Already for the 9th time, the Polyglot Gathering took place this year in Prague, Czech Republic, at the University of Economics and Business (VŠE).

From May 15th to 19th, the participants could enjoy a lot of talks, workshops, and other activities in terms of languages and cultures.

But now, let the numbers speak:

• 811 people registered
• from 83 different countries
• more than 30 organizers and volunteers

☝️-Wow, what a big event! Can you tell me more about it?

On the 15th, the first participants arrived and started to get to know each other or meet some friends until evening. Then the event started officially with the opening ceremony presented by Petro, in front of hundreds of amazed and happy eyes. Speeches are important, so parties are. After those welcoming words, most of our throats needed to drink something (especially Petro’s, we just like drinking), and that’s why we all went to a bar and kept talking and meeting until go to sleep and were ready for the next day. 

The first programs began at 9:00 am and every hour the participants could choose between at least 3 different programs according to their preferences. They also could take a walk, rest, visit the language practice tables to improve their levels, or meet new people. Between programs, we could enjoy the coffee break area to charge batteries and fight tiredness with tea or coffee.

☝️But, what did you do exactly?

Good question! There were several types of programs, but they all have language as a common point.

During talks, the speakers (who also were participants) could generally present a 45-minute talk about whatever they wanted. For example, it could be a presentation of language, about self-improvement, or personal experiences… Via the app Slido, the audience could ask some questions that the speaker could answer at the end of the talk.

During crash courses, you can quickly learn the basics of a language, have some advice for learning in the right way, and find some people with whom you can learn together.

During workshops, it was more interactive. Everyone could participate and put into practice what they were learning. It was also a great opportunity to show their skills, talents and knowledge:

During the Talent show, every person who registered before the event had a few minutes to present what they’re good at.  And I certify: speaking more than 10 languages isn’t the only talent of polyglots! Most of them can sing, dance, juggle, play instrument(s),… (but also forget their name tags and stuff…)

During the Lightning talks, they could do a 5-minute presentation about whatever they wanted, about trips, works, connection with languages, or just any subject that they were interested in. Trust me, they have some interesting stories.

A language challenge was organized 50 days before the event, and the purpose was to start learning a new language. This year you could choose Czech or Esperanto (or both) and show your progress during a non-official exam.

As this article, most of the talks were in English, because even if we all know that Esperanto must be THE language, to have an international understanding, we chose English as the common language (but who knows, maybe in 2-3 years, everybody will speak Esperanto there).

☝️-And what about the food?

Of course, the participants had the right to eat. Every noon and evening, the canteen was open for those who ordered meals. Meat, vegetarian, and vegan – 3 diets were offered to suit everyone. After empty plates and full stomachs, they quietly returned to their activities, ready to feed their brains.

☝️– But did you do nothing in the evenings?

Guys.. polyglots are close to esperantists, so of course we did something. And what things! We’ll not talk about the Disco party, which happened.. without music, but this wasn’t enough to stop people who still enjoyed and had fun. Furthermore, we all could attend two multilingual concerts at the university. Olga and Kaŝi gave us two beautiful and rousing moments! We also traveled through many countries during the Culinary festival and the Musical language quiz. The Polyglot expo was the occasion for participants to present their arts, companies, apps,… And you certainly guessed that there were also a lot of non-official programs, most of the time in bars.

☝️What if I missed the event? Do I ever know this incredible feeling of friendship, the joy of learning from awesome people, the taste of being a part of this big family, is it worth continuing to live now?

Don’t panic! Soon the same event (even much better) will happen again. First online for all those who will not participate physically or just want to enjoy it double time, and then on-site, we will let you know when and where as soon as possible. While waiting, you can find many of the talks that were recorded and watch them on our Youtube channel @PolyglotGathering.

For more interactive times, you can already join our telegram groups if you want to speak to other participants and/or find someone to do language tandem and then be prepared for next year!

 ☝️-Haven’t you forgotten anything?

I have, you’re right! Without our sponsors and partners, nothing would have been possible, so thanks a lot to Glossika (official sponsor), UEA (executive sponsor), Italki, uTalk, Vincent Pol University and Phrasing (bronze sponsors), Language Coaching Academy, Skapago and Polygloss (start-up sponsors), Vortoj, Slovake.eu, Deutsch.info, Prague convention bureau, Tandem and Slido (partners), and finally Costa Coffee, which offered us the possibility of drinking as much coffee as we needed.

☝️-And the final word?

