Anationalism ( eo, sennaciismo) is a term originating from the community of
Esperanto
Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...
speakers. It denotes a range of
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
political concepts that combine some or all of the following tendencies and ideas:
*radical antinationalism,
*
universalism
Universalism is the philosophical and theological concept that some ideas have universal application or applicability.
A belief in one fundamental truth is another important tenet in universalism. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching th ...
,
*"
one-world-ism",
*acceptance of the historic trend toward
linguistic homogenization on a world scale, and in some cases even a striving to accelerate that trend,
*the necessity of
political education and organization of the world
proletariat
The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose only possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a proletarian. Marxist philo ...
in accordance with those ideas, and
*the utility of Esperanto as an instrument of such political education.
Although conceived within the World Anational Association (''SAT'', ''
Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda
Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda (SAT; en, World Anational Association) is an independent worldwide cultural Esperanto association of a general left-wing orientation. Its headquarters are in Paris. According to Jacques Schram, chairman of the Executi ...
'') and promoted by its founder
Eugène Lanti
Eugène Lanti was a pseudonym of Eugène Adam (19 July 1879 in Normandy, France – 17 January 1947 in Mexico). Lanti was an Esperanto, Esperantist, socialist and writer. He was a founder of Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, and a longtime editor of t ...
, anationalism is not espoused by that organization as its official ideology.
History
Precursors
Anationalistic ideas appeared in embryonic form in the plan for an "International Esperantist Workers' Federation" put forth by the Bohemian Esperantist Workers' Federation before World War I. These ideas, having gained impetus as a result of the war, were central to the thinking of the founders of SAT in 1921. They are very apparent in
Lanti's work ''For la Neŭtralismon!'' ("Away with Neutralism!"), which first appeared under the pseudonym "Sennaciulo" ("Nationless Man").
The first members of SAT often regarded anationalism as a kind of all-embracing overall ideology of SAT, and liked to call themselves "sennaciuloj" ("nationless people"). Nevertheless, prior to the publication of Lanti's ''Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj'' ("Manifesto of the Anationalists") "anationalism" was a term that was applied to several rather diverse ideas. For many members of SAT who espoused anationalism at that time, it simply meant "(proletarian) internationalism plus Esperanto" or it signified a workers' version of
L.L. Zamenhof's ''
homaranismo''.
A comparison of ''ABC de Sennaciismo'' written by
Elsudo (Kolchinski) and published by SAT, with the ''Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj'' ("Manifesto of the Anationalists") shows how large a gap existed between various concepts of anationalism. Elsudo clearly defines SAT in his work as a "movement for anationalism".
Ernst Drezen at the time of the schism in the workers' Esperanto movement of the 1930s, reproached SAT not so much for its "anationalism", something the communists within SAT had previously advocated as they understood it, but for its "Lanti-brand anationalism".
Little by little, a concept of anationalism was formulated in articles by Lanti in the organs of SAT.
A more stringent formulation
In 1928, Lanti published a brochure, ''La Laborista Esperantismo'' ("Worker Esperantism"), in which he devoted an entire chapter to the definition of the new term. The anationalist tendency had previously encountered no opposition in the non-partisan organization. But in 1929 SAT entered a crisis, and anationalism became the main argument used by the opposition to attack the organization's leadership.
That opposition claimed that anationalism was pro-
imperialist
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
and, as such, "
counterrevolutionary
A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revoluti ...
". The sudden and unexpected attack moved Lanti to publish anonymously in 1931 a brochure in 3000 copies: ''Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj'', which was later translated into several languages, including a French version that appeared in 2000 copies.
Anationalism was defined as follows in that manifesto: ''"What characterizes anationalism is not primarily its acknowledgement of the huge role played by production of artifacts in the world. It is that capability that has made man the king of other living beings. Human beings adapt nature to their own needs, while animals must
adapt to nature. Anationalists therefore do not deny the great strength that lies in the human will. They do not doubt that humans cannot shed their own weight or jump away from their own shadow. Nevertheless, the limited space in which man is free to act is relatively large. His will can thus engender great works. We therefore believe that the
fateful laws of history are only relative."''
