Contents
In the Beginning Was the Word 1
Where to Begin the Construction of a Language? 7
Encounters: On Community, Movement
and Mediation 12
Navigating the Field 18
Researching in La Republique 21
Journey Log 25 References 27
And the Word Was Made Flesh, or How to Narrate Histories 33
A Long and Winding Road 36
Becoming the Universal Language 40
To the Right and to the Left, Between Ups
and Downs 43
On Failing to Become Universal 50 References 54
Follow the (Non-)Native: Circulating, Mapping
and Territorialising the Esperanto Community 59
The Social Life of Cardboard Boxes 61
The Territorialisation of a One-Night-Stand
Relational Assemblage 66
How to Recast the Global, Between Boundedness
and Multi-Sitedness 70
On the Move, in the Making 76
Joining and Creating a Pop-Up Community 83 References 85
When Esperantists Meet, or What Makes This Community International? 89
The Materialisation of a Pop-Up Community 91
The Invention of Esperantujo 95
Communicating Differences and Resemblances 100
From Humanism to Internationalism, with Many Differences in Between 103
Disentangling Nationality Through Sociability 110
On Behalf of Catalonia 118 References 121
The Speech Community Against the Language Counciclass="underline" Vocabulary Choice, Authority
and Standardisation in a No Man's Language 125
The Drowning Drone 128
Determining Linguistic Authority Through
Vocabulary Choice 134
Who Holds the Power When the Original Authority Is Dead? The Principles of Flexibility, Internationality and Primordiality 137
Defining Right and Wrong: The Re-Politicisation
of Language 144
References 148On Moving and Standing Stilclass="underline" The Social Movement
from the Standpoint of an Esperanto Association 151
Move Forward! 155
The Rise and Fall of Esperanto as a Left-Leaning
Cause 159
Standing Still... 166
A Cause Looking for Its Momentum 169
Slowly Moving Again 174 References 176
Mobile Youth: How Digital Media Changed Language Learning, Activism for Free Speech and the Very Experience ofTime 179
Fast Language Learners, Instant Users, Even Faster
Texters 181
Freedom of Speech, with a Detour via Freedom
to Code 187
Mind the (Age) Gap 192
On Rhythms, Regularities and Seasons 197
What Is Left Unsaid When Communication Takes
Place Largely Online? 200
References 204
We Have Never Been Universaclass="underline" How Speaking
a Language Becomes a Prefigurative Practice 207
Deleuze and the Esperantology of Becoming 209
Doing Things Differently: Esperanto as a Powerful Alternative 214
Deeds, Not Words 223
A Language Not Meant to Become Universaclass="underline"
Esperanto as a Powerless Alternative 227
Keeping the Conversation Going 232 References 235
9 Coming to a Close, or How Not to Put an End
to the Conversation 239
Mediation, the Language of Politics and the Politics
of Language 240
Mapping Community by Being Mobile 242
Stability as a Matter of Power, Freedom and Choice 244
Towards an Empowerment of Ephemerality 246 References 249
Afterword 251
Index 257
About the Author
Guilherme Fians is Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Brasflia (Brazil) and Co-Director of the Centre for Research and Docu- mentation on World Language Problems (Netherlands/USA). He holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester (UK), where he also taught for three years. His research interests and publica- tions revolve around social movements, nationalism, language politics and digital media, with a focus on France. In line with his commit- ment to multilingualism in academia, his publication track record includes articles and books in English, Portuguese, French, Esperanto and German.
Glossary and List of Acronyms
The Academy of Esperanto, the institutional body responsible for overseeing and stewarding the devel- opment of the language
A GPS-based mobile phone app through which users can locate and contact learners and speakers of the same language nearby
Debate circle, held weekly at SAT-Amikaro's head- quarters, in Paris, where people discuss contempo- rary politics in Esperanto
Language learning platform, available on a website
and mobile phone app, offering several gamified
language courses free of charge
Those who speak Esperanto regularly and/or
join Esperanto associations and the movement as
activists, volunteers and members, and who partici-
pate in the Esperanto community
Those who are learning or who can speak Esperanto,
regardless of fluency, but who do not use the
language on a regular basis nor claim to participate
Akademio de Esperanto
Amikumu
Babilrondo
Duolingo
Esperantist
Esperanto speaker
in the Esperanto community
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Glossary and List of Acronyms
Esperanto-France
Esperanto-movado Esperantujo/Esperantio
Finvenkisto/Fina venko
Homaranismo
Interna ideo JEFO
Pasporta Servo
Samideano SAT
French National Esperanto Association, headquar- tered in Paris. Affiliated to UEA, it is the French national representative of the neutral Esperanto movement
Esperanto movement
Esperanto community, sometimes referred to in English as Esperantoland
Finvenkismo refers to the aspiration of making Esperanto effectively universal, as the de facto global language. The ardent promoters of the fina venko (the final victory) are called finvenkistoj, even though few Esperantists would adopt this term as self-referential
Political and philosophical programme envisaged by Zamenhof to inspire Esperantists to perceive humankind as a brotherhood of peoples, regardless of one's origins or background. Homaranismo is the basis of what this book calls Esperantos 'humanist cosmopolitanism'
Inner idea. Closely linked to Homaranismo, it conveys Zamenhof's intent to use Esperanto to promote fraternity and justice among peoples Junulara Esperanta Franca Organizo, French Esperanto Youth Organisation, also known as Esperanto-jeunes. Headquartered in Paris, it occa- sionally uses Esperanto-France's headquarters for its activities and gatherings
Hospitality service oriented at Esperantists and based on a directory (printed and online) of poten- tial hosts and guests. Works similarly to services such as Couchsurfing.com, having preceded the latter