Thanks to all of you who participated and helped, we’re already happy to see you again or welcome you if it will be your first time. Year after year, the event becomes more and more perfect thanks to you, and in this way, you show everyone that with understanding, learning, and respect, diversity is the biggest force! Thanks a lot and see you soon!

Here you can find the photos of the event👇: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J3th2ABnoG_Up2CxM612s6UauUZluw_U?usp=sharing

Léa Gavoille, volunteer in E@I .

The annual international meeting called Polyglot Gathering will take place in just a couple of days – this year even twice. What does it mean to be a polyglot, though? Loosely defined, anyone who is interested in foreign languages and who actively learns more of them in their free time can be called a polyglot.

Following 3 years in Berlin, 3 years in Bratislava and 2 years online waiting to meet in person in Poland, the polyglots will eventually meet in Poland – as well as online again!

The Polyglot Gathering Online will take place between 28th April and 1st May. Such an online version allows you to take part from the comfort of your home, wherever you are in the world. In addition to this, the in-person Polyglot Gathering in Teresin, Poland, will happen from 1st to 6th June – as it was originally planned for 2020.

As Peter Baláž, the coordinator of the organising NGO bearing the name of Education@Internet (E@I) puts it: “For the past two years we’ve tried hard to come up with a way not to lose an event of such great potential, and keep the community alive despite not being able to travel, and did so successfully. As the pandemic becomes less of a burden, we decided to keep the momentum and advantages of meeting online as well as finally meeting again on-site, in Poland, as was planned 2 years ago. For the on-site event, the place allows us to somewhat rethink the structure of the event and enjoy Polyglot Gathering 24/7, as the venue and hotels will be close to each other.”

What will be actually going on at the Polyglot Gatherings?

All days of the event will be packed with interesting lectures, language tandems, crash courses and other social activities and games – both online and on-site. Moreover, there will be space for contests, a multilingual concert and informal discussions. The program allows attendees to choose what sparks their interest the most. By attending the lectures, you will have a chance to get more knowledgeable in topics related with languages and language-learning – be it a talk about a lesser known language or language learning strategies. The event will also give you the opportunity to practice any language of your choice, thanks to the languages you’ll be free to list on your nametag and the virtual language practice rooms.

Every year, various linguists, educational app developers, publishers, professors, teachers, translators and interpreters, as well as language enthusiasts taking learning of foreign languages as a hobby meet and give lectures at the event. As this gathering is a large meetup of polyglots, participants are able to get to know one another, exchange their language-learning “know-how” or seek understanding of other cultures.

The Polyglot Gathering Online meeting will also be attended by some enthusiasts who can speak up to 30 foreign languages! Therefore, you can look forward to meeting the greatest experts in this field – such as Richard Simcott or Luca Lampariello.

The main topic of this year’s Polyglot Gathering in Poland will be “Languages for peace” as a way to foster the knowledge of languages and multilingualism as a tool for international understanding. “Indigenous languages” will be another emphasis of this year’s programme, echoing the International Decade of Indigenous Languages as proclaimed by the United Nations.

Solidarity with Ukraine – the organizers will give all citizens of Ukraine free attendance to the Polyglot Gathering Online. If you are Ukrainian, just use the promotional code Ukraine when registering. This is their way of expressing respect and support to Ukraine in these extremely difficult times.

Do I have to speak a certain number of foreign languages to be able to attend the event?

Certainly not! The event is open for everyone and the participants can choose what kind of program to participate in. Whether you speak one language or twenty, Polyglot Gathering will help you broaden your horizons and learn new things about the world’s languages. You will learn about new, interesting methods of learning languages and you will get the motivation to improve your previous knowledge of foreign languages or to start learning the foreign language you’ve always wanted.

So what are the benefits of learning a foreign language?

Not only does the knowledge of a foreign language increase your value on the job market, makes your travels easier and helps you make friends from abroad, it also aids in developing a range of cognitive abilities. However, learning a language requires a certain amount of motivation, as it is more of a marathon than a sprint. After reaching a certain level, one must actively use the language so that it will not be forgotten over time. The way in which individual polyglots constantly motivate themselves to keep on learning is different. Everyone would most probably agree that knowledge of several foreign languages brings a lot of motivating benefits. A few of them are also confirmed by scientists:

