ZAGREB, July 22 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Sunday opened the 86th annual world congress of Esperantists at the Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall in Zagreb. The topic of the July 21-28 event, which has gathered about 2,000
Esperantists from 57 countries, is the culture of dialogue-dialogue among cultures. "Ours is a time of communication, and for it to be successful and make sense communication has to be comprehensible," President Mesic said, adding the message of Esperanto was understanding and communication, talking and negotiating. "I think I am not mistaken in saying Esperanto carries a message of peace," added Mesic, under whose auspices the congress is held. Recalling that Zagreb had already hosted an Esperanto congress some 50 years ago, Mesic said a lot had changed since then in the world and in Croatia. "Only the desire of you enthusiasts speaking Esperanto to make the world we live
ZAGREB, July 22 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Sunday opened the
86th annual world congress of Esperantists at the Vatroslav
Lisinski concert hall in Zagreb.
The topic of the July 21-28 event, which has gathered about 2,000
Esperantists from 57 countries, is the culture of dialogue-
dialogue among cultures.
"Ours is a time of communication, and for it to be successful and
make sense communication has to be comprehensible," President
Mesic said, adding the message of Esperanto was understanding and
communication, talking and negotiating.
"I think I am not mistaken in saying Esperanto carries a message of
peace," added Mesic, under whose auspices the congress is held.
Recalling that Zagreb had already hosted an Esperanto congress some
50 years ago, Mesic said a lot had changed since then in the world
and in Croatia. "Only the desire of you enthusiasts speaking
Esperanto to make the world we live in better hasn't changed."
"Esperanto doesn't negate or push anyone aside. Even though it has
encountered difficulties and antagonism in its long history it has
still managed to survive, as evidenced by today's congress," said
Mesic, adding that in today's world of globalisation the language
could only gain in importance.
The purpose of Esperanto is achieving fairness, said Kep Enderby,
the president of the World Esperanto Alliance and Australia's
former minister of justice. He thanked President Mesic for
sponsoring the congress and the Croatian government for supporting
the congress and the Croatian Esperanto Alliance.
Croatia's Tourism Minister Pave Zupan-Ruskovic told the congress
tourism and Esperanto had a common goal, to spread friendship and
peace around the world.
In the afternoon Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic will unveil La Futuro, a
monument presented to Zagreb by Danish sculptor Jesper Nergaard.
The monument, to be placed in front of the Faculty of Economy, will
bear the inscription "Esperanto - for world communication in peace
and freedom 2001."
Esperantists held their first world congress in 1905. It has since
been held annually, except during the two world wars.
The congress is one of the candidates for the Nobel peace prize.
(hina) ha