Humanitist Esperantism

I was in my puberty when I first heard about Esperanto. I was at a friend's house listening to music, and he, full of enthusiasm, began to speak about a strange language that differs in many ways from other languages, and that holds within itself a wonderful ideal of universalism. Just from that little description, it seemed for me a surprising and inspiring sample of the highest imaginable culture.

^{The Esperanto founder and other esperantists, at the first UK (Universal Esperanto Congress) | source}

My friend then gave me the typical information that always appears in the Esperanto propaganda: this is the easiest language, which one can learn very quickly and which allows us to speak directly with any foreigner, not requiring to understand his national language (or he to understand ours) and, in addition... this language seeks to achieve peace among the diverse peoples on Earth.

All this inevitably seemed interesting to lively young people who have not yet built their destinies; young people spontaneously attentive to any brilliant opportunity of life, because they seek to capture the proper qualities to shape their own personalities. These motivations are, of course, subconscious, but they strongly propel our young minds along the direction of the lifestyles, decisions and experiences that will shape our individual destinies.

My friend's enthusiasm had a short life, and in hindsight I can understand why: A young man, whether urban or rural, in order to choose a path and devote himself to it, needs motives naturally connected to the interests of his age and his living conditions. Young people need that any proposal presented brings the promise of experiences that they, at their age, may consider worthy of their personal efforts.

Of course, our psychic and cultural diversity modifies to some degree the expression of that need; sometimes to a high degree. That explains why young people in certain societies —where culture is highly appreciated— are more interested in this type of subject. And it also explains why my enthusiasm for Esperanto survived with great strength and even intensified, after a few years, building entirely my own identity and personality.

^{Postcard of a UK at Paris | source}

In that small room I heard the first Esperanto phrases of my whole life. The brief idealistic description along with the beautiful sound of that language were the only ingredients my soul needed to decide —albeit unconsciously— that this was an adequate reality for my future existence. My young mind already possessed a strong interest for the higher contemplations of the human life. For that reason Doctor Esperanto (pseudonym of that language creator) made his way easily and secured his place in my spirit.

I know many Esperanto-speakers from all over the world, and by their testimonies I can understand that my experience is not infrequent. On the contrary, it represents the fundamental impression that the Esperanto proposal exerts on people, regardless of their cultural origins. This should be a striking observation, at least for those who are accustomed to reflecting on the profound meaning of social issues.

^{Language Comittee of the third UK, England 1907 | source}

The world of Esperanto is filled with messages concerning this somewhat defined ideal of fraternity, mutual understanding and humanitarian collaboration. This ideal is clearly expressed in the anthem of the language —yes, a language with an anthem... that is already quite revealing— and reflected in that nebulous package of moral values that Esperantists usually manifest at their encounters. It is almost impossible to look anywhere in Esperantio (the name given to the international Esperanto diaspora) without encountering these frequent messages from the ideal of Zamenhof, the father of the language.

However, in spite of the omnipresence of such messages —which always go beyond the mere linguistic matter, and address issues of greater transcendence in the world— they do not seem to possess sufficient power to create a community that effectively embodies the lofty universalistic senses contained in those ideals, thus shaping another type of culture: an autonomous and never seen culture, a demonstration of the true overriding out of those mental and cultural chains that were so criticized by the creator of Esperanto: dogmatism, fanaticism, intolerance and so on...

This is not a minor problem. It manifests itself in the entire Esperanto movement —regardless of whether its members ignore it— mutilating its possibilities and stopping the possible development of better conditions for the community. In other words: This is an essential problem whose roots lie at the grassroots, the conceptual basis of the Esperanto movement.

Yet which is the root of this obstacle? I maintain that it lies in the very historical genesis of the Esperanto community: right at the moment of the public launch of the project. This is something that can be explained briefly:

The true, integral project of the founder of Esperanto was, in fact, a cultural and philosophical project —which widely clarifies the idealistic character of the current movement—. It was an essentialist perspective about the world and the best behavior of the human being. That project was called humanitism (homaranismo in Esperanto)... and the international language Esperanto was only to be its subordinate instrument.

^{Zamenhof at his workplace | source}

This inspiration gave rise to such a resistant Esperanto ideal that, even today, it is constantly discovered in every Esperanto circle. This is why it happens all too often that Esperantists speak as if they were some kind of religion, or as passionate activists of some social movement, whose ambitions are not merely linguistic.

However, that ideal was crippled at birth. Historically, strong social pressures forced the Teacher to no longer promote his philosophical and cultural interests (the humanitism) in the growing community. Dr. Zamenhof, prioritizing the will of community, surrendered to such restraining demands.

Don't insist too much on ethical principles, sir... our business is just a language.

But humanitism was the thriving heart of the whole affair; from it arose the ideal essence that inspired —albeit invisibly— so many men to travel to the First Esperanto Congress held in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Both then and today, humanitism is the feeling that surprises so many people, and cultivates in them an indefinite desire to participate in the Esperanto movement.

^{13th UK, Prague, 1921 | source}

Thus the heart of the whole affair was reduced, even before it was born —for a variety of complex reasons that I will explain in next publications—. From a great philosophical-cultural proposal it became just a tiny and beautiful ideal that today is simply called the inner idea of Esperanto. But from this emerged a plethora of contradictions, because today many Esperanto-speakers believe themselves to be —due to the inner idea— participants of a social initiative with universalistic cosmovisions, immensely relevant for the whole humanity; but yet no other dynamic is allowed, at all, than that of a mere language fan club... a club full of deluded people.

Of course, there is nothing reprehensible about a linguistic movement that only seeks to spread a somewhat useful means of communication. This is an objective that is held by other movements alike (and all of them are worthy of interest). But, obviously, the potential of such initiatives are limited to the mere act of communication. That has nothing to contribute to a transcendent development of another culture... one that could heal the diseases of our societies, as Zamenhof wanted.

In spite of everything, it is not yet suspected the surprising power that possesses that seed called inner idea. Time and again, the desire of many Esperantists to address directly the humanitist dream explodes and shines.

A few years ago, Mark Fettes (at that time, President of the Universal Esperanto Association) relaunched Helmut Welger's proposal that we should think of Esperantism not as a mere language with an internal idea, but on the contrary: an idea that possesses an internal language. Thus Fettes recovered the silent vocation of Zamenhof, who in his time was forced to publicly express the opposite of his own ideal.

_{The only film footage of the Esperanto creator | source}

Personally, from the Esperanto affair only interests me that possibility. That is why I have been preparing for many years, and with a great deal of personal sacrifice, some projects that could help in this important development. I am trying to relaunch now my project Radio Stelo, through which I will be permanently sharing reflections on this topic.

If you also feel interest in the possibility of a humanitist esperantism, follow me and remain attentive to the virtual spaces of my renewed initiative, Radio Stelo... for a humanitist perspective with an inner language.

Youtube RS | Bittube RS
Twitter RS | Facebook RS

---

---