neal@druny.UUCP (Neal D. McBurnett) (01/21/85)
In net.nlang we've been discussing the international language Esperanto for a few months. Esperantists are frequently involved in other worthwhile endeavors, and I'm happy to say that vegetarianism is one of them. For no less than 76 years they have published an international newsletter on vegetarianism! I have not yet subscribed to it, but I can relay the following information: You can reach the world organization at Tutmonda Esperantista Vegetarana Asocio St. Columba's College Dublin 16 Irlando It was founded by the inventor of Esperanto (Zamenhof), Tolstoy, and Ladeveze! The magazine can be reached at Esperantista Vegetarano, Redaktoro Stano Mar^cek, Zvolenska 15, CS-030 01 Martin-Sever Czechoslovokio Sorry, I don't have the price with me, but it is probably quite cheap (strong dollar and all that....) I can also supply, on demand, people you can write to in Australia, Britain, Argentena, the Netherlands, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Canada, Columbia, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Bakersfield and Daly City California, Walla Walla Washington, and Rochester NY. No names are yet listed in China or Japan, but I would expect these people to have contacts there. What's the catch? Your only guarantee is that all these people speak Esperanto. I have oodles of information on the language on-line (including a dictionary), but briefly: It is easy to learn (no exceptions to the rules, based on romance languages). It is used a lot in Europe and is gaining strength in the far east and the third world. The European Economic Community is funding a large effort to semi- automatically translate among their 9 languages using Esperanto as an intermediate language. It has millions of speakers, thousands of books, and a hundred periodicals. It is great for travel: you can look up fellow speakers in 80 countries of the world in a yearly address-list Each year there is a world congress attended by thousands. The next one is in Augsberg Germany in August, 1985. You will not feel either lost and bewildered speaking other people's languages, or put them at a disadvantage by making them speak English: you meet as equals! You can learn it from books (like I did in the last 3 months: I can now understand relatively quickly spoken Esperanto, and can read anything at all with a dictionary). There is also a "Free 10 Lesson Postal Course": you send in the first lesson, which I can send you via E-mail; they correct it and send you the next lesson. A documentary may be coming to a public TV station near you: tell them you want it! Read net.nlang for more info, or ask me for more info, or contact Esperanto League for North America Box 1129 El Cerrito CA 94530 415-643-0998 -Neal McBurnett, ihnp4!druny!neal, 303-538-4852 Boulder, CO