Official press release

TEJO introduces English as official working language.

Today the TEJO board (now known as WEYO - World Esperanto Youth Organization, sometimes confused as the World English Youth Organization) has decided to introduce English as its official working language due to outside pressures from the European Union, United Nations and especially, UNESCO. We also plan to no longer use the "special letters" of Esperanto in official documents in favor of a more English alphabet as recommended on the discussion list "esperanto-in-britain".


The planning of this new initiative began when Christopher Culver (American) was the full-time volunteer in the central office of WEYO in Rotterdam. Also, the choice of Chuck Smith (American) as the new volunteer was part of WEYO's strategy. "In 2004, we will be hiring a full-time employee and are currently searching English native speakers for this position. Having a native speaker is important in moving toward a more professional organization. Along these lines, we also plan to move the central office to Washington, DC by April 1, 2004," emphasizes Holger Bose, president of WEYO, "because we prefer American English rather than British English. It's time to leave this old Europe!"

With this new initiative we have started free English courses in the new US troops liberalized countries under the title "Language of Power" with great success! We have also encouraged that these students have penpals in the United States, England and Australia to give the class a more international atmosphere. Bose, as a professional English teacher, remarks, "This is a great way to prepare the world for peace and empower the people there."

The new slogan of WEYO has also been announced today as "Esperanto: everyone's second international language". Mark Lins, board member of WEYO, replies: "We've been waiting a long time to make these changes and we're finally glad to have the support of the Esperanto youth community with these decisions. God bless America!" Sonya Petrovic, another WEYO-board member, replied about the pre-IJK language course, "The idea to have English courses alongside our Esperanto course has brought many more interested applicants. In fact, it even seems like more people are interested in learning English than Esperanto."

Here's the translation for those of you who don't feel like reading the English version:

Gazetara komuniko

TEJO enkondukas la anglan kiel oficialan laborlingvon

Hodiaw la estraro de TEJO (nun WEYO - World Esperanto Youth Organization, foje konfuzata kiel World English Youth Organization) decidis enkonduki la anglan kiel ghian oficialan laborlingvon pro eksteraj premoj de la Ewropa Unio, Unuighintaj Nacioj, kaj speciale, UNESCO. Ni ankaw planas ne plu uzi la "specialajn literojn" de Esperanto en oficialaj dokumentoj favore al pli angla alfabeto law rekomendo en la diskutlisto "Esperanto-in-Britain".

La planado de chi tiu iniciativo komencigxis kiam Christopher Culver (Usonano) estis la plentempa volontulo en la centra oficejo de WEYO en Rotterdam. Ankaw, la elekto de Chuck Smith (Usonano) kiel la nova volontulo estis parto de WEYO's strategio. "En 2004, ni dungos plentempan oficiston kaj ni nun serchas English native speakers por chi tiu posteno. Havi native English speaker gravas por progresi al pli profesia organizo. Chi tial, ni planas transloghigi la centran oficejon al Washington, DC antaw la 1a de aprilo, 2004," emfazas Holger Bose, prezidanto de WEYO, "char ni preferas la usonan anglan pli ol la britan. Jam temp' está foriri de malnova Ewropo!"

Kun chi tiu nova iniciato, ni komencis senpagajn anglajn kursojn en tiu nova "liberigita" lando de Usono sub la titolo "Lingvo de Forto" kun granda sukceso! Ni kuraghigas ke tiuj homoj havu plumamikojn en Usono, Anglio, kaj Awstralio por doni pli internacian etoson. Bose, kiel profesia instruisto de la angla, rimarkas, "Jen bonega vojo por prepari la mondon por paco kaj doni forton al la homoj tie."

La nova frapfrazo de WEYO ankaw estis anoncita hodiaw kiel "Esperanto: chies dua internacia lingvo". Mark Lins, estrarano de WEYO, komentas: "Ni atendis longan tempon por fari chi tiujn shangojn kaj ni finfine ghojas vidi la subtenon de la Esperanto-junularo pri la decidoj. Dio benu Usonon!" Sonya Petrovic, alia WEYO-estrarano, respondis pri la antaw-IJK-a lingvokurso, "La ideo havi anglajn kursojn aldone al nia Esperanto-kurso portis multajn interesatojn. Fakte, shajnas ke pli da homoj interesighas lerni la anglan ol Esperanton."

------------------------------------------------------
WORLD * ESPERANTO * YOUTH * ORGANISATION
TUTMONDA * ESPERANTISTA * JUNULARA * ORGANIZO
TEJO Headquarters
Nieuwe Binnenweg 176, NL-3015 BJ Rotterdam, The Netherlands
tel. +31-10-436 1044, fax +31-10-436 1751
e-mail: aprilsherco@tejo.org, WWW: http://www.tejo.org/
------------------------------------------------------