Canadian Esperanto Association
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The Canadian Esperanto Association (Kanada Esperanto-Asocio in Esperanto or KEA) is a registered educational charity whose objective is to advance the education of the Canadian public in the international language Esperanto.
KEA's founding convention was held in 1958 in Toronto, Ontario, after a decision to create the organization was made by postal referendum among the known Canadian Esperantists in 1958. Its predecessor was an association of the same name which was active in the 1930's but voluntarily dissolved itself in 1939 in order not to distract its members from efforts towards winning World War II, which started in that year.
The Canadian Esperanto Association is the Canadian section of the Universala Esperanto-Asocio (UEA), and its youth section, the Canadian Esperanto Youth (Junularo Esperantista Kanada in Esperanto or JEK), is the Canadian section of the Tutmonda Esperantista Junulara Organizo (TEJO).
KEA administers a large Esperanto-language book service, located in Montreal, Quebec, and publishes a semi-annual magazine edited in Esperanto, Lumo. It also occasionally publishes books in Esperanto. The organization's leadership consists of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and up to seven (currently, five) directors. Membership is about 120.
KEA has held an annual convention (called a "congress" in accordance with Esperanto-movement usage) almost every year since 1958, sometimes jointly with the Esperanto League for North America or during an international Esperanto congress; in 2007 KEA will be holding its annual meeting during the Pan American Esperanto Congress in Calgary, Alberta.