Event: PhD researcher to talk about Scotland’s Esperanto literary history

The next meeting of our youth wing ‘Movado Junulara Skota’ will be held on Friday 30th April at 7.30pm on Zoom. Unlike most of our other events, this event will be in English.

Link: https://zoom.us/j/93456143196?pwd=RUJTRDN4Sm00cmVGMk9vMk5venY5UT09

The password is the name of our international language.

James Barrowman, a PhD researcher based at the University of Dundee, has agreed to give a talk about two intriguing 20th century Esperanto authors from Scotland entitled ‘Searchlights Probing the Evening Clouds: A.D. Foote and Albert Goodheir’. Here are some further details provided from James:

The Dundee-based poet Arthur Dawson Foote published two English poems in a 1976 edition of Eco-logos: ‘The Volapükists’ and ‘The Esperantists’. According to their preface, each poem is meant to describe a different kind of ‘millennial faith, one succeeding and one not’. By depicting both Esperanto and Volapük in precise religious terminology, Foote emphasises the scriptural origins of universal languages and their relationship with shifting contemporary attitudes towards organised religion. In doing so, Foote forges a connection with another notable proponent of Esperanto in Scotland, the former Church of Scotland minister Albert Goodheir. Upon closer inspection there are a number of comparisons to be made in regards to the lives of Foote and Goodheir, as well as their use of Esperanto.

Both writers utilise spiritual language while remaining openly conflicted over their faith, with Goodheir leaving the church as a ‘shepherd who has lost his flock’. Both writers were active and outspoken in regards to mental health, Goodheir as a worker in a psychiatric hospital and Foote as a sufferer of mental health problems who was repeatedly institutionalised. Considering Goodheir’s experiences in the Dutch Resistance, it could be said that both writers developed an interest in Esperanto as an unburdened language of expression for their trauma. Finally, both Foote and Goodheir operated in environments where their identities were unusual and complex – Foote as an Oxford-educated Englishman in a Scots-speaking Dundee defined largely by its industry and Irish immigration, Goodheir as a Dutchman operating within the Church of Scotland on the Gaelic-speaking island of Tiree before settling down in Coatbridge, another town notorious for heavy industry and Irish settlement. It is worth noting that within the Scottish literary scene Dundee, North Lanarkshire and the Inner Hebrides are already marginalised areas, so Goodheir and Foote were only further alienated from the mainstream by their exile status and use of Esperanto.

I will undertake a comparison of Arthur Foote and Albert Goodheir, investigating their approach to Esperanto literature and their place in the wider Scottish literary scene. In doing so, I will utilise Foote’s archival material held at my host university in Dundee.

Raporto de la MJS debato / Report of the MJS debate

La dua renkontiĝo de Movado Junulara Skota (MJS) okazis vendrede, la 26-an de februaro. Ni tenis viglan, amikeman debaton pri skota sendependeco kaj kulturaj identecoj. Ene de la Mojosejo estis 21 homoj, kiuj esprimis vidpunktojn ambaŭflanke pri sendependeco en Skotlando kaj Katalunio, kaj nesuprize pri Briteliro. Unu kulminaĵo estis kiam Francesco legis elvokivajn pripensojn, kiujn li notis je la tago de la Skota Sendependeca Referendumo en 2014. Post la oficiala fino, homoj iomete ludis amuzajn vortludojn.

La debato vere estis interesa kaj ĝuebla, ekzemple pro la diskuto pri tio, kia estos la estonteco por Esperanto. Ni aŭdis proponojn plivivigi kaj reformigi la malaktivan grupon de Junularo Esperantista Brita antaŭ la Universala Kongreso ĉi somere en Belfasto. Nova, pli inkluziva nomo, Junulara IONA estis sugestita (IONA signifas “Insularo de la Norda Atlantiko”). Pli inkluziva “ombrela” strukturo, enhavi tut-Irlandon, ankaŭ estis sugestita. Ni ne ĉiam konsentos pri la politika situacio, sed ni devas ĉiukaze kunlabori pri Esperanto.

Ni antaŭĝojas revidi vin je la venonta renkontiĝo, je vendredo, la 26-a de marto! La detaloj aperos postnelonge. Bonvolu ne heziti kontakti nin se vi havas proponojn aŭ reagojn.


The second meeting of Movado Junulara Skota was held on Friday 26th February. We held a spirited, amicable debate on the theme of Scottish Independence and cultural identity. The Mojosejo held 21 people, expressing viewpoints both for and against independence, in both Scotland and Catalonia, and naturally touching on Brexit. One highlight was Francesco’s reading of an evocative account he wrote on Referendum Day 2014. After the official close of the debate, a small group stayed to play a few games, which was also good fun.

The debate was both interesting and enjoyable, not least because of discussion about how the Esperanto community should organise going forward. Proposals were made to revivify and reform the inactive Junulara Esperantista Brita in advance of the World Esperanto Congress scheduled for Belfast this summer. A new more inclusive name, Junulara IONA was suggested. (IONA = Islands Of the North Atlantic). As well as a more inclusive federalist umbrella structure, to include all of Ireland. We might not always agree about politics, but we need to work together as Esperantists.We look forward to seeing everyone again at our next event on Friday 26th March! Watch this space for details, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with suggestions or feedback.

MJS debatos “Jes aŭ Ne al skota sendependeco, kaj kia estonteco por Esperanto en la Insularo de la Norda Atlantiko”

La venonta renkontiĝo de la Movado Junulara Skota okazos la 26-an de februaro, inter 19.30-21.30 UTC.

Temos pri: “Jes aŭ Ne al skota sendependeco, kaj kia estonteco por Esperanto en la Insularo de la Norda Atlantiko”.

Esprimado de spertoj el aliaj mondpartoj pri sendependeco aŭ regionaj movadoj ankaŭ bonvenas.

La debato mem estos unuhora, kaj ekzistos cetere tempoj por libera babilado. Pluraj gastoj esprimos sian vidpunkton pri la temo dum kvin minutoj kaj interŝanĝos opiniojn dum la debato.

Tagordo:
1930:  Interkonatiĝo kaj Libera Konversacio

2000:  Debato “Jes aŭ Ne al skota sendependeco, kaj kia estonteco por Esperanto en la Insularo de la Norda Atlantiko”

2100:  Libera Konversacio

2130:  Fino

Por aliri nian virtualan renkontiĝejon, alklaku la ligilon: https://gather.town/app/ChRMeknAF7bTsFpj/Mojosejo

La pasvorto estas la nomo de nia kara komuna lingvo per minusklaj literoj.