1. It improves the ability to make decisions. Research at the University of Chicago has found that it is easier for multilingual people to make decisions. This finding is connected with the fact that when learning a foreign language we also learn different nuances of words as well as regional expressions and when communicating we are forced to choose from among them.
2. It enhances cognitive as well as problem-solving skills. Learning a new foreign language requires the acquisition of a new system of rules, structures and vocabulary. Thus, the brain has to deal with complexity as it tries to understand new structures and absorb new information.
3. It improves social skills. Along with a foreign language we also discover a foreign culture. This allows us to be more flexible and open to other people’s opinions and behaviors. If we speak several foreign languages, we have the advantage of seeing the world from different angles, thus increasing our ability to communicate in today’s global world.
4. It delays dementia at old age. Several studies on this topic have yielded the same results. Learning a foreign language keeps your brain healthy. In multilingual people, dementia at old age occurs two to three years later.
5. It improves study results in other academic areas. According to research, the improvement of cognitive abilities results in higher scores in standardized tests in mathematics or reading comprehension. The ability to solve problems is reflected in the learning of any school subject.
6. It improves memory. The more we use our brains, the better they work. Knowledge of a foreign language requires not only learning a new vocabulary and rules of a new language system, but also recalling them and using them in practice. The brain thus takes learning a new foreign language as training at the gym.
7. The mind becomes sharper. Research by the Spanish University of Pompeu Fabra has revealed that multilingual people excel at observing their surroundings. It is easier for them to notice something irrelevant or misleading. They are also better at detecting misleading information.

As you can see, finding your way into learning a foreign language pays off. The Polyglot Gathering event is the place to gain that motivation and it doesn’t matter how many languages you speak!

Register and get access to any of our events, or both!

The program of both events as well as the registration form can be found here.

Polyglots from all over the world are looking forward to meeting you! 🙂

The Polyglot Gathering Team 

Contact: 

info@polyglotgathering.com

Peter Baláž – head organizer

peter.balaz@polyglotgathering.com

www.polyglotgathering.com

Polyglot Gathering Online is set to happen again in 2022 from 28th April to 1st May. You’ll get to enjoy talks, language practice rooms, cultural and social activities there again! Registration is now open here. Early bird tickets are available only until the 23rd of March, so register ASAP!

A draft programme can be seen here. The final programme will be made by the contributions of the various participants such as you. Fill in this form to attend as a speaker and propose your own talk, workshop, crash course or panel discussion to us!

One of the good things about online events is their inclusiveness, which allowed for the past two Polyglot Gatherings Online to gather a record number of more than 1100 language lovers from across the Globe! We’ve noticed a significant increase in participants from Asia, Africa and Latin America in particular. Even though 2022 will be the year the Polyglot Gathering comes back in person (1-6 June, in Poland), we’re not giving up on the advantages of online polyglottery!

E@I, as an international civic association, strongly condemns Russia’s current aggression

in Ukraine. It is an unjustifiable crime that will have a lot of negative consequences. We generally condemn all military conflicts, wherever and by whomever they are committed. However, the current one affects us all the more because it is happening directly in a neighboring country and because we have friends, acquaintances and colleagues in both involved countries.

At the same time, we express our compassion and solidarity with all the people affected by this aggression.

Like polyglots and Esperantists, we believe that people (but also governments!) must resolve their mutual conflicts primarily through dialogue, communication. War and violence are never the solution!

Language learning is not only of practical importance: in addition to the acquired knowledge, language learning also helps the ability to understand other people and cultures – their habits, opinions, actions. Learning languages ​​also means opening your heart, and intercultural dialogue also means being able to empathize with others, being willing to listen to them and understand them. Today, the willingness to listen to others in Europe is marked by a conflict that we did not expect in the 21st century.

A well-known Slovak proverb says: “How many languages you know, so many times you are human.” Nowadays, each of us needs to be human – even once will be enough.

We call on the government of the Russian Federation to end its military operation in Ukraine as soon as possible. We therefore call on those responsible to end this conflict peacefully as soon as possible. It is necessary to start a dialogue as soon as possible and find a solution so as not to increase the loss of lives so far. Without dialogue there is no communication, without communication there is no understanding and without understanding there is no partnership, friendship, cooperation.

Unfortunately, the current conflict is far from just about Ukraine – it is also a sad proof that we, as humanity, are still not mature. Our consciousness is still at the animal level, but unfortunately our technology is already at a much higher level – at the level of the possible extermination of humanity from the surface of our planet. Let us therefore work together to mature as human beings as soon as possible – and to realize the threat to all of us of the weapons we have developed ourselves for mutual destruction.

And when finally the weapons will be laid down, let’s not forget hastily what caused the conflict, but alsowhat made this conflict possible. Weapons are something we need in the future as little as possible, not as much as possible! Let us therefore call for the destruction of nuclear weapons, but also for the demilitarization of the world in the broadest possible sense. We believe that what humanity is really looking for and needs is harmony and peace – and these will never be gained through aggression and weapons. Peace is the only way! Peace is the only way out!

