Internet age, who needed Esperanto the most ?



Frustrating for sometime now. It is the learning materials of Esperanto. This lead me to think of the question, is learning Esperanto for the middle class and above ?


The internet age brought Esperanto to life again but it is still not the best choice to promote Esperanto via the technology.

I could sense it as my Indonesian friends said that they are unable to learn Esperanto now.

This might be puzzled many friends in the west or those in the developing countries. Yes, it is nothing surprised that those underprivileged and in the underdeveloped world are still unable to learn this beautiful language—ESPERANTO.

There are more than 15,000 islands in Indonesia and those with inhabitants are more than 6,000. Of course, many of them are using mobile tools, like the mobile phones and laptops. However, those who are using the mobile phone to go online are unable to access to the learning of Esperanto due to many constraints. I am facing this problem at the moment. I could sense it strongly that paper and books are still the best tool to promote Esperanto.

Esperanto should be for the poorest who could not afford to spend years in schools and are wanting to contact the outside world of their community. But, they are unable to subscribe to the internet and maybe there is no such facilities in the living area.

Those who know Malaysia should be nothing surprise the internet connection is very costly. For example, I am subscribing to the 1.5GB volume per month and with discounted rate is RM 48 per month. How many pages that 1.5GB could the learners surf for Esperanto exercises and the youtube short films to watch ?

Besides, many western countries and UEA too are using the E-books and PDF format. All these items need modern tools like the E-reader and computer etc. If the local people can't even pay for the RM2 per hour of internet surfing, do you think they are able to purchase a reader which would cost 1,500 ringgit ?

Books can be preserved for decades but gadgets would be out of date or out of order and again be the rubbish for the earth. In fact, who clear the jungles ? It is not the books but the building sectors, the furniture sectors. Why punishing the poor and the underprivileged ?

Malaysia is not as poor as African countries but there are still many places in Malaysia without water and electricity supply and it is also the similar scene in ASEAN countries.

Esperanto books that published in the Europe are selling at Euro currency. It may be cheap for a book which cost 7 Euro in the European countries but it is costly in Malaysia due to the exchange rate.

If the Esperantists and UEA like to assist in promoting the language in ASEAN, they have to consider to move the printing to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand or Indonesia as these countries have a cheaper labour cost.

It is a reminding that if the learning process is hindered and repeatedly hindered, the excitement of learning will be lost.

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