The following quotation from the same work, which provides for a more precise understanding of the new doctrine, was denounced in its time by
Stalinist
Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory o ...
internationalists for clearly contradicting the then prevailing theory of "construction of
socialism in one country
Socialism in one country was a Soviet state policy to strengthen socialism within the country rather than socialism globally. Given the defeats of the 1917–1923 European communist revolutions, Joseph Stalin and Nikolai Bukharin encouraged the ...
": ''"The anationalists combat all that is national: national languages and cultures, national customs and traditions. For them, Esperanto is their primary language and they consider national languages to be merely auxiliary. They refuse to participate in any national struggle and they acknowledge as necessary and advantageous to the
exploited class only
class struggle
Class conflict, also referred to as class struggle and class warfare, is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society because of socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor.
The forms ...
that seeks to eliminate classes, nationalities and all forms of exploitation."'' (ibid.)
As the heretical doctrine that was so expressed met up with opposition in SAT, the anationalists coalesced to form a faction independent of the organization, which they continued to support fervently. They began to publish the ''Sennaciista Bulteno'' ("Anationalist Bulletin") on a fairly regular basis.
Anarchism
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...
as a political movement was very supportive during this time of anationalism as well as of the Esperanto language.
["Anarkiistoj estis inter la pioniroj de la disvastigo de Esperanto. En 1905 fondiĝis en Stokholmo la unua anarkiisma Esperanto-grupo. Sekvis multaj aliaj: en Bulgario, Ĉinio kaj aliaj landoj. Anarkiistoj kaj anarki-sindikatistoj, kiuj antaŭ la Unua Mondmilito apartenis al la nombre plej granda grupo inter la proletaj esperantistoj, fondis en 1906 la internacian ligon Paco-Libereco, kiu eldonis la Internacian Socian Revuon. Paco-libereco unuiĝis en 1910 kun alia progresema asocio, Esperantista Laboristaro. La komuna organizaĵo nomiĝis Liberiga Stelo. Ĝis 1914 tiu organizaĵo eldonis multe da revolucia literaturo en Esperanto, interalie ankaŭ anarkiisma. Tial povis evolui en la jaroj antaŭ la Unua Mondmilito ekzemple vigla korespondado inter eŭropaj kaj japanaj anarkiistoj. En 1907 la Internacia Anarkiisma Kongreso en Amsterdamo faris rezolucion pri la afero de internacia lingvo, kaj venis dum la postaj jaroj similaj kongresaj rezolucioj. Esperantistoj, kiuj partoprenis tiujn kongresojn, okupiĝis precipe pri la internaciaj rilatoj de la anarkiistoj]
"ESPERANTO KAJ ANARKIISMO" by Will Firth
/ref>["Proliferarán así diversos grupos que practicarán el excursionismo, el naturismo, el nudismo, la emancipación sexual o el esperantismo, alrededor de asociaciones informales vinculadas de una manera o de otra al anarquismo. Precisamente las limitaciones a las asociaciones obreras impuestas desde la legislación especial de la Dictadura potenciarán indirectamente esta especie de asociacionismo informal en que confluirá el movimiento anarquista con esta heterogeneidad de prácticas y tendencias. Uno de los grupos más destacados, que será el impulsor de la revista individualista '' Ética'' será el Ateneo Naturista Ecléctico, con sede en Barcelona, con sus diferentes secciones la más destacada de las cuales será el grupo excursionista Sol y Vida." _After_the_ and Catalan nationalists, among whom the use of Esperanto was extensive.]
La utilización del esperanto durante la Guerra Civil Española
', Toño del Barrio
TONO is a Norwegian corporation that administers copyrights for music in Norway.
It is owned and governed by its members; composers, music publishers and text-writers. Through the managing agreement the originators give TONO an exclusive right to ...
and Ulrich Lins Ulrich (), is a German given name, derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements '' uodal-'' meaning "(noble) heritage" and ''-rich'' meaning "rich, powerful". Attested from the 8th century as the name of A ...
