bombing of an apartment block in Borodyanka, north of Kyiv
Earlier I translated a declaration against the war by members of the Russian Esperantist Union condemning the war. I thought it was odd that the current president hadn't signed it and that it wasn't an official statement. But I figured there might be some procedural cause. And that an official condemnation would follow once a vote or whatever was needed had been done. And this declaration was a quick public response to fill the gap, to make their disapproval known in the meantime.
Well, the current president has openly supported the "special operation" and the signatories have been threatened with arrest and the group's online presence has been flooded with patriotic criticism.
The full story https://www.liberafolio.org/2022/03/06/prezidanto-de-reu-subtenas-la-militon/
The criticism was all in Russian, which to me strongly suggest most of the pressure was coming from Russian nationalists. To the unfamiliar, It's a pretty big faux pas to speak to other Esperantists in a national language for any reason other than when one speaker is struggling with Esperanto, and then it's done purely for clarity’s sake. So to have a massive online argument almost exclusively in Russian is a big indicator as to the source of much of the pressure.
That said, I'm sure at least some "samideanoj" agree with the Russian government. Over the years, Esperanto has grown from a fringe pastime for political and cultural minorities to a wider audience who largely view the language as just a hobby and interest. Eventually, since most of the Esperanto language media and long time speakers are to one degree or another promoters of the ideals some of it will cross over, or the speaker drops it for a new fancy. But, for some, the ideology behind the language just doesn't gain much traction.
And of course, reading Zamenhof's letters is no vaccine against propaganda and social pressure and the threat of authorities. Some of the comments and usernames indicate a prior familiarity at least. Given the harsh penalities for public opposition, I'm not surprised some are compromising, though it still hurts to see a betrayal of principles I care a lot about by long term activists.
”…persone mi kiel privata persono plene kaj senkondiĉe subtenas la specialan operacion de la rusia armeo, kiu okazas nun en Ukrainio”, I know Lebedev is stressing this is a personal view. I suspect he's trying to save the organisation by keeping it "apolitical" or neutrala, doesn't appear to have worked.
Nor should it have been expected to. The mainstream Esperanto community is represented by official organisations who hold conferences, arrange study courses and some even manage to build links with national and international bodies. This grouping calls itself neutral because its main task is to be open to all. I've always thought that name was poorly applied, because Esperanto simply isn't and never has been neutral. We live in a world of divisions and exploitation and Esperanto as movement, as a language, from its roots is in direct opposition to that. Zamenhof wanted a peaceful world of mutual understanding and respect for all. Esperanto is a tool for that, it's not just a fun language or way to play word games and annoy armchair linguists. You're supposed to learn the language to communicate with others from across the world on a level playing field, or at least more of a level playing field than a dominating national language.
I hope if there's one positive from this sorry episode, it's that the other heads of the official associations, clubs etc take note. This issue won't go away, there may well come a time when you have to choose between your org and position and your principles. I don't wish to minimize the risks the Russian Esperantists are facing, to sign their names to a declaration openly condemning the invasion took a lot of courage. I even understand why Lebedev the current president is trying to keep the Russian Esperantist Union out of the political fight. But it's a losing strategy, I've become acquainted with many Russian Esperantists some REU members, some not, they're all horrified by the war and are disgusted with this stance. It may well turn out that the REU preserves its legal existence but loses its whole soul, purpose and membership.
And of course if Lebedev isn't being cautious and truly does support the "special operation" than he should resign. He's not acting in accordance with the principles of the Esperanto movement and isn't fit to be a representative of it.
Prezidanto de REU subtenas la militon
La prezidanto de Rusia Esperanto-Unio (REU), Aleksandr Lebedev, publike anoncis ke REU distanciĝas de la kontraŭmilita deklaro de kelkaj konataj rusiaj esperantistoj.
Aldone li deklaris, ke li mem eĉ subtenas la rusian invadon de Ukrainio: ”…persone mi kiel privata persono plene kaj senkondiĉe subtenas la specialan operacion de la rusia armeo, kiu okazas nun en Ukrainio”, li skribis en La Ondo de Esperanto.
Laŭ li la opinioj pri la milito en Rusio estas tre dividitaj, kaj tial REU oficiale nenion deklaru pri la afero.