I recently spent several days attending to the English version of a biographical website about Ludovik Lejzer Zamenhof (Zamenhof.info). This started out quite simply as proofreading the original English translation, and making a few stylistic changes here and there. But as I worked my way through the site I found myself increasingly referring back to the original Esperanto, trying to make a better translation, and even adding completely new information.

The basics

Zamenhof was born in the town of Białystok in 1859 and moved to the city of Warsaw with his family at the time of his 14th birthday. Both are now cities in Poland, and were then cities in the Congress Poland district of the Russian Empire. The languages used in the family home were Yiddish and Russian, and other languages would have been widely heard in the wider community, especially Polish, but also German, Lithuanian, Romani and Ukrainian.

 So, like many, Zamenhof was a polyglot from a young age, but more uniquely, from a young age he also dreamt of creating an international language. Something in a similar vein to Volapük, but more linguistically sophisticated. He finished his design of his ‘lingvo internacia’ in 1878, and after further refinements released the Esperanto project in 1887.

 The first Universal Congress was held in 1905, and it went on to be an annual affair held in a different city each year. In the early 1900s Zamenhof sought to amalgamate Esperanto with a religious doctrine called Homaranismo/Hilelismo which he had designed, although this ultimately never took off in the Esperanto movement. He died in 1917.

‘A utopian project rooted in its imperial Russian milieau’ (quote from O’Keeffe 2019)

Esperanto, Hilelismo and Homaranismo were each attempts by Zamenhof to remedy sectarianism and to bring people together. But why did he see language and religion as the remedy?

 ‘As someone who was born and educated in the multi-ethnic Russian empire, Zamenhof was unaware of the level of linguistic heterogeneity in Germany, France and other western-European countries. Similarly, he did not fully realise that religion had lost its cardinal role in society. He therefore overly fixated upon language and religion, and overlooked how political, economic, and psychological factors also must be addressed to achieve the type of society which he desired.’ (source: https://zamenhof.info/en/idearo)

 Although Zamenhof was an expert optometrist by trade, it does seem that he might have been somewhat blind to how a political and economical worldview would be required to bring about the post-sectarian paradise he dreamed of.

Trying times: Zamenhof’s Jewish identity

From his birth in 1859, Zamenhof’s life correlated with intensifications of anti-Semitism in the Russian empire. So he was conscious of his Jewish identity from a young age.

 64 years before Zamenhof was born, in 1795, Poland lost its independence simultaneously to the Russian, Prussian and Austrian empires. The 1795 partitioning was the third and final wave of the partitions of the Polish state. Prior to then, there had been a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Poland had been an independent state power for around 800 years.

In January 1863, the underground Polish national movement rebelled against the Russian empire. The insurrection continued for a year and half, in alliance with the Garibaldi Legion from Italy. The Jewish denomination to which the Zamenhof family belonged, Litvak Ashkenazi, had strong links with Lithuania, where much of the population had been Polonized, and where the rebellion was centred (Korženkov 2009, chapter 2).

Squadron (attached) is a good film about the January Uprising. Within the first 10 minutes there is a scene extremely relevant to Jews.

However, the Zamenhof family did not take part in the uprising. This uninvolvement was not mere apathy, but rather stemmed from Zamenhof senior’s deliberate adoption of a Russian identity to assimilate and climb the social ladder (O’Keeffe 2019, 3-4). Zamenhof senior was rewarded for his loyalty to the Russian state, achieving work as a schoolteacher for the Russian state (Korženkov 2009, chapter 2). In 1873, the family moved from Bialystok to Warsaw; perhaps a sign of social mobility.

 In 1879, Zamenhof moved back to Moscow to study medicine at the Imperial University there. Part of the reason why Zamenhof senior was so keen for his children to study is that Russian anti-Semitic laws did not apply to those Jews who had university degrees (O’Keeffe 2019, 4).

 In 1880, Zamenhof junior finalised his modernisation project of the Yiddish language, a Germanic language which evolved among Jewish people in Europe (not to be confused with Hebrew, the Semitic language spoken by most Jews in Palestine/Israel). “He proposed the use of Latin characters and a new, rationalized orthography that would free Yiddish from German-influenced spellings. In terms of orthography, Zamenhof was ahead of his time, anticipating by decades both the Soviet reform of Yiddish orthography and the Latin transliteration conventions developed by YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in the 1920s” (Treger 2009). Nonetheless, Zamenhof’s proposals were not published until 1982 (Korženkov 2009, 11).

