Pasporta Servo
| Founded | 1966 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ruben Feldman Gonzalez |
| Focus | Intercultural competence |
| Location | |
|
Area served
|
Global |
| Products | Hospitality service, social network |
| Services | Homestay |
|
Membership
|
1,089 hosts |
| Website | pasportaservo |
The Pasporta Servo (English: Passport Service) operates pasportaservo.org, a hospitality service for Esperantists. The website provides a platform for members to homestay as a guest at someone's home, host travelers, meet other members, or join an event. Pasporta Servo is an example of the gift economy; there is no monetary exchange between members and there is no expectation by hosts for future rewards.
Free lodging via Pasporta Servo has been described as one of the perks of learning Esperanto.
The service publishes a directory of people from countries on every continent who are willing to host other Esperanto speakers in their homes free. Within the Esperanto culture, the annual directory is considered an important publication, second only to the Plena Ilustrita Vortaro (Unabridged Illustrated Dictionary). As of 2011[update], there are 1089 hosts in 90 countries. The Pasporta Servo directory is published every year by TEJO, the World Organization for Young Esperantists.
Users are encouraged to speak Esperanto with their hosts.
The idea of a hospitality service specifically for Esperanto speakers began in 1966 in Argentina when Ruben Feldman Gonzalez started the Programo Pasporto. Pasporta Servo in its current form was first published in 1974 with 40 hosts, under the guidance of Jeanne-Marie Cash in France. Both founders are still hosts in the Pasporta Servo. In August 2008, TEJO launched Pasporta Servo 2.0, an online version of the service.
...
Wikipedia