By Avishta Seeras and Nicolas Barbosa Varón
Language is power. Language is identity. And in too many places, language is under attack.
From Indigenous communities being denied their right to education in their mother tongues to governments imposing monolingual policies that erase linguistic diversity, language rights violations are a global crisis that demand urgent attention.
Introducing Language Rights Watch (LRW), a groundbreaking initiative by the members of the Global Coalition for Language Rights. Modeled after Human Rights Watch, LRW is the first global platform dedicated to tracking, documenting, and addressing language rights violations—empowering individuals, communities, and policymakers with the tools to protect language diversity.
Why Do We Need Language Rights Watch?
Across the world, language policies, institutional neglect, and active suppression are threatening linguistic diversity and violating fundamental human rights. Here are just a few cases:
United States: A country built by migrants has officially declared English as its sole official language, dismissing the reality of millions of multilingual speakers.
Colombia: Indigenous communities and other ethnic groups affected by the country’s decades-long conflict were denied access to the post-war truth commission report in their own languages, preventing them from fully understanding their own history.
Belarus: Belarusian is disappearing from the education system, leaving future generations without access to their mother tongue.
China: The Chinese government's promotion of Mandarin over regional languages has marginalized languages like Cantonese, Tibetan, and Uyghur. Policies enforcing Mandarin in education and media have led to cultural assimilation concerns among these ethnic groups.
Iran: Activists advocating for mother tongue education, such as Alireza Farshi, have faced imprisonment. Farshi was arrested for promoting Azerbaijani Turkish language rights and sentenced to 15 years in prison and two years in exile.
Language is a human right—and violating it is a form of social, cultural, and political oppression.
What Will Language Rights Watch Do?
Expose Language Rights Violations: LRW will provide a digital platform where individuals and communities can report cases of linguistic discrimination—from exclusion in public services to language bans and forced assimilation policies.
Investigate & Advocate for Change: Our research and legal teams will work to document violations, analyze policy trends, and push for legal action where possible.
Raise Global Awareness: Through reports, campaigns, and collaborations with media outlets, LRW will make language rights violations impossible to ignore.
Meet the Team Behind Language Rights Watch
LRW is led by a global team of Indigenous leaders, linguists, human rights advocates, researchers, and journalists committed to exposing violations and advocating for language justice.
Co-Leads:
Core Team Members:
🔹 Gregorio Amesquita (Design & Tech)
🔹 Juliana Chaves Almeida (Project Coordination)
🔹 Dr. Sofia Tsioli (Research & Field Expertise)
Advisory Board Members:
🔹 Adonías Perdomo Dizu (Elder & Ethno-educator, Nasa Indigenous community, Colombia)
🔹 Dr. Sofia Tsioli (Linguistic Rights & Multilingual Education Policy Researcher, University of Athens)
🔹 Dr. Diana Camps (Researcher & Lecturer, University of Glasgow)
🔹 Filip Noubel (Managing Editor, Global Voices & Media Trainer)
🔹 Avishta Seeras (Global Impact Leader & Director, African Languages Conference & Cultura Connector)
We are actively expanding our advisory board—if you are an expert in human rights, law, linguistics, or advocacy, we want to hear from you!
How You Can Get Involved
The official launch is in April 2025, but we’re announcing it during #GLAD25 as LRW is a global platform that will honor and protect language rights. Join us as we take our first steps toward holding governments, institutions, and organizations accountable for language rights violations.
📩 Want to learn more, join our advisory board, or report a language rights violation? Email us at langrightswatch@gmail.com.
Stay informed about LRW’s progress and advocacy efforts!
Connect with us:
LinkedIn: Language Rights Watch
Facebook: Language Rights Watch
Instagram: @LangRightsWatch
X (Twitter): @LangRightsWatch
Language rights are human rights. Let’s expose violations, inform communities, and advocate for change together. Join the Global Movement for Language Rights!
Follow our journey: languagerightswatch.org
Language Rights Watch (LRW) is a global platform dedicated to exposing language rights violations, informing communities, and advocating for systemic change. Modeled after Human Rights Watch, LRW provides a space for individuals, Indigenous groups, researchers, and advocates to document and report linguistic discrimination, from government-imposed monolingual policies to the erasure of marginalized languages. By bridging research, advocacy, and direct action, LRW is building a world where every language is recognized, respected, and protected.
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