 The anti-Semitic tensions in the Russian empire reached boiling point in 1881 following the March assassination of Tsar Alexander II in Saint Petersburg. This assassination was part of a proto-socialist political campaign which sought an end to the perverse inequality and backwardness of Tsarist Russia.

A film clip of the assassination scene from a historical fiction movie.

The ten assassins were all hung to death by the state. Only one of them was Jewish, and her role was greatly exaggerated in subsequent propaganda. In the aftermath of the assassination, Tsarist loyalists scapegoated the Jewish community. ‘One third will die out, one third will leave the country and one third will be completely dissolved in the surrounding population’ – Tsarist minister Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev.

Pogroms started in April 1881, and over three years more than 200 were carried out in the Russian empire. A pogrom is when racist thugs run amok violently attacking Jewish people. From 1891-1914, around 2,500,000 Jewish refugees fled Russia for western Europe and America. Zamenhof moved back to the family home and continued his studies in Warsaw from September 1881. His father could save money this way, and doubtless the family felt more comfortable all being together in a dangerous time. But pogroms also occurred in Warsaw: in December 1881, the Zamenhofs spent three days hiding in their cellar to stay safe (O’Keeffe 2019, 5).

Young Zamenhof ‘emerged from that cellar and channeled his outrage’ (O’Keeffe 2019, 5). In February 1882, he founded the Seerit-Israel activist group to raise money for the cause. In January/February, his series of articles ‘What, Ultimately, is To Be Done?’ were published in the Russian Jewish ‘Razsvat’ journal. It had become clear that the attempts of the Jewish people to self-assimilate had failed. He advocated the establishment of a Jewish homeland in North America, specifically on the virgin earth along the Mississippi river – not in Palestine as was actually done (O’Keeffe, 2019, 5).

 ‘Palestine was sacred to both Christians and Muslims, a place where religious belief ran high, and would place Jews in danger, sapping the resources with which they were to build a state. Palestine belonged to the Turks, who would not willingly surrender it. In short, it was an alien, inhospitable, and primitive place that promised hostility rather than peaceful coexistence’ (Treger 2009). Nonetheless, when his American proposal was met with ridicule, he acquiesced to the Palestinian plan, but only until 1887 when he renounced Zionism altogether.

 The Jewish activists used Biblical codewords in their pamphlets to try and avoid censorship issues. For example, the pogroms were referred to as ‘the Storm in the Negev’, a reference to the Old Testament.

 The situation was getting worse before Zamenhof’s eyes. In May 1882, the Russian state passed a series of new laws which specifically applied to Jewish people, restricting their freedom of movement and right to buy property. Even before these laws, Jews’ freedom of movement was already largely limited to an area called the Pale of Settlement. These were only done away with following the 1917 Russian Revolution.

 In August 1883, Zamenhof co-founded the Warsaw chapter of Hibbat Zion (a forerunner of modern Zionism) and was also elected as the president of the Hibbat Zion national committee. He was tasked with establishing links with the Bilu activist group of Zionist Socialists, established 1882. Their aim was to settle in Palestine and Syria and many of them did just that. He looked forward to the end of 1884, because then he would graduate and could move to Palestine with his comrades.

Early settlers in Israel. From http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/en/datelist/Pages/BenYehuda.aspx#!prettyPhoto

Early settlers in Israel. From  https://israelforever.org/history/aliyah_bet/the_backdrop_of_jewish_settlement_the_early_aliyot/

But actually Zamenhof’s Zionist activism diminished. He did indeed move away from Warsaw early in 1885 after graduating, but only to Viesiejai (in Russian-controlled Lithuania) where he bided with his sister and her husband for a few months whilst working in a medical practice there. He moved a few more times; building his professional experience, and completing a Masters degree in Vienna; but he always lived in central and eastern Europe. He did leave Europe to travel to the Universal Congress in Washington DC in 1910, but he never went to Israel. Zamenhof rejected Zionism in 1887, however he always held onto his Jewish identity. Some of his family remained active Zionists (Korženkov 2009, 48).

 Zamenhof’s public denouncement of Zionism coincided with his marriage and with the publication of the first Esperanto book. This followed years of trying and was sponsored by his father-in-law.

A classic early English edition, translated by Irishman Richard Geohegan, following the first English version which was a botched job.

Although his Esperanto project was in large part a response to anti-Semitism, when Zamenhof published Esperanto, he did not mention Jewish issues. But once Esperanto had gained a following, Zamenhof opened up about his belief that Esperanto could be a solution to anti-Semitism and ethnic hatred (O’Keeffe 2019, 7).

