Czech Esperanto Youth

Czech Esperanto Youth (Esperanto: Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Junularo, ĈEJ; Czech: Česká esperantská mládež) is a youth cultural association active in the Czech Republic. Its stated aim is to bring together young Esperanto speakers in the Czech Republic and to promote the international language Esperanto among the general public as a lively and functional means of intercultural communication. The association supports the ideals of linguistic democracy and cultural diversity, and campaigns against racism and xenophobia. Internationally, ĈEJ is the Czech section of TEJO, the World Esperanto Youth Organization, which, like the Universal Esperanto Association, cooperates with UNESCO. The organization was officially founded in 2005 by students Marek Blahuš, Dagmar Chvátalová and Tomáš Břicháček, taking up the legacy of 50 years of youth activism in the Czech Esperanto movement. Its membership consists of ordinary members aged between 15 and 29, collaborators of any age, and honorary members. Although formally independent from the Czech Esperanto Association (Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Asocio), ĈEJ maintains particularly close cooperation with it. ĈEJ's roots go back to the early 1950s, when the communist regime dissolved the Czechoslovak Esperanto organization and the movement survived only through small local circles. Young Esperantists played an important role even then, establishing an annual meeting (the Summer Esperanto Camp) at Lančov and publishing bulletins such as Junularo agu!, Tagiĝo and Fajrero!. After the political changes of 1968, the national Esperanto association was re-founded in 1969, initially only in the Czech part, under the name Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Asocio, with a youth section. A new generation organized seminars for activists in the 1970s and 1980s, and after the Velvet Revolution of 1989–1990 further activists emerged. The youth section's last activities ended in 1998, followed by a pause of several years until the foundation of ĈEJ in 2005.

The history of organized Czech Esperanto youth activism begins in the early 1950s. From 1952, when the communist regime dissolved the Czechoslovak Esperanto organization, the Esperanto movement in the country remained active only through the work of small local circles. Young Esperantists played an important role already then: they established an annual meeting, the Summer Esperanto Camp (Somera Esperanto-Tendaro) at Lančov, and published bulletins including Junularo agu! ("Youth, act!"), Tagiĝo ("Dawn") and Fajrero! ("Spark!"). The main figures of the youth Esperanto movement in Czechoslovakia in those years were Pavel Sittauer, Jan Werner, Drahomír Kočvara and Vlastimil Novobilský. The new political climate that emerged after the dramatic events of 1968 (the Prague Spring) allowed the national Esperanto association to be re-founded in 1969, initially only in the Czech part, under the name Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Asocio. The association established a youth section, in which figures such as Ivo Železný, Mikuláš Nevan and Aleš Nedomlel distinguished themselves. Between the 1970s and 1980s a new generation of young people began organizing seminars for activists; among them were Marie Vančurová, Miroslav Malovec, Vladimír Škoda, Jan Navrátil, Jiří Tomeček, Pavla Dvořáková and others. After the Velvet Revolution of 1989–1990, figures such as Lucie Karešová, Renata Beranová, Jana Burianová, Pavla Dvořáková and Vlaďka Chvátalová appeared on the Esperanto scene. The last activities of this group ended in 1998, after which the youth section of ĈEA entered a pause in its activities that was to last several years. Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Junularo was officially founded in 2005 by students Marek Blahuš, Dagmar Chvátalová and Tomáš Břicháček, taking up the legacy of 50 years of youth activism in the Czech Esperanto movement. Its members include ordinary members aged between 15 and 29, collaborators of any age, and honorary members. Formally independent from the Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Asocio, ĈEJ maintains particularly close cooperation with it. The association is the Czech section of TEJO, the World Esperanto Youth Organization, which like the Universal Esperanto Association cooperates with UNESCO.

• 2005

  Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Junularo officially founded by students Marek Blahuš, Dagmar Chvátalová and Tomáš Břicháček.

• 1998

  Last activities of the youth section of ĈEA end, followed by a pause of several years.

• 1969

  National Esperanto association re-founded as Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Asocio, initially only in the Czech part, with a youth section.

• 1952

  Communist regime dissolves the Czechoslovak Esperanto organization; movement continues through local circles and youth-led annual camps at Lančov.

Youth cultural association promoting Esperanto, linguistic democracy and cultural diversity; Czech section of TEJO.

1. 1Czech Esperanto Youth - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Ĉeĥa Esperanto-Junularo - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org