Should we consider more environmentally-friendly alternatives to our national congress?

July 2023 was not only the hottest month in recorded history; it was the hottest for our planet in over 10,000 years. Global temperatures reached roughly 1.5ºC above preindustrial averages, a level that is forecast to become the “new normal” by the end of the decade.

The results were calamitous. Here in North America, residents of the southern U.S. endured temperatures above 100ºF for weeks, and wildfires raged out of control across the continent. In the northeast, where I live, we saw phenomena unknown in recent memory: for days, smoke from Canadian wildfires darkened the skies, making outdoors activities hazardous, and a “thousand year” flood ravaged portions of Vermont and New York.

According to climatologists, average yearly CO₂ emissions will soon need to fall below two tons per person in order to avoid an even more catastrophic warming of 2ºC. But average emissions remain around four tons per person worldwide, and here in the U.S., it’s more like sixteen tons per person. One of the largest sources of that CO₂ is transportation, and jets are especially wasteful: even a relatively short flight—from New York to Raleigh and back, for example—can emit between a quarter to half a ton of CO₂ per passenger.

I’m not suggesting that we stop traveling, of course. But to avoid creating an even hotter future, we’ll need to cut out our less important trips—especially if they involve long-distance travel for only a short stay at the destination.

Congresses of the past

Esperantujo has a long history of annual congresses. It’s a tradition born of necessity: when Esperanto-USA (then ELNA) was founded in the early 1950s, the in-person congress was one of the few practical means available for board members to communicate as a group in real time. In those days the congress had essential administrative and legislative functions. It could also be a relatively long affair, sometimes lasting for up to five days.

Today, the Landa Kongreso has become a weekend event held more for amusement than for administration. We do have board meetings at the congress, but they’re largely redundant, because we already hold regular meetings online.

So we’re faced with a difficult question: how can we responsibly ask our members to fly thousands of miles across the country each year for such a short event, especially when its administrative functions are largely obsolete? Can we somehow retain the social aspect of an in-person event without the long-distance travel?

Multiple regional events

An alternative can be found in the regional Esperanto gatherings that occur throughout the year, often without any support from Esperanto-USA. Among the largest and best known are TKEK (in California), NOREK (in the northwest), ARE (in the northeast), and PER (mid-Atlantic). Most recently we’ve also seen the rise of Paralela Universo, a series of short, informal get-togethers arranged online.

Rather than staging the annual congress in its currently monolithic, expensive form, what if Esperanto-USA were to instead devote its resources to assisting with regional gatherings throughout the year? Regional events are within reach of more people, require less travel expense, and can be held at a time of year when the local weather is most suitable.

Multiple mini-NASKs, too

Making the idea of regional gatherings even more attractive, we recently had a proposition from the Esperantic Studies Foundation (ESF, sponsor of NASK). They noted that the summer institute presents a travel dilemma as well; in particular, it attracts more participants when held alongside the LK, such that people can attend both events with just a single trip.

Therefore, to make NASK easier to attend for a wider audience, ESF is considering splitting it into a series of separate courses held at regional gatherings throughout the year. And because NASK has now ventured into online courses, it can also offer virtual instruction before each regional event, thereby extending and enriching participants’ time in “Esperantujo.”

Plans for a traditional Kongreso are already underway for 2024, but what about the following year? Should we consider partnering with multiple regional events throughout 2025 instead of holding a single LK in one location? We’d especially like to hear from you if you’re involved in organizing a regional event. (Or if you’re interested in doing so!)