THE
MANIFESTO
OF THE
WORLD PEOPLE


J. Genberg


Ver. 2025-03-27



The Flag of the World People

The Flag of the World People




INTRODUCTION

This manifesto is not aim to convince or convert. The manifesto is intended to present an alternative role for Esperanto, directed at those who already have the same or similar opinions, or would have if they knew about it. If we are not in agreement; it does not matter. We are not rivals, but contines to be fellow-thinkers.

Much inspired is this manifesto by the Rauma Manifesto, and the two share many of the same views, but while the latter views Esperanto speakers as almost like a linguistic minority, this manifesto presents a different starting point for the philosophical basis of our culture.


THE POWER OF IDENTITY

Humans are social beings. For this purpose, our expressive eyes, vocal cords, and learned social norms called culture have evolved. From culture, identity is born: how a person regard themselves as a member of a particular group. It is the foundation of any community (ethnic, religious, political, hobby-based, etc.), providing the values, direction, and solidarity necessary for growth and perseverance. Without a sufficiently strong identity, a group is, or becomes, a disunified and self-centered theoretical discussion club.


THE CRISIS OF TRADITIONAL ESPERANTO MOVEMENTS

Esperanto organizations are in decline, and traditional ways of attracting new speakers do not yield long-term results; distribution of learning materials, more active recruitment efforts, new arguments, etc. Soon, Esperanto environments may even disappear, and Esperanto will become a historical curiosity, spoken only by language enthusiasts and hobbyists.

In the past, the traditional movement thrived due to the combination of two dominant viewpoints: Esperanto as a strictly scientific-economic communication tool and Esperanto as a quasi-mystical expression of profound ideals of peace, fraternity and community. These viewpoints did not blend smoothly, but this fact was easy to disregard during the golden age of traditional movements.

However, due to the victorious march of English in international communication, the traditional Esperanto movements began leaning toward arguments of linguistic superiority and general language rights to more convincingly combat this development. Thus, the ideals were deemphasized until they became mere slogans, and the Esperanto identity became tied to its successes as an international or auxiliary language. However, this ultimately resulted in nothing. Without a satisfying alternative self-perception, the traditional movements became sentimental, defeatist, and impotent.


TOWARDS A NEW ESPERANTO IDENTITY

We believe that:

  1. the achievement of "The Final Victory" (Esperanto as everyone's second language), or the ratification or approval of Esperanto by any respected authority, while we do not oppose it, it simply does not concern us.
  2. antagonism toward English, Ido, or any other language is unworthy.
  3. Esperanto is our common language, beautiful as it is, and its suitability as an international language does not concern us, nor do demands for reforms.

We consider the following Zamenhof-esque philosophical principles to be important:

  1. Cosmopolitanism — we all belong to the same humanity, and we consider ourselves primarily as world citizens, not limited by local, regional, or national identities.
  2. Egalitarianism — no one is superior to any other; we do not accept discrimination or arbitrary hierarchies, direct or indirect.
  3. Humanism — every decision, social, political or economic, must serve the well-being of man.
  4. Democracy — everyone has the right to participate directly in decisions that affects them, in proportion to the impact those decisions have. A person may temporarily delegate their voting rights to a representative if needed, partially or fully, provided that said representative is revocable and that all decisions are voidable through a democratic process.
  5. Pacifism — war and violence are abhorrent and should be avoided as means to resolve conflict or achieve goals; disagreements should be resolved through dialogue. However, self-defense and preparation for self-defense are rights.
  6. Tolerance — mutual respect and coexistence between people of different identities, beliefs, and ways of life, without interference or judgment.
  7. Diversity — although we nurture our own global identity and culture, our community is also an expression of curiosity about, and cultural exchanges between, people who have also other identities, from all parts of the world.

Here are our goals in order:

  1. To transform the above values into a vibrant and consistent philosophy, flexible but coherent.
  2. To animate this philosophy in order to strengthen the common Esperanto identity.
  3. To build an appealing (sub-)culture and community based on this identity.
  4. To present this (sub-)culture and community to the world as a better and more harmonious way of life, and that way attract people to join.

The traditional Esperanto movements define themselves as political movements: that is, convincing outsiders of Esperanto's advantages through rational arguments. We aim to be a transformative and prefigurative movement; to develop the individual on a deep level in an atmosphere of friendship and to live according to our ideology, not just preach it.

For this purpose, we have appropriated a word from the early Esperanto history to clearly express how we see our role in the world: we are The World People.