The World Esperanto Youth Organization ( eo, Tutmonda Esperantista Junulara Organizo, TEJO) is an organization dedicated to supporting young Esperanto speakers around the world and promote the use 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 ...
. TEJO was founded in 1938 as the ''Tutmonda Junular-Organizo'' (World Youth Organization) and took its current name in 1952. In 1956, TEJO became the youth section of the
Universal Esperanto Association
The Universal Esperanto Association ( eo, Universala Esperanto-Asocio, UEA), also known as the World Esperanto Association, is the largest international organization of Esperanto speakers, with 5501 individual members in 121 countries and 9215 th ...
(UEA). In 1971, the finances and administration of TEJO were fully integrated into those of UEA.
TEJO is an
organization
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived from ...
for young
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. TEJO has individual members as well as member organizations. There are 42 member organizations, as well as 13 national organizations that TEJO has contact with but that are not members.
TEJO organizes an
International Youth Congress (''Internacia Junulara Kongreso'') each year in a different location around the world. During the IJK there are concerts, presentations, excursions, and recreation, usually one week long and attended by a few hundred young people from several countries.
TEJO also publishes the
Pasporta Servo
The Pasporta Servo ( en, Passport Service) is a hospitality exchange service available both online and in print that lists people in Esperanto culture who are willing to offer free homestays to speakers of Esperanto. It is maintained by the Wor ...
, which is an international hospitality network of Esperanto speakers that accept Esperanto-speaking guests.
TEJO publishes ''
Kontakto
''Kontakto'' is an Esperanto magazine published by TEJO and supported by the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA). The magazine has readers in about 90 countries of the world. It started in 1963 through a proposal of the UEA committee by Humphre ...
'', a magazine aimed at beginners and youth.
TEJO organizes several youth seminars each year. These seminars bring together an international group of young people to discuss a current issue. Past seminars have focused on
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
,
globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
, language problems on
minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities. With a total number of 196 sovereign states recognized internationally (as of 2019) and ...
s,
intercomprehension and the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
. The seminars last for one week.
Timeline
*1920: World Esperantist Youth Association (TEJA) was established (and several years later "fell asleep")
*1938: During the first International Youth Congress (IJK) in Groet, Netherlands, according to a decision of more than 200 participants from 10 countries the World Youth Organization (TJO) was born.
*1939: The second
IJK took place in
Tervuren
Tervuren () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636. The total a ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
*1947: TJO became a special section of the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA)
*1948: The organization "Native Esperanto speakers" became part of TJO. The third IJK took place in
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and it's taken place every year since then.
*1952: During the 8th IJK in Ry, Denmark, TJO became TEJO (the World Esperanto Youth Organization). In that period TEJO was going through a financial and structural crisis.
*1956: During the 12th IJK in Büsum, Germany, the committee of TEJO proposed that TEJO become the youth section and an integral part of UEA. A period of internal reorganization started.
*1960: The reorganization process was concluded during the 16th IJK in Rotterdam, Netherlands. TEJO opened itself to the outside world by starting cooperation with several non-Esperanto YNOs.
*1963: ''
Kontakto
''Kontakto'' is an Esperanto magazine published by TEJO and supported by the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA). The magazine has readers in about 90 countries of the world. It started in 1963 through a proposal of the UEA committee by Humphre ...
'', an international magazine of TEJO, was born. It continues to be published six times a year and is a magazine in Esperanto, but not about Esperanto.
*1964: PR became the focus of attention. Several brochures and flyers were published in national languages and special group for contacts with other youth organizations was established.
*1965: The first of a series of seminars was organized in
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, Yugoslavia (today
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
), with the goal of discussing the language problem and exchange experiences with different YNOs. Seminars soon also discussed more practical topics, such as exchange of experiences between generations and other issues of youth work.
*1966: At the same time as the most successful IJK took place (more than 900 young people participated), TEJO went through a serious financial crisis. TEJO became a correspondent member of the UNESCO's
Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service. In
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
the "Programme Passport" was launched, which turned into "
Pasporta Servo
The Pasporta Servo ( en, Passport Service) is a hospitality exchange service available both online and in print that lists people in Esperanto culture who are willing to offer free homestays to speakers of Esperanto. It is maintained by the Wor ...
" (a network of Esperanto speakers around the globe willing to host other Esperanto speakers for a limited time, a forerunner of Couchsurfing) several years later
*1979: TEJO was accepted by the Geneva Informal Meeting, GIM.
*1980: TEJO organized its first seminar at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg (EYC-S).
*1983: TEJO Tutmonde, another one of TEJO's magazines, related to the organization itself, was launched.
*2017: The first international youth congress that took place in Africa, in Togo.
*2020: the first international youth congress that entirely took place in the internet, because of the
Coronavirus crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
External links
* (in over 25 languages)
{{European Youth Forum
Youth organizations established in 1938
Esperanto organizations
Youth-led organizations
Youth organisations based in the Netherlands
Esperanto in the Netherlands
International nongovernmental organizations