 In fact, through his Hilelismo project, Zamenhof theologised Esperanto. He amalgamated his internationalism with the Jewish cause (not to be confused with the Zionism). The name referenced Hillel the Elder, a wise Jewish philosopher who had lived slightly before the time of Christ.

Portrait of Hilel the Elder by Arthur Szyk

As a translator of Zamenhof.info, I changed Hilel’s words ‘Do not do unto others what is hateful to you’ to Christ’s ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself’. Most Anglophones will probably already know the Christian version, and its more understandable to English ears. But anyway, both versions are essentially just slightly different expressions of ‘the Golden Rule’, which has been expressed in many cultures.

At the time though, Zamenhof’s philosophy did not find much support. It was widely received as ‘just another -ism’. In fact, it was widely criticised for excessive idealism. During Esperanto congresses, Zamenhof was even pressured not to mention Hilelismo in case it provoked any anti-Semitism from Esperantists (Treger 2009; Korženkov 2009, 5; O’Keeffe 2019, 10). Zamenhof complied, and he instead spoke about the sectarian situation in rather veiled terms. Here are some excerpts from a speech he gave at the second Universal Esperanto Congress in 1906:

 I come from a land where many millions of people are fighting with difficulty for their freedom, for the most elementary and human liberty, for the rights of man.

 In the streets of the distressed city where I was born, men armed with axes and iron bars would throw themselves like cruel animals against peaceful citizens whose only fault was speaking another language and having another religion…  they broke the skulls and poked the eyes out of women, frail old people and helpless children. I’ve said enough about the sick butchery that happened in Białystok. Just remember, fellow Esperantists, the walls among peoples are still high and thick, but we fight against those walls.

 Our congress has nothing to do with political affairs.

 Also, from 1912:

 It is not necessary that every Esperantist becomes compelled by the internal idea of Esperanto. Nonetheless, the internal idea fully governs Esperanto congresses, and it must continue to do so. But what is the internal idea? That the fundamental linguistic neutrality of Esperanto can remove the cultural and language barriers between people and make Esperantists gradually recognise the humanity of people from other backgrounds, even the brother and sisterhood of all peoples. This will affect different people in different ways, an almost infinitely diverse variety of ways. An individual’s highly personalised response to the internal idea should not be confused with the internal idea itself.

 [A note from me the translator: for example, somebody who belongs to a prestigious group in society may have a humbling experience, whereas somebody from background which is of lower status may find the experience deeply empowering].

Overly apolitical

In accounts of Zamenhof’s life in Russian-controlled Poland, there is a contrived non-political character. A picture is painted of all nationalities being as bad as each other. Russians, Poles, Jews, Lithuanians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, etc., all holding each other in mutual disdain.

 But with the exception of Russia, these were each stateless nations, and the Russian state actively sought to assimilate these minority groups. It is perverse to equate (a) struggles from below to resist assimilation with oppression, with (b) persecution from above. The ordinary working-class Russians were not to blame; only the backwards imperialist tsarist regime.

 In Zamenhof’s own words, from his address to the 1906 Universal Congress: ‘The Russian people are not to be blamed for the beastly massacres. The Russian people have never been cruel nor blood thirsty. Similarly, neither the Tartarians or Armenians can be blamed for the constant butchery which occurs in the Caucasus; both peoples are peaceful and do not wish to force their government upon anybody; the only thing they want is to be left alone to live in peace. Clearly, the blame is on a group of depraved criminals who, by means of different and dishonest maneuvers, widespread lies and artificial denigration, created hate among one people and the other.’

 In short, and although Zamenhof was not quite so explicit, the elite Russian imperialists mercilessly executed a cold-blooded calculated divide and conquer strategy.

Tsar Nicholai II and Tsarina Aleksandra (ruled 1894-1917).

The working-class and socialist movement in Russia overwhelmingly supported the rights of self-determination of small nations, in accordance with the views of the Second International. With respect to the political spectrum, self-determination movements were generally situated left of centre. For example, Józef Piłsudski, the leader of the Polish independence movement, wanted Poland to be a multi-ethnic country where Jews could live comfortably. For more details see my articles (PL 1 + PL 2).

In February 1904, war broke out in the far east over the competing imperial ambitions of Russia and Japan. The Russo-Japanese war, which Russia lost, ended in September 1905 after 19 months. Overlapping with that war, a socialist revolution broke out in Russia in January 1905. It would go on for nearly 2.5 years. The Polish national movement – even those in Austrian and German held Poland – used this opportunity to fight against imperial Russia for independence.

