189.83013.100001043514223&type=1&theta
National Geographic once acknowledged Howard Ebenezer: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2011/12/city-solutions/kunzig-text
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 Association 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.
The very well-known French Esperantist, Henri Mason, has linked friendship between Urban Planner-Esperantist, Howard Ebenezer and Unitarian Ralph Waldo Emerson. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=483587785019334&set=a.348332581878189.83013.100001043514223&type=1&theta
National Geographic once acknowledged Howard Ebenezer: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2011/12/city-solutions/kunzig-text
Saturday, August 15, 2009
26. Poland and the BBC
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
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
Thursday, June 11, 2009
25. Esperanto Music Lives
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
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
About a band in Cali, Colombia calling itself Esperanto:
http://www.facebook.com/esperanto.music
Six quality versions of the most popular "anthem" of the Esperanto movement sung at the beginning or more notably the end of the annual World Congress of Esperanto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDF4Q54eUVg&feature=youtu.be
Esperanto and yodeling:
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mjmZrra2xZc
About a band in Cali, Colombia calling itself Esperanto:
http://www.facebook.com/esperanto.music
Six quality versions of the most popular "anthem" of the Esperanto movement sung at the beginning or more notably the end of the annual World Congress of Esperanto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDF4Q54eUVg&feature=youtu.be
Esperanto and yodeling:
http://www.youtube.com/
Monday, June 1, 2009
24. ESPERANTO, INDIGENOUS FORUM AND UN
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

Thursday, May 28, 2009
24. Indigenous Forum at UN
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.
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About Me
- neil.nachum
- I have lived 16 years in other countries, notably, Israel and Brazil, among another 30 countries.

