Esperanta Civito
Esperanta Civito | |
| File:Esperanta Civito - blazono.png | |
| Abbreviation | EC |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Civito |
| Formation | 2001 |
Membership (2024) | 432 |
Official language | Esperanto, French (only for diplomacy) |
Consul | Lorena Bellotti |
| Publication | Heroldo Komunikas |
| Website | https://www.esperantio.net/ |
The Esperanto Citizenry (in Esperanto: Esperanta Civito; in French:[1] Cité Esperantienne) is a sui generis political entity, non-territorial in nature, which is organized as a subject of international law with Esperanto as its official language.[2] Officially established on 2 June 2001, its main defining features are its federal organizational structure—as a union of various Esperanto-speaking entities—and the principle of jus sermonis, meaning that citizenship is granted on the basis of belonging to a linguistic community (in this case, Esperanto), rather than on the basis of blood or territory.[3]
Organization
The Esperanto Citizenry can be understood as an attempt to provide an institutional framework to the Esperanto diaspora. The Pact for Citizenry was signed in Switzerland, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in 1998, and from it arose, in 2001, the organization itself, with the signing of the Constitution of Sabbioneta.[4]
The Citizenry is a collective that seeks to strengthen the connections among Esperantists who feel they belong not to a movement, but to a diasporic and stateless linguistic community.[5] For this reason, the Citizenry is not a state, nor does it have an ideology or a territory. In this respect, it resembles entities such as the Knights of Malta or the Holy See.
Ideas central to the Citizenry include respect for human rights, adherence to a federal and non-centralized model, and the conviction that Esperanto is not only a tool of communication or artistic expression, but also, and above all, a marker of identity—that is, an integral part of an Esperantist's identity. This concept belongs to the current of thought known as Raumism.[6]
The aim of the Citizenry is to advance its transnational values and to emphasize the role of Esperanto as an alternative language of communication for a diasporic community, rather than as a second language for all humanity.[7]
The Citizenry is joined by associated entities (paktintaj establoj),[8] which constitute the federal components of the organization:
| Entity | Land |
|---|---|
| Esperanto-Societo Sukceso | Bulgaria |
| Heroldo de Esperanto | Switzerland |
| Kultura Centro Esperantista | Switzerland |
| Literatura Foiro | Switzerland |
| Esperantista Domo de Kulturo | Bulgaria |
| Kooperativo de Literatura Foiro | Switzerland |
| Interlingvistika Centro | Switzerland |
| Esperanta PEN-Centro | Switzerland |
| Esperanto Poitou-Charentes | France |
| ASSI Scout | Italy |
| Feminisma Esperanta Movado | Switzerland |
| Studenta Esperanta Ligo | Italy |
| Kooperativo Esperanto-Amikaro | Venezuela |
| Societo Internacia por Paco Universala | Burundi |
| Hilelista Esperanto-Komunumo | Cameroon |
| Esperanta Naturamikaro | Spain |
| Societo Solidareco Bona Volo | Dem. Rep. Congo |
| Fajszi Amika Rondo | Hungary |
| Kotdivuara Esperanto-Asocio | Côte d'Ivoire |
| Islama Esperanto Klubo | Burundi |
| Unio de Esperantistoj por la Disvolvo de Uviro | Dem. Rep. Congo |
| Afrika Esperanto-Instituto | Burundi |
| Civila Esperanta Servo | Burundi |
Characteristics
Constitutional chart
The fundamental norms of the Citizenry are set out in the Constitutional Charter of 2001,[4] which is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and on the Pact for Esperanto Citizenry(1998).[9]
The Citizenry has a structure similar to that of a presidential republic. The legislative institution is the Parliament,[10] composed of the Forum (which represents the associated entities) and the Senate (which represents the citizens); both chambers are presided over by the Consul. The Consul is also the head of the executive power, which is held by the Chapter: alongside the Consul sit the First Vice Consul (elected together with the Consul on a joint ticket during elections) and other vice consuls (up to a maximum of seven).[11] The judiciary belongs to the Court, elected by the Forum, the upper chamber, every two years.[12]
As a federal entity, the institutions of the Citizenry are subsidiary to the associated entities: the Chapter has no right to infringe upon their competences or to deprive them of their prerogatives. On the contrary, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the Citizenry tends, in cases of doubt, to favor the delegation of competences to the entities rather than creating ad hoc institutions to exercise them.
