2007-11-02
November 2, 2007
We, THE ESPERANTO LEAGUE for FREEDOM in HOKKAIDO, make an appeal
world-wide to the Esperantists, the Esperanto learners and our friends
for participating in our collective protest against the 2008 G8 Summit.
Our anti-G8 movement would not only take place internationally here in
Hokkaido, but also spread all over the world.
It was arranged that the leaders of the eight dominant countries, United
States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and
Japan, assembled at Lake Toya in Hokkaido, JAPAN to attend the Summit ,
7th –9th July 2008. The G8 Summit is an informal forum to gain the
international capital profit and accelerate globalization (the big
capital expansion). This globalization brings about so much suffering
for a lot of people such as the labors, the farmers and the indigenous
people in the world.
We must mention that Hokkaido, where the meeting will be held the next
year, is known as one of the Japanese colonies that the government has
still retained even postwar. In addition, this region has a crucial
history that the indigenous Ainu people, who had settled there a long
time ago, have been forced to assimilate since the Japanese invaded.
It
is obvious that the Japanese government is unwilling to recognize the
Ainu as an indigenous people. In spite of that, the government attempts
to manipulate their traditional culture hypocritically to make the G8
event more attractive. The government would not have to use their
culture unless it acknowledge at least the existence of Ainu people as
an indigenous people.
The Japanese policies, so-called “reform”, promote the prosperity in
Tokyo, on the other hand, incur the grave depression in Hokkaido. The
aim of Japanese reform policies is to accomplish the globalization and
consequently the split society between rich and poor has risen. It seems
inevitable that the labors, the farmers, the fisher-persons, the
merchants and industrialists confront or would confront the greater
hardship. Unfortunately, many of the Japanese people including the
citizens of Hokkaido are not aware of the fact relating their own
problems with globalization.
Building international resistance against the G8 and globalization
without delay is indispensable in Hokkaido, Japan. Based on the
internationalism and direct action by the common people, we shall
organize the united front widely and solidly. We demand our friends and
comrades to rise to action for the purpose of setting up and launching
the extensive anti-G8 movement with the labors, the farmers, the
intellectuals, the young people, the neighbors and the indigenous people.
The Esperantists will be expected to have charge of being translators
and making contact with the people all over the world. And if it is
possible, we intend that Esperantists form our own troops and make an
international protest in Hokkaido.
What is THE ESPERANTO LEAGUE for FREEDOM in HOKKAIDO?
About Esperanto
Esperanto is the artificial language which an ophthalmologist Dr.
Zamenhof from the Russian Empire, now Poland, created in 1887. The
population in Poland at that time was made of various ethnic groups
having different linguistic background and they were hostile toward each
other, caused largely by lack of communication. Dr. Zamenhof, who was
saddened that the quarrels between these ethnic groups had been often
provoked over Europe, attempted to spread Esperanto. Esperanto consistes
of simple grammar and easy words internationally so that the people
without any particular education are able to learn and use it. Today, by
estimates, there are about 1 million Esperanto learners and speakers
(Esperantists) in more than 100 countries.
About the league
Our purpose to set up the league is to practice Esperanto for playing
the role of a tool of the people’s activities and struggles. As our
first action, we declare the international appeal for the anti-G8 Summit
in Hokkaido 2008. Through this anti-G8 movement, we hope to make contact
with both the Esperantists and other international activists, and make
effort for the expansion of our protest activities over the world. The
league is composed mainly of the Esperantists and the Esperanto
supporters living in or related to Hokkaido and who agree with our
international appeal. For the present, Mr. Naoto MIYAZAWA (52 years old)
represents the league, and it is managed by each individual person’s
voluntary and cooperative work. The office is, 1-3-13 Asabu, Kitaku,
Sapporo, JAPAN, JP001-0045.
THE ESPERANTO LEAGUE for FREEDOM in HOKKAIDO
L.E.A. HOKKAIDO (LIBERA ESPERANTO-ASOCIO en HOKKAJDO)
ENGLISH
International Appeal
THE ESPERANTO LEAGUE for FREEDOM in HOKKAIDO
(in Esperanto abbreviation, L.E.A. HOKKAIDO),
1-3-13 Asabu, Kitaku, Sapporo, JAPAN, JP001-0045,
TEL/FAX +81-(0)11-717-4189, e-mail : naoto_5esperanto@ybb.ne.jp