Call for papers: World Congress on Language Policies, April 2002 -- DEADLINE FOR PAPERS 15 FEBRUARY

Tue Jan 22 16:34:51 UTC 2002

	  WORLD CONGRESS ON LANGUAGE POLICIES
  		Barcelona, April 16-20, 2002

  Since the begining of the 90s, the political, economic and
technological changes have raised the need to start a deep process of
thought about how to face these changes as far as the fast spreading of
new technologies, and the processes of globalization in the economic,
cultural and social spheres have a strong and intense influence on
languages, no matter their demographic strength or their official
status. And these processes can be a threat to linguistic diversity as a
fundamental part of the World's heritage. Within this context, a series
of tendencies, extralinguistic factors and needs have a direct impact on
languages, especially on the so-called minority languages and on small
and medium-sized languages:

  1. In many cases, experience shows how civil society and civic
organizations can  push official authorities to a more positive attitude
towards minority languages;

  2. The main challenges faced by minority languages are to be found in
the impact  of new technologies in the globalization process;

  3. There is a need for new methodological and pedagogical approaches
to the  teaching and learning of minority languages;

  4. Language exercises a powerful symbolic attraction as a tool to
build up  collective and individual identities;

  5. The schooling system can discriminate against minority languages
pupils under  the cover of laws that, at first glance, seem to support
and
promote the learning   process of these pupils;

  6. Most of the time, gaps are to be found between law and its
practice; and

  7. NGOs, civic organizations, and other representatives of minority
language  groups are often more effective and fast moving than official
authorities.

  Therefore, minority language issues should be linked to highly
relevant matters  such as:

  a) The strengthening of democracy
  b) The increasing involvement of civil society
  c) The recognition of linguistic rights as human rights
  d) The improving of living conditions
  e) The access to the labour market
  f) The economic value-added of a language

  Main topics to be discussed

  The Institute LINGUAPAX, with the support of the Directorate General
for Language Policy of the Government of Catalonia, therefore invites
researchers, social actors and activists, politicians, lawyers and all
those persons involved in the promotion of languages to take part in
this World Congress, whose sessions will deal with the following topics:

  1. Language laws and other legal instruments as tools for the
promotion of  languages: design, implementation, evaluation and
follow-up;

  2. The management of linguistic diversity in large urban centres in
order to ensure the maintenance of this diversity and to prevent
tensions and conflicts related to the use of diffferent languages, and
at the same time to ensure that the gradual integration of the host
society will be carried out through the medium of the autochtonous
language(s)  of this society;

  3. The study of concrete models and experiences in the field of
language policy and their evaluation according to cost-effectiveness
criteria in order to ensure a positive output of the invested human,
technical and economic resources;

  4. The effective participation of civil society (civic organizations,
NGOs, etc.) in the design, implementation and follow-up of language
policies; and

  5. The challenge of new technologies and the production of linguistic
resources to promote language diversity and the culture of peace.

  There will also be complementary activities as exhibitions of
materials:
posters, grammars, dictionaries, didactic tools, multimedia demos,
sociolinguistic resources available on the Internet, etc.

  Structure of the Congress

  The sessions of the Congress will be structured around six main
keynote addresses and five concurrent workshops. Two 30 minutes papers
will be delivered for each workshop by relevant scholars in order to
focus and stimulate further debate and discussion. People registered for
the Congress will receive these papers one month before the celebration
of the Congress. The working languages will be English, French, Catalan
and Spanish.

  Detailed structure of the Congress.

  Keynote addresses

       Dr. E. Annamalai (Former Director of the Central Institute of
Indian      Languages) Language policy in multilingual societies.

       Dr. L. Khubchandani (Director of the Center for Communication
Studies,      India) Demographic imperatives in language planning.

       Dr. Tove Skutnabb-Kangas (Roskilde University, Denmark) Language
      Policies and Education

       Dr. Peter Mhlhusler (University of Adelaide, Australia)
Theoretical approaches to language policies

       Dr. E. Nolue Emenanjo (National Institute for Nigerian Languages)
Language Policy and Cultural Identities

       Representative of the United Nations Education, Science and
Culture Organisation

  Concurrent workshops

  Workshop 1: Language laws and their implementation. Language laws and
other legal documents as tools for the promotion of languages: drafting,
implementation and follow-up.

  Introductory addresses by: Jean-Claude Corbeil (Former Secretary of
the Commission of the estates-General on the State and the Future of the
French Language in Quebec); Virginia Unamuno (coordinator of the
Mercator Program on Linguistic Rights and Legislation)

  Workshop 2: The management of linguistic diversity in large cities.
Managing linguistic diversity in large urban centers to ensure the
preservation of diversity and prevent linguistic tensions and conflicts.