Pli frue en Libera Folio aperis kontraŭmilita deklaro subskribita de unu nuna kaj kelkaj eksaj estraranoj de REU. La deklaro baldaŭ ricevis fortan kritikon de aliaj rusiaj esperantistoj. La diskuto en la rusa socia retejo VK.com okazis nur en la rusa lingvo, kaj en ĝi ŝajne partoprenis ankaŭ neesperantistoj.
– Kamaradoj esperantistoj, ne akrigu la situacion kaj ne konduku vian societon al la stato de ”kvina kolono”. Al vi nun malfermiĝas fenestro de eblo por anstataŭigi la anglan lingvon (kiel lingvon de internacia komunikado) per Esperanto por duono de la homaro. Neniam poste estos tiaj ŝancoj, skribis Oleg Babenko.
Kiam administranto proponis, ke oni komentu rekte en Libera Folio, Vlad Romanov respondis:
– Ili nur forcenzurus. Alikaze mi komentus: [en Esperanto] Ĉesu kalumnii! Ĉi tiu milito ne estas kontraŭ Ukrainio, des pli ukraina popolo. Ĝi estas kontraŭ la milito, kiu 8 jarojn furiozis en Eŭropo.
Iu Sergej Esperantov skribis:
– Ili ĉiuj iru al la diablo /…/ same la nuna kaj eksa estraranoj de REU. Ĉiuj! Ni ne bezonas tiajn aktivistojn-provokistojn.
Vlad Romanov plu komentis:
– Tio ne estas milito de rusoj kaj ukrainoj, nek milito de Rusio kaj Ukrainio. Sed milito de adeptoj de Rusia-Ukrainia unuiĝo kontraŭ oponantoj de tiu unuiĝo. Milito por unuiĝo de la Rusa kaj Ukraina popoloj.
En Libera Folio laŭ peto de subskribintoj granda parto de la kontraŭmilita deklaro estis poste forigita, interalie la frazo ”La agreso de la rusia registaro estas nepermesebla”.
Baldaŭ poste en Rusio estis aprobita nova leĝo pri ”falsaj novaĵoj”, laŭ kiu diskonigo de ”falsaj informoj” pri agado de la rusia armeo povas konduki al multjara malliberigo. Ĉar oficiale ne okazas milito, eĉ publike nomi la militon milito estas severe punenda krimo.
Post la aprobo de la leĝo, kaj post kiam Libera Folio eksciis, ke iu el la subskribintoj jam ricevis konkretan minacon, ni decidis laŭ peto de iuj subskribintoj malpublikigi la kontraŭmilitan deklaron.
Ankaŭ la deklaro de la prezidanto de REU Aleksandr Lebedev, en kiu li distanciĝis de la kontraŭmilita deklaro, ricevis kritikon en la ruslingva diskutejo en VK.com.
– Esperantisto-faŝisto. Originale, skribis Ivan Ŝvec.
– Bone ke li honeste kaj publike konfesas sian subtenon al la nun farataj krimoj. Bone, ke normalaj honoj nun povas kompreni, kiu li estas, skribis Sergei Andreisons.
– Zamenhof turniĝas en sia tombo, skribis Inna Gorodilova.
Same multaj diskutantoj tamen esprimis sian subtenon al Aleksandr Lebedev.
The President of the REU Supports the war
 |
| Aleksandr Lebedev |
The president of the REU, Aleksandr Lebedev publicly announced that the REU is distancing itself from the anti-war declaration made by some well known Russian Esperantists.
Additionally, he even declared that he was himself in favour of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "Personally I, as a private citizen, fully and unconditionally support the special operation of the Russian army currently taking place in Ukraine", he wrote in the Ondo de Esperanto (wave of Esperanto).
According to him, opinions on the war are heavily divided and that is why the REU has made no official statement on it.
Earlier, in Libera Folio the anti-war declaration signed by one current and some former board members of the REU. It soon received strong criticism from other Russian Esperantists, on the Russian social media site VK.com. The discussion took place solely in Russian, and it seems also involved people who were not Esperantists.
- Comrade Esperantists, do not aggravate the situation and turn your society into a "fifth column". A window of opportunity is now open to you to replace English (the language of international communication) with Esperanto for half of the world. Such opportunities will never come again. Wrote Oleg Babenko.
When an administrator proposed commenting directly in Libera Folio, one user Vlad Romanov commented.
