SAM GREEN OUTSIDE ESPERANTO OFFICE WITH NEIL

SAM GREEN, PRODUCER OF UTOPIA IN FOUR MOVEMENTS AT CHURCH CENTER, 777 UN PLAZA, OPPOSITE THE UNITED NATIONS, AFTER A VISIT AT THE ESPERANTO OFFICE WITH NEIL JUNE 2010.

NEIL REGULARLY CORRESPONDS WITH SAM.

The office guest book indicates he was there with Rochelle Grossman in 2006.

Israelis and Jordanians Correspond-Prematurely

The World or Universal Esperanto Association had its main conference in Tel Aviv, Israel (close to the Arab quarter of Yaffo) in the summer of 2000. Over 1,000 participants were there.

I was one of two Jewish Esperantists (albeit both seem to be atheists at times-I should speak mostly for myself) to go to Amman, Jordan. This was an official pre-conference. I traveled with an American passport. I let several arab participants know know that I lived in Israel for 11 years and hoped that Esperanto would be useful in breaking the barriers. I may have spoken in Arabic occasionally. Kamal Showshi (or Sxau'sxi in Esperanto), a Tunisian living in Jordan (and the most visible or outspoken Arab among a handful of Arab esperantists or beginners and about 25 foreigners-including 2 former presidents of UEA and several other directors) had this correspondence with the leading Israeli Esperantist, Josef Shemer, indicating the time is premature to use Esperanto for this purpose.


After the second intifada (a month after the Universala Kongreso), Kamal used harsher words of fear (of using Esperanto with Israelis) and I corresponded with him a few times on the subject.

I emphasized that during the COLD WAR in Europe, even during the world wars, Esperantists in Eastern and Western Europe, proudly bragged of their friendships with foreign countries. Why must it be so different for Arab Esperantists?

For the security of one Muslim friend who participated I am removing both his/her name and country on Christmas day, 2010. We corresponded and I hope will continue to correspond on diverse subjects.

Today is Christmas, 2010, when thousands of Christians in Nigeria are fleeing from there burnt out villages in 2010. BBC reported on numerous attacks on Christian minorities in several Muslim countries. It also reported on Switzerland's ban on building Minerets for Mosques.

I found this correspondence belatedly--now (September 11, 2010)

Saluton al vi, s-ro Shemer,
Dankegon por viaj sinceraj bondeziroj.
Vi diris "Mi estas certa ke kun la tempo okazos bona kunlaboro inter jordaniaj kaj israelaj esperantistoj"
Ni vidos. Eble "kun la tempo" kiel vi gxuste diris. Sed, en la nuna tempo, estas tre frumature kaj riskege.
Elkore,
K.Sxauasxi
Jauxdo, la dudekunuan de septembro 2000

-----Original Message-----
From: éåñé ùîø
To: kamcha@redwg.org.jo
Cc: Amri Wandel ; Doron Modan
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 09:43 ã
Subject: Simpla saluto el najbara lando


Saluton sinjoro Kamal,

Mi, juda Israelano, tre g^ojis legi, ke estas "komenco de esperantistoj" en nia najbara lando Jordanio.

Mi deziras al vi grandan g^uadon de tiu belega afero, Esperanto!

Mi estas certa ke kun la tempo okazos bona kunlaboro inter jordaniaj kaj israelaj esperantistoj.

Sukcesu!

Salutas amike,

Josef S^emer, Tel-Avivo

Doron Modan, of Israel, active for over a decade, described contacts between Jewish and Arab Esperantists, notably before the State of Israel was created in this article:
http://www.liberafolio.org/2006/arabajuda?searchterm=Doron+Modan

Pri mia renkontigxo kun araba membro de parlamento en Israelo.
http://epo.wikitrans.net/Muhammed_Wattad?eng=Muhammed+Wattad

