Esperanto-USA

(I am writing this in English, because enthusiastic beginners may gets some ideas from this project.)

The project is called 'A Language Festival'. Here is a summary:
1. Find a large room to hold the festival
2. Invite some people to each make a 15-minute presentation about a language other than English. That is, one person will present French, another Russian, etc.
3. Invite the general public to attend and listen to these presentations about various languages.
4. Start the festival by introducing the Esperanto group as the sponsor, and ask the audience to pick up Esperanto brochures from the side tables before they leave.

I have never organized such a festival, but I did participate in one last year in Parma, Italy. In that case there were about 20 presenters (and so 20 languages). Because of the large number of presenters, the presentations were done three or four at a time in the courtyard of the public library.

Benefits:
-- The festival will attract people who are interested in languages. These are prime candidates for Esperanto.
-- Newspapers, radio and other media are more likely to publish/broadcast information about a language festival than about Esperanto, because the festival appeals to cultural diversity.
--The audience is reminded of the many different languages in the world, and so the idea of a 'language problem' is more readily accepted.

Other advantages:
--The organizers of the festival do not have to speak Esperanto well, so anyone in the Esperanto group can participate in organizing the project.
-- Other groups interested in cultural diversity and cultural exchange can help organize the festival. These other groups can be a good source of presenters.
--The presenters do not have to be fluent in the language they are presenting. They just have to know enough to make a 15 minute presentation (mostly in English).

A word of warning: The organizing group must include a strong 'policeman', who will stop each presentation after 15 minutes, so the next presenter can begin. A Q and A period can be scheduled after all presentations are done.

Bill Harris