Sisi, wanachama wa chama cha kimataifa cha maendeleo ya Kiesperanto, tunatoa tangazo hilo kwa serikali zote, vyombo vyote vya kimataifa na binadamu wote wenye nia njema, tunatangaza nia yetu kuendelea kwa bidii kukidhi madhumuni yaelezwayo hapa chini tukiita kila chama na kila mtu waungane nasi katika juhudi zetu.

We, members of the worldwide movement for the promotion of Esperanto, address this Manifesto to all governments, international organizations and people of good will; declare our unshakeable commitment to the objectives set out here; and call on all organizations and individuals to join us in working for these goals.

Tangu zaidi ya karne moja Kiesperanto, kilichoanzishwa mnamo 1887 kama mpango wa lugha kisaidizi katika mawasiliano ya kimataifa na kilichogeuka upesi kuwa lugha yenye maana nyingi na uhai wa peke yake, ni njia ya kuunganisha watu kupita migogoro ya kilugha na ya kiutamaduni. Wakati huo huo madhumuni ya Kiesperanto hayajakosa maana na muhimu. Wala utumizi wa lugha kadhaa za kitaifa katika dunia nzima wala maendeleo ya teknolojia ya mawasiliano, wala ustawi wa mbinu mpya za fundisho la lugha hazitatekeleza mfumo wa kilugha ulio sawa na wa kufaa unaotegemea kanuni zifuatazo na tunazozihesabia za lazima.

For more than a century Esperanto, which was launched in 1887 as a project for an auxiliary language for international communication and quickly developed into a rich living language in its own right, has functioned as a means of bringing people together across the barriers of language and culture. The aims that inspire the users of Esperanto are still as important and relevant as ever. Neither the worldwide use of a few national languages, nor advances in communications technology, nor the development of new methods of language teaching is likely to result in a fair and effective language order based on the following principles, which we hold to be essential.

1. Demokrasia

1. Democracy

Kila mfumo wa mawasiliano unaowapendelea watu wachache daima, huku unawalazimisha wengine watoe miaka ya juhudi ili wapate kiwango cha chini cha umahiri (ufasaha na usahihi) ni kinyume kabisa cha usawa. Ingawa Kiesperanto, kama lugha yoyote, si kamilifu, kinapita kabisa kwa usawa lugha zote zitumikazo kwa mawasiliano popote duniani.

Any system of communication which confers lifelong privileges on some while requiring others to devote years of effort to achieving a lesser degree of competence is fundamentally antidemocratic. While Esperanto, like any language, is not perfect, it far outstrips other languages as a means of egalitarian communication on a world scale.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba ukosefu wa usawa wa kilugha unazaa ukosefu wa usawa wa kimawasiliano katika viwango vyote, pamoja na kiwango cha kimataifa. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaotaka mawasiliano yenye usawa.

We maintain that language inequality gives rise to communicative inequality at all levels, including the international level. We are a movement for democratic communication.

2. Elimu ya kimataifa

2. Global Education

Kila lugha ya kitaifa inaungana na utamaduni fulani na taifa au mataifa fulani. Kwa mfano, mwanafunzi anayesoma Kiingereza anafundishwa utamaduni, jiografia na mifumo ya kisiasa za mataifa yanayotumia Kiingereza, hasa Marekani na Uingereza. Mwanafunzi anayesoma Kiesperanto anafundishwa kuhusu dunia bila mipaka, ambapo taifa yo yote si ngeni kwake.

All ethnic languages are bound to certain cultures and nations. For example, the child who learns English learns about the culture, geography and political systems of the English-speaking world, primarily the United States and the United Kingdom. The child who learns Esperanto learns about a world without borders, where every country is home.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba elimu ikitekelea kwa njia ya lugha yoyote ya kitaifa imeungana na maoni fulani ya ulimwengu. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaotaka elimu ya kimataifa.

We maintain that education in any language is bound to a certain view of the world. We are a movement for global education.

3. Manufaa ya kimafunzo

3. Effective Education

Asilimia chache tu ya wanafunzi wa lugha ngeni wanafikia umahiri wa lugha lengwa hiyo. Umahiri wa Kiesperanto unafikiwa hata kwa masomo ya kitabuni. Utafiti umeonyesha kwamba Kiesperanto inafaa kama andalio la masomo ya lugha zingine. Tena, kimependekezwa kama sehemu ya maana hasa katika masomo ya utambuzi wa kilugha.

Only a small percentage of foreign-language students attain fluency in the target language. In Esperanto, fluency is attainable even through home study. Various studies have shown that Esperanto is useful as a preparation for learning other languages. It has also been recommended as a core element in courses in language awareness.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba matatizo katika ujifunzaji wa lugha za kitaifa yatakuwa daima kikwazo kwa wanafunzi wengi ambao wangefaidi kutoka ujuaji wa lugha ya pili. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaotaka kuendeleza ujifunzaji halisi wa lugha.

