<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word" lang="EN-US"><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:13.5pt">The Study Group on Language and the United Nations presents</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;color:#3d85c6">Multilingualism and COVID-19:
</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;color:#3d85c6">Lessons Learned and Looking Forward</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:13.5pt">A Virtual Symposium on 3-4 May 2022</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">The COVID-19 pandemic has had a powerful impact on humanity. In addition to the direct effects of infection, there has been a wide range of indirect effects on both individuals and social institutions throughout the world. Pre-pandemic
inequalities have been exacerbated, and new challenges have emerged as people attempt to cope with living and working through a public health crisis. The United Nations is currently prioritizing ways forward, including how Agenda 2030 and the related work
of continuing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be put back on track from the major setbacks of the pandemic, as emphasized in
<i>Our Common Agenda,</i> the recent report
by the Secretary-General and the focus of the upcoming July 2022 High-Level Political Forum. </span>
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The present symposium draws attention to the essential role that multilingualism must play in initiatives by the United Nations, Member States, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders to foster peri-pandemic and post-pandemic
development. Language mediates all human experience. Fully inclusive dialogue and problem-solving must involve substantive use of multilingualism to ensure that people can understand one another, access information equitably, and participate democratically.
In addition, all development initiatives must take linguistic minorities into account explicitly so that “nobody is left behind” due to their language background.<br>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">The symposium focuses on multilingualism with respect to Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3) and Quality Education (SDG 4), with attention to
linguistic challenges that have occurred during the pandemic as well as creative and inclusive solutions that have emerged and can be built upon going forward. The two-day virtual event brings together a spectrum of stakeholders
including United Nations staff members, government officials, university scholars, and members of civil society to address issues and innovations. The symposium follows a panel format through which experts present their perspectives, engage in dialogue with
each other, and prompt general discussion with participants.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt">Event Details</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The symposium will take place virtually over two days:<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Tuesday, 3 May - Focus on Health and Well-Being (SDG 3)</i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">08:15-13:00 – New York <br>
14:15-19:00 – Geneva<br>
15:15-20:00 – Nairobi <br>
19:15-12:00 – Bangkok <u></u><u></u></p>
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<i>Wednesday, 4 May - Focus on Quality Education (SDG 4)</i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">08:15-13:00 – New York <br>
14:15-19:00 – Geneva<br>
15:15-20:00 – Nairobi <br>
19:15-12:00 – Bangkok <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> A detailed programme will be published at a later time.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt">Registration</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The symposium is open to United Nations staff members, delegates of Member States and staff members of missions, government officials of all levels, university researchers and students, NGO representatives, members of civil society, and
others with an interest in the relationship between COVID-19 and multilingualism. There is no cost to attend the symposium, but preregistration is required. Register <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAlM0K0ZqGHdhyzgbJo09sSDxFbJsqNUti-6GB77o3laRcFA/viewform?usp=sf_link" target="_blank">here</a>
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">as soon as possible, but no later than</span> <u>30 April</u>.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt">Symposium Sponsors</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The symposium is held in cooperation with the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, a substantive committee of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fngocongo.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctonkin%40hartford.edu%7C2f9315e2bb1d4b7ec7d808da13c62e1e%7Cb78b91e8428e422fa5b4a8f6cab07104%7C0%7C0%7C637844039310445493%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=2BUQ1FKTAPoIdvt6FzRDqXuQIp7adohzxFH6TW3KjXo%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">CoNGO</a>),
and made possible by generous support <span style="color:red"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">and assistance</span> </span>
from</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cal.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctonkin%40hartford.edu%7C2f9315e2bb1d4b7ec7d808da13c62e1e%7Cb78b91e8428e422fa5b4a8f6cab07104%7C0%7C0%7C637844039310445493%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=7s7Lnu5Pb8rBx6LqC5qZJXllLFwuQzBLWmeGpTmsb9o%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">Center
for Applied Linguistics</a> (CAL)<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.esperantic.org%2Fen%2Fhome%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctonkin%40hartford.edu%7C2f9315e2bb1d4b7ec7d808da13c62e1e%7Cb78b91e8428e422fa5b4a8f6cab07104%7C0%7C0%7C637844039310445493%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=nsStvVtA5neVwaqiv7xoUw4LYC9AgI3t0EMSIILbKWA%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">Esperantic
Studies Foundation</a> (ESF)<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.springernature.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctonkin%40hartford.edu%7C2f9315e2bb1d4b7ec7d808da13c62e1e%7Cb78b91e8428e422fa5b4a8f6cab07104%7C0%7C0%7C637844039310445493%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=NF3GffS9n2Y1uELgmNhYjSeAVhrLxuEkqC779g0ZMv0%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">Springer
Nature</a><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Centre for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems (</span>CED)</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclpp.umbc.edu%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ctonkin%40hartford.edu%7C2f9315e2bb1d4b7ec7d808da13c62e1e%7Cb78b91e8428e422fa5b4a8f6cab07104%7C0%7C0%7C637844039310445493%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=7K9HlSAcv3tVTJGcOFc87FSyoSKYaUJZtTbrhfX9fBs%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">Consortium
for Language Policy and Planning</a> (CLPP)<u></u><u></u></p>
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