Kiam mi studis la araban lingvon dum 3 jaroj en Israelo, unu el studentoj, Mahmud Wattad informis min ke familiano estas membro de la israela parlamento. Kiam mi vizitis Mahmud la unuan fojon en vilagxo, prononce/arabe Gxat (Jatt angle)(fruaj 80aj jaroj) li gvidis min al domo de sia unklo au' kuzo, Muhammed Watad kaj mi povis babili pri diversaj politikaj aferoj--ecx Esperanto- kun la M.P. Post UK-Telavivo-2000 mi ankau' vizitis Mahmud. Al mia surprizo (antau' kelkaj tagoj) mi konstatis ke li mortis, domagxe, dum au'tomobila krasxo, jardeko poste. Frato de Mahmud multe interesigxis pri Esperanto parte cxar li vidis televidan programon pri Esperanto dum la pasinta semajno.

AL GORE IN ESPERANTO: Inconvenient Truth

Ni aldonis Esperantajn subtekstojn al filmetoj ĉe:http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/al_gore_warns_on_latest_climate_trends.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.htmlĈar la uloj parolas rapidege, indas scii, ke ekzistas paŭzo-butono, kiu post alklako ŝanĝiĝas en startbutonon. Tio plifaciligas la legadon de la subtekstoj.Amike salutas Leo

Recycling at the United Federation of Teachers and the UN

Here are two places that probably break New York City laws: The United Federation of Teachers (which represents New York City Public School Teachers) and the United Nations.

In the last monthly meeting for this school year (June 16th 2010) the Environmental Committee of the UFT declared that they have been unable to convince the head custodian at 52 Broadway that the union's headquarters is worthy of recycling bins. George Altamare, a union official, said we should continue to fight the status quo and set up a petition. About twenty mostly non-teacher environmental activists came to network and I sensed a need to increase teacher activists. A program was in place as well as an end-of-year party at a neighboring restaurant.

At this meeting an organization which recycles pencils and next to everything was recommended: http://www.terracycle.net/ .

The two main organizers, Coquille Houshour and Micki Josi, are Park Slope Food Coop members http://www.foodcoop.com/ I promised to try to get an article into the coop newspaper, The Linewaiter Gazette. Contact the diligent teachers at uftgreenschools@gmail.com .

Likewise, in the United Nations Cafeteria, where several thousand UN staff dine daily, you can not seperate the plastic juice bottles they sell. You must just leave them on the tray and hope workers will recycle. Employees say they do.

International Student Exchange

I am sympathetic to international exchange programs of all sorts: at elementary schools, middle schools, high schools. I've noted the work of Rotary International in this sphere. Here is a sucess story from England, Germany and Hungary.


http://www.barhillschool.co.uk/archives/category/esperanto

War on Moms

Sharon Lerner http://www.sharonlerner.com/ may have not chosen the title of her new book which puts the United States in 98th place on issues like child care and maternity/paternity leave, but it makes a point. I was able to discuss the book with her after she spoke in a Village, New York City book store, Three Lives, around the corner from where I live. Melinda was also there.
She explored Holland's social support system, but acknowledged that Sweden and perhaps all of Scandinavia is a notch above Holland's very good conditions. She asked the twenty-five participants why is it that the US is toward the bottom of the barrel on social/family support? I asked if could it be that the status of English as a world language makes Americans and many others think we are the best? She said she would explore this issue, but doesn't know right now.

She noted that all industrial countries have better conditions for maternity leave than the US and several third world countries have superior conditions than US mothers.

Utopia The Movie

http://utopiainfourmovements.com/?page_id=48
http://vimeo.com/10903101

Sam Green's movie about Utopia-starting with Esperanto, will be a great energizer in the English-speaking Esperanto movement. It has had screenings/showings at two respected film festivals: Sundance Film Festival and San Francisko Film Festival.
During one weekend, after I announced the film's excerpt to about a thousand Esperantistists in Europe, North America and South America , close to a 1,000 views occurred. I'm happy. During the prior 3 weeks, when the clip was posted/released, only 10 people had seen it. The counter for views has since been removed.