We maintain that the difficulties in learning ethnic languages will always be a barrier for many students who would benefit from knowing a second language. We are a movement for effective language learning.

4. Ulumbi

4. Multilingualism

Jamii ya Kiesperanto karibu haina kifani kama jamii ieneayo popote duniani: watumizi wake wajua lugha mbili au zaidi. Kila mwanajamii amejitihadi kujifunza angalau lugha ngeni moja kufikia kiwango cha kuwasiliana. Nyakati nyingi hicho kinaelekea kuzipenda na kuzijua lugha nyingi na kwa jumla kupanua fikira zake mwenyewe.

The Esperanto community is almost unique as a worldwide community whose members are universally bilingual or multilingual. Every member of the community has made the effort to learn at least one foreign language to a communicative level. In many cases this leads to a love and knowledge of several languages and to broader personal horizons in general.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba watumizi wa kila lugha, kubwa au ndogo, lazima wawe na nafasi ya kweli ya kusoma lugha ya pili kufikia kiwango cha juu cha kimawasiliano. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaotaka kuwapa wote fursa hiyo.

We maintain that the speakers of all languages, large and small, should have a real chance of learning a second language to a high communicative level. We are a movement for providing that opportunity to all.

5. Haki za lugha

5. Language Rights

Ugawanyaji wa uwezo usio sawa kati ya lugha ni chanzo cha mashaka ya kilugha ya daima, au udhalimu dhahiri wa kilugha, kwa baadhi kubwa ya binadamu. Katika jamii ya Kiesperanto watumizi wa lugha kubwa na dogo, iliyo au isiyo rasmi wanakutana katika usawa kwa sababu ya mapatano ya kuridhiana. Usawa huo wa haki za lugha na madaraka unatoa msingi wa ustawishaji na uchunguzi wa matatuzi mengine ya utofauti na mpambano wa lugha.

The unequal distribution of power between languages is a recipe for permanent language insecurity, or outright language oppression, for a large part of the world’s population. In the Esperanto community the speakers of languages large and small, official and unofficial meet on equal terms through a mutual willingness to compromise. This balance of language rights and responsibilities provides a benchmark for developing and judging other solutions to language inequality and conflict.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba tofauti kubwa za uwezo baina ya lugha zinadhoofisha hakika, inayotajwa katika vyombo vingi vya kimataifa, ya usawa bila kujali lugha. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaopigania haki za lugha.

We maintain that the wide variations in power among languages undermine the guarantees, expressed in many international instruments, of equal treatment regardless of language. We are a movement for language rights.

6. Utofauti wa lugha

6. Language Diversity

Serikali za kitaifa zinaelekea kuhesabia utofauti mkubwa wa lugha duniani kama kikwazo cha mawasiliano na maendeleo. Katika jamii ya Kiesperanto, walakini, utofauti wa lugha unafikirika chanzo thabiti na cha lazima cha ustawishaji. Kwa sababu hiyo kila lugha, kama viumbehai vyote, asili yake ni ya thamani na inastahiki ulinzi na msaada.

National governments tend to treat the great diversity of languages in the world as a barrier to communication and development. In the Esperanto community, however, language diversity is experienced as a constant and indispensable source of enrichment. Consequently every language, like every biological species, is inherently valuable and worthy of protection and support.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba sera za mawasiliano na maendeleo zisizotegemea heshima na msaada kwa kila lugha zinazihukumu wingi wa lugha za dunia ziuawe. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaothamini utofauti wa lugha.

We maintain that communication and development policies which are not based on respect and support for all languages amount to a death sentence for the majority of languages in the world. We are a movement for language diversity.

7. Uhuru wa binadamu

7. Human Emancipation

Kila lugha inafungua na inafunga watumizi wake kwa kuwapa ubingwa wa kuwasiliana baina yao lakini inazuia mawasiliano na wasemaji wa lugha nyingine. Kiesperanto, kilichopangwa kama njia ya mawasiliano ya watu wote, ni mmojawapo wa mipango mikubwa inayofaa kwa ukombozi wa binadamu — kinachokusudia kumwezesha kila raia ashiriki kabisa jamii ya binadamu, akiwa na shina imara ndani ya utamaduni na lugha yake, lakini asizuiwe nayo.

Every language both liberates and imprisons its users, giving them the ability to communicate among themselves but barring them from communication with others. Designed as a universally accessible means of communication, Esperanto is one of the great functional projects for the emancipation of humankind — one which aims to let every individual citizen participate fully in the human community, securely rooted in his or her local cultural and language identity yet not limited by it.

Sisi tunathibitisha kwamba bila shaka kutumia lugha za kitaifa tu kunaweka vikwazo vya uhuru wa kusema, kuwasiliana na kushirikiana. Sisi ni ushirikiano unaopigania uhuru wa binadamu.

We maintain that exclusive reliance on national languages inevitably puts up barriers to the freedoms of expression, communication and association. We are a movement for human emancipation.

Prago, jul. 1996

Prago, jul. 1996