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<DIV></DIV>From: <I>phil cash cash <cashcash@EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU></I><BR>Reply-To: <I>Indigenous Languages and Technology <ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU></I><BR>To: <I>ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU</I><BR>Subject: <I>[ILAT] Call for UN to protect language diversity worldwide (fwd)</I><BR>Date: <I>Mon, 3 Jul 2006 10:17:04 -0700</I><BR>>Call for UN to protect language diversity worldwide<BR>>http://www.galwayindependent.com/news/7774.html<BR>><BR>>An international, trilingual (English, French and Irish) conference in<BR>>NUI Galway has called on the UN to protect language diversity<BR>><BR>>At the event, which was organised by Acadamh na hOllscolaochta Gaeilge<BR>>and the Irish Centre for Human Rights, attendees unanimously passed the<BR>>proposal known as the Galway Declaration.<BR>><BR>>Delegates
from over 20 countries supported the call to the United<BR>>Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to<BR>>protect the worlds linguistic diversity.<BR>><BR>>Dr Joseph Turi, Secretary General of IALL/IADL (International Academy of<BR>>Linguistic Law/Acadmie Internationale de Droit Linguistique) proposed<BR>>the call.<BR>><BR>>Seosamh Mac Donnacha, Academic Coordinator of Acadamh na hOllscolaochta<BR>>Gaeilge, said, This is a very important step. Once UNESCO calls for the<BR>>protection of linguistic diversity, the countries of the world will have<BR>>to focus on supporting languages and their speakers within their<BR>>borders. Linguistic diversity ensures cultural diversity.<BR>><BR>>Dr Conchr Giollagin of Acadamh na hOllscolaochta Gaeilge said, This is<BR>>now an international crisis. Up to 90 per cent of the worlds
languages<BR>>are in danger of dying out in less than 100 years. Now is the time to<BR>>act.<BR>><BR>>The theme of the conference was Language Law and Language Rights: The<BR>>Challenges of Enactment and Implementation. The event was supported by<BR>>the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></div></html>