- They would just censor it. Otherwise, I would comment [this in Esperanto] Stop slandering! This is not a war is not against Ukraine, nor the Ukrainian people, it is against the war which has raged in Europe for 8 years.
Another, Sergei Esperantov(!) wrote:
- They should all go to the devil..all of these current and former REU board members. All of them! We don't need these activist-provocateurs.
Vlad Romanov commented further:
- This is not a war between Russians and Ukrainians, nor Russia and Ukraine. It is a war[1] between the believers in Union of Russia-Ukraine and the opponents of that Unity.
At the request of the signatories Libera Folio deleted muchg of the anti-war declaration, including the sentence "The aggression of the Russian Government is not permissable".
Shortly after a new law was passed in Russia concerning "Fake news" according to this law the spreading of "false information" about the Russian army can lead to a prison sentence of many years. Because officially there is no war, even publicly calling the war a war is a severely punished crime.
After the passage of the law, and once Libera Folio became aware that several of the signatories had already reiceved serious threats we decided to follow the request of the signatories to unpublish the declaration[2].
In addition, the statement by the REU President Aleksandr Lebedev distanced himself from the anti-war declaration also drew strong criticism in the Russian language discussion on VK.com.
- Esperantist-fascist, Ivan Shvec originally wrote.
- It is good that he is honestly and publicly confessing his support for the crimes currently being committed. Now all normal people can see who he is. Wrote Sergei Andreisons.
- Zamenhof is turning in his grave. Wrote Inna Gorodilova.
At the same time many other commenters expressed their support of Lebedev.
1: Its curious that Romanov keeps calling the war a war when he supports the position of the Russian Federation.
2: The REU meanwhile has kept the declaration up on its website Ondo de Esperanto, and Lebedev's statement links to it and names the signatories.
Distanciĝo de la antaŭnelonga deklaro de kelkaj personoj pri la eventoj en Ukrainio
Venas maltrankvilaj demandoj de kelkaj homoj pri rilato de REU al tio.
Responde al tiuj demandoj, mi atentigas:
1) Rusia Esperantista Unio havas neniun rilaton al tiu deklaro.
La deklaro estis verkita kaj subskribita de privatuloj, kiuj elpaŝas en
sia propra nomo, sed ne en la nomo de REU kaj des pli ne en la nomo de
la tuta esperantistaro rusia.
2) Oficiala pozicio de REU pri tiom sentebla afero povus aperi nur kiel decido de la Estraro, kio ne okazis, kaj espereble ne okazos.
3) La opinioj pri la ukrainiaj eventoj estas ekstreme kontraŭaj en la
socio. Oficiala subteno de unu el pozicioj signifus fortan neglekton de
granda parto de nia membraro, kiu havas la malan pozicion. Ekzemple,
persone mi kiel privata persono plene kaj senkondiĉe subtenas la
specialan operacion de la rusia armeo, kiu okazas nun en Ukrainio. Se la
Estraro oficiale deklarus ion kontraŭ ĝi — mi demisius kaj komencus
batali por nuligo de tia deklaro fare de nia supera organo (Konferenco
de REU).
Do, la plej adekvata pozicio de REU kiel organizaĵo rilate al la temo — simple diri nenion pri ĝi.
Aleksandr Lebedev
prezidanto de REU
Ĉi tiu artikolo aperis en la novaĵretejo La Ondo de Esperanto.
Ĉe represo aŭ citado bonvolu indiki la fonton:
La Ondo de Esperanto https://sezonoj.ru/2022/03/reu-7
Distancing from the recent statement by some people about the events in Ukraine
- The REU has no relationship with this declaration. The declaration was written by private individuals who signed under their own names, but not under the name of the REU nor the entire Russian Esperanto Community.
- The REU's official position on such a sensitive matter could only be made by a decision of the Board. This did not happen, and hoepfully will not happen.
- Opinions about the events in Ukraine are extremely divided in society. Official support for one position would mean neglect of a large part of our membership who has the opposite view. For example I personally speaking as a private citizen fully and unconditionally support the special operation of the Russian army currently taking place in Ukraine. If the Board declared anything against it I would resign and fight to nullify that declaration at our organisations supreme body (REU Confference).
So, the most appropriate position for REU to take in relation to this issue is - to say nothing about it.
President of the REU
Aleksandr Lebedev
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