Image from: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M512059/The-Second-Melillan-Campaign-Morocco 

But as mentioned, omissions in Zamenhof’s writings may be partially attributed to a lack of freedom of the press. Each of his works had to be approved by the censorship board, who sometimes did not grant permission. For example, there are historical records that show that in October 1888 the state refused to permit the publication of what would have been the first weekly Esperanto journal. Perhaps Hilelismo was watered down in order to pass the censors. Zamenhof was also silenced over some issues due to peer pressure.

 The usual story is that Zamenhof wrote under a pseudonym to avoid being seen by his clients as a dreamer preoccupied with unprofessional side issues; i.e he worried about his business taking a hit. I do not find this story convincing. His diaries show that he worried about his identity a great deal, and one wonders whether he was really worried about his business, or was perhaps more worried about physical harm coming from the state/racist loyalist thugs.

 Indeed, I do not find the story about him worrying it would hurt his pocket particularly convincing; he deliberately lived a frugal, modest, altruistic lifestyle until his death. He was knighted by the French and Spanish empires, but chose to reside in a working-class part of Warsaw. He was a very highly qualified healthcare professional who ran an eye care clinic, but he kept his prices inexpensive in comparison to his competition. He would turn nobody away, often waiving the fees of clients who were evidently hard up. Due to the value for money which Zamenhof offered, he attracted a large clientele and in turn overworked himself.

 He died in 1917 of a broken heart caused by the war. That # war to end all wars caused him great stress.

Lessons for the Esperanto movement in the here and now

 On the one hand, considering the saint-like character of Zamenhof, it does not feel right to make any critique of him. On the other hand, Zamenhof explicitly and modestly stated that he left the Esperanto project unfinished. The ‘internal idea’ still presides over Esperanto gatherings. But we should remember that the internal idea was a watered-down version of what Zamenhof truly believed in; Hilelismo. And even Hilelismo, he may never have fully articulated due to censorship and peer pressure. But now is the time that the Esperanto movement must integrate Zamenhof’s omissions into the DNA of Esperanto.

The internal idea should become the external idea also. We must be more self-aware. More conscious of the objective circumstances which exist in society, and we must continually audit situations as they change over time. The ‘flower power’ good atmosphere of Esperanto gatherings is great. But it only lasts for the duration of the event. It is a temporary escape from reality, not an attempt to ameliorate society.

 Esperantists should seek to represent Esperanto in a manner which will appeal to as many people as possible. ‘People’ does not refer just to Esperantists, but all people; there is little to be achieved from preaching to the choir. Led by the contemporary zeitgeist, we must make ourselves as accessible as possible. We should not just resign ourselves to accept the situation as we find it, passed down to us from previous generations. The way we represent ourselves now must be a manifestation of the ‘fina venko’ we dream of.

 If the author of Esperanto was not born in Poland, he or she could quite easily have been born in Britain or Ireland, for example in Belfast, Derry or Glasgow. Perhaps as the child of Polish immigrants nowadays; or as a Gael pushed into an industrial city by invisible economic forces during the 1800s; or a Scot who moved to the north of Ireland on the command of the British emperor in the 1600s or 1700s. These retellings of Zamenhof’s life would allow us to explore the minority languages of these islands (Irish, Gaelic, Scots, etc); as well as to explore  sectarian issues which are closer to home than 1800s Poland, rather than trying to use Esperanto as a carpet to sweep them under.

A five day online training course ran by IUVENTA the Slovak National Agency of Erasmus+ has just finished. Twelve foreign volunteers in Slovakia through the European Solidarity Corps took part. Having been a volunteer with E@I for two months now, I was one of them.

Delegates came from all over. Scotland, Brazil/the Netherlands, France, Georgia, Tenerife/Spain, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Germany and South Africa/Vietnam. All are now based in Slovakia for the duration of their EU-funded volunteering placements. There’s a cluster of volunteers in the north of Slovakia, which is good because when E@I moves there I’ll be closer to them.

Our trainers were also pretty international. It was the first training session of this kind for coach Marija; first of many hopefully as she was great. Originally from Bulgaria, she has previously lived in Asia, and is now based in Bratislava.

Coach Martin is from Košice in the east of Slovakia. He expressed empathy with us, the aliens in a foreign country, by talking openly about his experiences living abroad in Poland. An avid history-buff, he was really good fun. He dressed in traditional Georgian garb, and thanks to Zoom’s filter function, he was able to claim the accolade of First Georgian in Outer Space – who’s the alien now!?