  Introductory addresses by: Joan Rubin (independent consultant and
researcher);  Ignace Sanwidi (expert in education and in the culture of
peace, Ouagadougou, Burkina)

  Workshop 3: Models of language policies: case studies. The study of
concrete models and successful experiences in the field of language
policy. Their evaluation according to cost-effectiveness criteria.

  Introductory addresses by: Vida Mikhalchenko (Institute of Linguistic
Studies,   Russian Acdemy of Sciences); Vic Webb (Center for Research in
the Politics of   Language, University of Pretoria).

  Workshop 4: The role of civil society in language policy processes.
The effective participation of civil society (civic organisations, NGOs,
etc.) in the design, implementation and follow-up of language policies.

  Introductory addresses by: Bojan Brezigar (President of the European
Bureau for Lesser Used Languages-EBLUL); Denis Cunningham (President of
the International Federation of Modern Languages Teachers-FIPLV); Alie
van der Schaaf (Mercator Education, Frisian Academy);

  Workshop 5: New information technologies and small and medium-sized
languages. The challenge of new technologies and the production of
linguistic resources to promote language diversity and the culture of
peace.  Introductory addresses by: Joan Mart Castells (UNESCO Linguapax
Chair at the Institute of Catalan Studies;Victor Montviloff (Information
Society Division, UNESCO); Raymond Renard (UNESCO Chair in Linguistic
Planning and Didactic of Languages at the University of Mons, Belgium).

  The Congress will take place in the World Trade Center of Barcelona
situated in   the Old Harbor (Port Vell-Moll de Barcelona) of the city .
For more information   please visit the web site www.wtcbarcelona.com

  Call for papers

  Papers for the Congress should be submitted to the Linguapax Institute
(info at linguapax.org) before February 15, indicating the workshop in
which they should be presented. Papers must be four pages (A4) long
maximum, single-space, 12 point, headed by title, author(s), and
affiliation.  The Scientific Committee of the Congress will review all
the papers and will select those to be presented at the workshops.

  Scientific Committee

  Mr. Bojan Brezigar (President of the EBLUL)
  Dr. Denis Cunningham (President of FIPLV)
  Dr. Lachman M. Khubchandani (Director of the Centre for Communication
  Studies, India)
  Mr. Flix Mart (President of the Institute LINGUAPAX
  Mr. Bartumeu Meli (Researcher)
  Dr. Mohamed Miled (Director of the Institut Suprieur des Langues de
Tunis)
  Dr. Irmela Neu (Fachhochschule Mnchen)
  Mr. Joseph Poth (Former director of the Languages Division of UNESCO)
  Mr. Raymond Renard (Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Linguistic
Planning  and Didactic of Languages at the University of Mons, Belgium)

  Dr. Joan Rubin (Independent consultant and researcher)
  Dr. Ignace Sanwidi (Director of the UNESCO Centre in Dakar)

  Registration fees

  The registration fees to the Congress are 20.000 PTA. (120 euros) and
15.000 (90 euros) for students if the payment is made before January 31,
2002.  After this date and up to 31 March, 2002 (closing deadline) the
registration fees will be 180 euros and 150 euros for students.

  The organizers will provide to participants:

   Full access to sessions
   Documents (folder, CD with abstracts and full texts of keynotes and
papers)
   Cultural and leisure activities
   Welcome dinner and farewell lunch.

  Cancellation

  Cancellations must be made in writing to the Linguapax Institute
(Mallorca, 285  Barcelona 08037 Spain FAX: (+34) 93 457 58 51). If
received by March 31,   2002, the fee will be refunded after a deduction
of 40 euros, to cover   administration expenses. After this date no
refund
can be made.

  Travel and accomodation

  For those who wish it, the travel agency Viajes Maya can organize your
trip and   accomodation. Please mention the name of the Congress as a
reference when   contacting the travel agency.
  Person to contact: Mr. Joan Montalt
  maya at grupogea.com
  FAX: +34 93 212 89 85

  For more information about the city of Barcelona, please check the web
site   www.barcelonaturisme.com

       WORLD CONGRESS ON LANGUAGE POLICIES
       (Barcelona, 16 - 20 April 2002)
        REGISTRATION FORM: check the website at
	http://www.linguapax.org/cp11ang.html

       WORLD CONGRESS ON LANGUAGE POLICIES
       (Barcelona, 16 - 20 April 2002)
       [ REGISTRATION FORM ]

                               Important !
                    Kindly be aware that your registration will take
effect  upon receipt of a copy of the proof of payment made to:

                        Account holder: Linguapax
                        Number: 2100 0826 70 0200454243
                        Bank: La Caixa
                        Address: Diagonal, 355 Barcelona 08037, Spain
                        Swift code: CAIX.ES.PB.XXX