Institutions
| Parliamentary group | Name | Main language of education |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Lorena Bellotti | Italian |
| Green | Charlotte Florence Batuseka | French |
| Green | Manuela Blanco | Spanish |
| Green | Giorgio Di Nucci | Italian |
| Green | Rubèn Fernández | Spanish, Catalan |
| Green | Alessio Giordano | Italian |
| Green | Antonio Justicia | Spanish |
| Green | Miroslava Kirova | Bulgarian |
| Green | Perla Martinelli | Italian |
| Green | Laura Miller | English |
| Green | Fernando Pita | Portuguese |
| Green | Hubert Michael Schweizer | German |
| White | Anna Bartek (Anjo Amika) | Hungarian |
| White | Lucien Kagina | Kirundi, French |
| White | Abdoulrahman Bukuru | Kirundi, French |
| White | Tihomir Lovriĉ | Croatian |
| White | Honoré Sebuhoro | French |
| White | Kalle Vilbaste | Estonian |
| Associated entity | Member(s) of the Forum |
|---|---|
| Esperanto-Societo Sukceso | Aleksandar Holevitch |
| Heroldo de Esperanto | Herman Deceuninck, Giorgio Silfer |
| Kultura Centro Esperantista | Giuseppe Pranzo Zaccaria |
| Literatura Foiro | Giacomo Comincini |
| Esperantista Domo de Kulturo | Dimitrinka Kateva, Ivaniĉka Maĝarova |
| Kooperativo de Literatura Foiro | Marc Hiltbrand |
| Interlingvistika Centro | Cristina Stefani, Marco Picasso |
| Esperanta PEN-Centro | Georgi Miĥalkov |
| Esperanto Poitou-Charentes | Patrick Boursicot |
| ASSI Scout | vacant |
| Feminisma Esperanta Movado | Roland Eriksson |
| Studenta Esperanta Ligo | Prosper Ntuzwenimana |
| Kooperativo Esperanto-Amikaro | Mayra Núñez Hernández, Nancy Aquino Acevado |
| Societo Internacia por Paco Universala | Libéré Mudende, Frederiko Nimubona |
| Hilelista Esperanto-Komunumo | Raymond Brisebois |
| Esperanta Naturamikaro | Antonio Vazquez |
| Societo Solidareco Bona Volo | Alphonse Waseka |
| Fajszi Amika Rondo | Peter Szilvássy |
| Kotdivuara Esperanto-Asocio | Antoine Kouablan |
| Islama Esperanto Klubo | Annas Ahishakiye, Shabani Muruta |
| Unio de Esperantistoj por la Disvolvo de Uviro | Sylvestre Mogumbekere |
| Afrika Esperanto-Instituto | Jean-Sacha Barikumutima, Janvier Ndericimpaye |
| Civila Esperanta Servo | François-Mauriack Nunda |
| Parliamentary title | Name | Executive role |
|---|---|---|
| senator | Lorena Bellotti | Consul |
| senator | Manuela Blanco | First Vice Consul
vice consul for internal affairs |
| member of the Forum | Giacomo Comincini | vice consul for information |
| senator | Rubèn Fernández | vice consul for libraries and archives |
| senator | Alessio Giordano | vice consul for education |
| senator | Miroslava Kirova | vice consul for social affairs |
| member of the Forum | Giorgio Silfer | vice consul for finances |
Schemes
Political life
The main actors in the political life of the Citizenry are the parties, which take part in Senate elections through electoral lists. Since 2001, the Green List (progressive, environmentalist, and secular) has always held the majority in the Senate and, consequently, all Consuls elected so far have come from this faction.[13] The White List, conservative and confessionalist, has always been the principal opposition group, although for several years there also existed a Red List, of socialist orientation.
Every five years, elections are held for the Senate. The Forum is not elected by the citizens, as it is the representative chamber of the associated entities; its members are in fact appointed by these entities and hold a theoretically unlimited mandate, as long as the entity maintains the delegation. However, the electoral law, which follows the D'Hondt method, assigns six Senate seats to the winning list as a majority bonus.[14]
Simbols of the Citizenry
In addition to the aforementioned institutions, the Citizenry has many other features usually associated with a state—except, of course, for a territory and an army. Among these are:
- Flag (the traditional one of the movement);
- Anthem (La Espero);[15]
- Civic Bank;
- Language Committee;[16]
- Motto: (E pluribus ultra, "from the many, beyond");
- Official bulletin (Heroldo Komunikas);[17]
- Holidays (14 April: Day of Remembrance of All Pioneers; 2 June: Esperanto Language Day; 10 August: Day of the Esperanto Citizenry; 15 December: Esperanto Culture Day).
Citizens
Membership in the Citizenry, itself referred to as citizenship, is free of charge and granted for life. Every five years, the Citizenry conducts a census:
| Year | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2019 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens | 275 | 401 | 433 | 459 | 432 |
A decisive prerequisite for requesting Esperanto citizenship is perceiving oneself as part of a diasporic people characterized by a minority language. Citizenship grants access to discounts for services offered by the associated entities, as well as the possibility of taking part in the political life of the Citizenry, by voting and standing as a candidate.
To apply for citizenship, one must be able to speak Esperanto. It is sufficient to contact one of the associated entities, which will take charge of the citizenship acquisition process. Citizenship can also be acquired by kinship: in this case, no associated entity is required to sponsor the application, but a Citizenry-recognized language certification (according to the 'LTSEC system')[18] is necessary.[19]
International relations
The Esperanto Citizenry has, as its main instrument for managing international relations, so-called legations (in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Stockholm, Budapest, and, from 2026, Bujumbura).[20]
Some associated entities participate individually, on behalf of the Citizenry, in international organizations: for example, the Esperanto Cultural Center (KCE) within the Association of Language Testers in Europe,[21] the Esperantist Friends of Nature (ENa) within Naturfreunde Internationale, or the Esperanto PEN Center within PEN International.
Notes
- ↑ French is used as a diplomatic language, being the only United Nations language that is official also in Switzerland, the Council of Europe, and the African Union.
- ↑ Destrutturalismo (29 June 2020). "Civitas esperantica, ius sermonis • Antiche Curiosità". Antiche Curiosità. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Raŭmismo | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Konstitucia Ĉarto | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Responde al oftaj demandoj | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "La raŭma vojo – Pri ni". Literatura Foiro (in français). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Sul popolo esperantiano". Treccani (in italiano). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Establoj | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Normaro | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Parlamento | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Kapitulo | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Kortumo | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Konsulo | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Rezultoj de la skrutinioj por la Senato 2025–29 | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Kantaro | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Lingva Komitato | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Heroldo Komunikas | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Lingvotestado | Esperanta Kulturservo". kulturservo.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Lex Valeria | Esperanta Civito". esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "La orienta legacio estas translokita | Esperanta Civito". www.esperantio.net. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) – Our Associate Members". www.alte.org. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
This article "Esperanta Civito" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Esperanta Civito. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
.png){kind=link}
