The Spanish Group Pilot Initiative for Global Language Advocacy Day (#GLAD24) has reached its mid-way point and we are excited for the launch of their campaign in February 2024: “No hay Justicia sin los Derechos Lingüísticos”.
A group of participants located in seven countries have met for the past five months to discuss and learn about language rights. They have studied the context in which language rights are supported or not by global soft laws and other relevant instruments, following the program designed by the facilitator, Irene Gotera, Linguistic Justice® founder.
Over the past several months, participants have explored Spanish literature followed by earnest reflections on language rights worldwide. They have discussed a series of academic papers authored by a diverse group of Spanish-speaking authors, and have also reviewed relevant international instruments including UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Their inaugural meetings sparked profound dialogues, igniting conversation about hermeneutic injustice, privilege, and oppressive dynamics around language and its intersections.These discussions compelled them to confront the legacy of Spanish colonization: a legacy of societal hierarchies that continue to marginalize Indigenous communities across the Spanish-speaking world to this day.
With each subsequent gathering, their understanding has deepened. They have explored the significance of languages within cultural heritage and grappled with the systemic challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in securing their language rights.
The glaring disparities that different language groups face have highlighted the urgent need for global advocacy around language justice, and for the recognition of the linguistic legacy embedded in historical injustices that remain unaddressed to this day.
During their collaboration thus far, they have created numerous social media educational posts, collaborated on a few translation projects, and recorded a multilingual interview with a special guest. Additionally, the facilitator is producing an educational handbook in Spanish, destined for community organizations and individuals looking to learn about language rights and raise awareness about them.
All of these efforts will be made public during the launch of their campaign in February 2024.These endeavors strive not only to raise awareness of language rights, but also to catalyze action in support of linguistic justice and amplify the voices of marginalized linguistic communities worldwide.
Join us in our mission to uphold language rights by supporting this educational and advocacy campaign during our upcoming Global Language Advocacy Day in 2024!
There is no justice without language rights.
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