Our trainers made an effort to integrate us into Slovakian society. For example they facilitated workshops about the concepts of culture shock and the cultural iceberg, and passed us web-links to Slovak memes and recipe sites.

We were each tasked with researching distinguished Slovaks and reporting back to the group about our figure. Some are criminally underknown;

• like my one, Monika Gullerova, an eminent professor of pathology who has her own lab at Oxford University in England;
• or Peter Lorre, an overlooked Slovak/Magyar Hollywood actor of the early/mid 20^th century who was in many classic movies.

I particularly enjoyed hearing about these Slovaks.

• Yuri Dojc, the Slovak-Canadian artist (still active);
• Pavol Dobšinský, a collector of indigenous folklore, similar to Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm from Germany; I’d also like to visit the Habakuky theme-park based on his stories;
• Peter Sagan the cyclist, I love cycling;
• Milan Rastislav Štefánik, anti-imperialist republican freedom fighter, one of the Czechoslovakia’s founding fathers.

E@I’s sister company Espero has published a biographical comic book about Štefánik available in Slovak, English and Esperanto. I’ve read the Esperanto version, and can wholeheartedly recommend it as an accessible, enjoyable and engaging way to learn some history.

Volunteers each had the chance to present the organizations where they’re based and the kind of voluntary work we do there. There were a real mix; education, Christianity, film, theatre, community/youth work, education, sport, childcare and teaching languages.

Of course I took the opportunity to proselytise about Esperanto ;-). Perhaps more usefully I also distributed Slovake.eu, a website coordinated by E@I and funded by the European Commission which teaches the Slovak language, freely available in 15 different interface languages.

Throughout the training I improved my skills in Zoom and as a Zoom host, and was also exposed to some other good online tools which I might explore further and use in future; in Google, Padlet, Gather town, Menti.

Although we couldn’t meet in person due to the pandemic, lasting friendships have been made. Our next gathering will be in June – hopefully the world will be a healthier place by then!

„Mówisz po polsku?” If your answer is still „nie” and you are interested in learning this lively Slavic language, there is now a great opportunity for you! Education@Internet, in cooperation with a team of international partners, has created an online educational platform for learning the Polish language at polski.info. Self-taught language learners all around the world will find this to be a fantastic resource. Out of curiosity – did you know that Polish is the second most widely used Slavic language in the world? It has almost 50 million speakers!

Learning aided by the use of the Internet is one of the simplest and most efficient ways of learning, both generally, and with regards to languages. Polski.info, an interactive learning platform helps users to acquire the basics of the Polish language. It is entirely free, online, and effective. The platform is particularly suitable for non-Poles who would like to learn how to speak Polish, and also learn more about the country of Poland – with its rich European history and culture. The platform includes basic information about life in Poland, Polish traditions, and the language used in everyday communication. The materials available on polski.info allow users to learn how to communicate in Polish, to help to understand the Poles and their lives, and it may even boost their chances on the job market.

What does the portal offer and how has it come to existence?

The polski.info portal contains a Polish course at A1 and A2 level (including an introductory pronunciation lesson), a grammar guide as well as a dictionary with an audio recording of correct pronunciation. The platform also includes multimedia materials, interactive exercises, texts or a forum offering users the opportunity to use practical language to communicate with each other. Level A1 consists of 22 lessons, while level A2 contains 20 of them. Each lesson offers users the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the cultural specifications related with the topic as well as to explore specific grammatical phenomenon in a broader context.

Thanks to the Erasmus+ programme, the portal was created as a result of cooperation between the following six international partner organisations:

• Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie (Poland) www.up.krakow.pl  
• Studio Gaus GmbH (Germany) www.studiogaus.com  
• Ostravská univerzita (Czechia) www.osu.cz 
• Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas (Lithuania) www.vdu.lt 
• Edukácia@Internet (Slovakia) www.ikso.net  
• Inter-kulturo d.o.o. (Slovenia) www.inter-kulturo.si

When will the platform be ready for use?

Most of the platform is ready right now! Only the final parts of the A2 course are still being finished off. These will become available by the end of August, making the platform fully functional. You can sign up and explore the platform by clicking on this link. The FB page of the portal, shares interesting facts about the Polish culture and language, as well as quizzes and even tongue twisters. If you are interested in learning or simply learning about the Polish language then make sure to visit the new portal at www.polski.info!

The NGO Education@Internet started exploring the educational possibilities of the internet as early as 2002 when it released a platform for learning the simplest language in the world – Esperanto. Since then it has also made e-learning platforms available for the Russian, Slovak and German languages.

Contact

Peter Baláž

peter.balaz@ikso.net

Education@Internet