. Paper for the International Congress on the Spanish Civil War, (Madrid, 27–29 November 2006).
After the death of Lanti
After Lanti's death in 1947 and the post-war reconstitution of SAT, the anationalists revived their SAT faction in 1948 under the chairmanship of R. Roberts. Anationalists in SAT initiated and funded two reeditions of the ''Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj'' (1951 and 1971) and several other of Lanti's writings on anationalism.
In 1978, the SAT congress in Lectoure passed a resolution over the objections of the anationalists, which declared, among other things: ''"The preservation of ethnic language and culture is linked to the struggle for a new social order, and, as such, is part of the general efforts on the part of SAT's members to achieve justice and individual liberty."''
During the 80's, while T. Burnell was the secretary of the Anationalist Faction, a ''Declaration on Anationalism'' was passed, which emphasized the struggle of the anationalists against nationalism and in favor of a general individual right to self-determination including the individual right to define one's own identity as an exercise of free will. The faction remained active, with the exception of periods of inactivity during the 80's and 90's, during which the debate over anationalism continued unabated in ''Sennaciulo'', the monthly organ of SAT.
Today
At the 2001 ''Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda'' (SAT) congress in Nagykanizsa
Nagykanizsa (; hr, Velika Kaniža/Velika Kanjiža, or just ''Kaniža/Kanjiža''; german: Großkirchen, Groß-Kanizsa; it, Canissa; sl, Velika Kaniža; tr, Kanije), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southw ...
(Hungary), the Anationalist Faction of SAT was reestablished as a result of renewed interest in anationalism and related subjects, which had evidenced itself previously, when an "anationalism" internet mailing list
A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is re ...
was founded. During that meeting another ''Declaration on Anationalism'' was passed, which was a revised version of the previous declaration.
The presently active anationalists in the Anationalist Faction cultivate and develop the universalistic and (radical) antinationalist currents of thought that were characteristic of previous formulations of anationalism. Their orientation is less strictly Lantian than that of previous generations of anationalists, and they do not seek to achieve doctrinal uniformity. Some members of the Faction work to oppose ideologies that have become very influential within the general Esperanto movement in the past decades: ethnism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
, the instrumentalization of Esperanto in favor of various sorts of identity politics
Identity politics is a political approach wherein people of a particular race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social background, social class, or other identifying factors develop political agendas that are based upon these i ...
, differentialism (ethnopluralism
Ethnopluralism or ethno-pluralism, also known as ethno-differentialism, is a political concept which relies on preserving and mutually respecting separate and bordered ethno-cultural regions. Among the key components are the "right to difference" ( ...
) and language nationalism and purism
Purism, referring to the arts, was a movement that took place between 1918 and 1925 that influenced French painting and architecture. Purism was led by Amédée Ozenfant and Charles Edouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier). Ozenfant and Le Corbusier fo ...
(so-called "language defence").
Outside of SAT and the Anationalist Faction there are also a number of Esperantists that adhere in various degrees to anationalist ideas. Anationalism has generally not been propagated outside the Esperanto-speaking community. Lanti justified this in Chapter 5 of ''La Laborista Esperantismo'' with the statement that "disseminating anationalism among those who differ by language would be as foolish as teaching literature to illiterates". This view, however, has been modified at times, as national language translations of the ''Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj'' were published out of the conviction that this would help to popularize Esperanto. The ''Manifesto'', moreover, concludes with a direct appeal to non-speakers of Esperanto: "The anationalists call upon the workers of the whole world: Learn Esperanto! Esperantists denationalize yourselves!"
See also
* National indifference
* Global citizenship
Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives ...
References
External links
Anationalist faction of SAT
(excerpts) by E. Lanti
by Toño del Barrio
{{Anarchism
Anti-nationalism
Esperanto culture
Political terminology
World government
Anarchist theory
Cosmopolitanism
Internationalism
National identity