2018 Symposium on
Multilingualism
in
International Organizations
and International Co-operation
New York, May 10-11, 2018
FINAL REPORT
Edited by Lisa McEntee-Atalianis (Birkbeck, University of London),
Humphrey Tonkin (University of Hartford)
Erina Iwasaki (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Lajiadou (Teachers College, Columbia University)
October 2018
1. Introduction
The Study Group on Language at the United Nations, an independent group of scholars and practitioners on matters related to the international use of languages, convened a symposium on Multilingualism in International Organizations and International Cooperation at the Church Centre for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, on 10 and 11 May 2018. Its goal was to examine issues pertaining to the costs and benefits (material and otherwise) of multilingualism and the challenges of implementing multilingualism and multilingual policies within organisations and communities. Within the United Nations, for example, owing in particular to the scarcity of available data, advocates of multilingual language policies often face ideological, financial and administrative difficulties, despite a growing recognition that multilingualism, as a core value of the UN, is fundamental to international cooperation.
The symposium sought to focus on these issues by drawing together key UN personnel and delegates, language researchers, practitioners and stakeholders. The Symposium also provided an opportunity for UN language staff, diplomats and NGO representatives to share their views and experiences on implementing UN language policy, and for academics to share their most recent research (theoretical and empirical) on issues related to the symposium theme.
Presentations ranged in focus from discussions of multilingualism in international organisations (e.g. the UN and its agencies); to workplace and education settings and specific language communities (e.g. the Deaf community).
The event was co-sponsored and co-presented by: the Center for Applied Linguistics (Washington DC); Birkbeck, University of London; the Centre for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems; the Universal Esperanto Association; and the Esperantic Studies Foundation.
2. Attendance and Programme Overview (see full programme below)
The symposium was attended by some 120 diplomats, UN staff, NGO representatives, academics and language practitioners. It spanned two days and featured two keynote addresses: the first delivered by Michele Gazzola, (University of Leipzig and Humboldt-Universität, Berlin) detailing the economic consequences of language regimes, using as case studies his research on the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the European Patent Office; and the second by Joel Gomez, President and CEO of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), describing past and current work of the centre, including two recent reports on multilingualism in the US: “AMERICA’S LANGUAGES Investing in Language Education for the 21st Century” and “The State of Languages in the U.S.: A Statistical Portrait”.
Following a welcome address by Humphrey Tonkin (University of Hartford), two panels opened each day’s proceedings. The first, chaired by Igor Shpiniov, (Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management – DGACM -- at the United Nations) included Permanent Representatives/Observers from Argentina, Belarus, Guyana, and the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF) and discussed “Parity and Multilingualism at the UN”. The second, moderated by Rosemary Salomone, (Kenneth Wang Professor of Law, St. John’s University, USA) consisted of UN staff members and others closely associated with the organization: Guillaume Dabouis, Head of the Political Section, UN Delegation of the European Union; Mekki Elbadri, reviser, Arabic Section, Documentation Division, United Nations; Jean-Victor Nkolo, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, United Nations; Marie-Paule Roudil, Director, UNESCO Liaison Office, New York; Russell Taylor, Chief, Publications and Editorial, United Nations Department of Public Information. Participants in this second panel discussed the functions and challenges of multilingualism in their work and respective departments.
Papers were thematically organized across the two days to include presentations on: Language Rights and Responsibilities; The International Criminal Court; Language Policy and Linguistic Diversity; Interpretation and Translation; and Multilingual Education. The Symposium also hosted presentations by Red T, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of translators and interpreters in conflict zones and other adversarial settings, and a video presentation entitled “Multilingualism: why and how to promote it?” created by OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie).
3. Welcoming Remarks
Humphrey Tonkin (Symposium Chair)
Welcome, everyone, to this year’s symposium of the Study Group on Language and the United Nations. And a special welcome to our distinguished guests. On behalf of the Study Group and of the Centre on World Language Problems I want also to recognize our partners: the Center for Applied Linguistics; Birkbeck, University of London; the Universal Esperanto Association; and the Esperantic Studies Foundation. We are eager for these symposia to bring UN actors and academics closer together as we tackle many of the language issues acknowledged as difficult in the functioning of the organization and in its field and outreach work.
We have been organizing events such as this, under one set of auspices or another, since 1983. Among the speakers over the years have been such notables as Kofi Annan, George Sherry, James Grant, Jean-Claude Corbeil, and Françoise Cestac.
While these events have kept the issue of language use and the fight against linguistic discrimination alive, it is really only now that the United Nations as a whole is thinking seriously about the achievement of effective two-way communication as it seeks to draw civil society and vulnerable populations into its orbit, and give them voices, and as it presses ahead with the Sustainable Development Goals. We all know how to say “No one left behind” in English, but can we say it in Twi, or Gujarati, or Guarani – languages of the people whom we are supposedly serving? And can we understand, or even hear, the left-behind when they speak to us?
And it is only now that at least some at the United Nations are asking questions about information and comprehension loss in the use of languages that are not our own, or the imbalance of power in the use of some languages but not others.
The first of our conferences, in 1983, celebrated thirty-five years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now, thirty-five years later, we are celebrating its 70th year. In this 70th year, we must note that, while there have been many gains we are also witnessing an erosion of consensus. Once, we objected that states talked of human rights but were reluctant to enforce them. Now, even the words are slipping away. As Senator John McCain recently said of the United States, “The world expects us to be concerned with the condition of humanity. We should be proud of that reputation.” And that holds for all nations and their representatives – and all members of the academic community, working together.
So I hope this symposium will help us address how we can build a fairer, more equitable, and ultimately more effective, pattern of linguistic communication that allows us to address the needs of the weak by maximizing the humane resources of the strong – in short, in a fashion that helps us to listen as well as to speak, and to engage effectively with a world of many languages, many cultures – and perhaps more goodwill than we are sometimes willing to acknowledge or able to articulate.
4. Summary of Panel Presentations & Discussions
Day 1: Parity and multilingualism at the United Nations
Panel members stressed the importance of language parity in the internal and external (outreach and fieldwork) functions of the UN to ensure democratic participation and inclusion. While some spoke to the concerns of their representation, in particular demanding continued support for their languages (if official) at the UN, all expressed commitment to the promotion and support of multilingualism. However they also recognised the constraints imposed by finite resources and the draw to what are often perceived to be the most “cost-effective” measures. As noted by Ambassador Narjess Saidane the “get out” clause often used in UN documentation is to defend and support multilingualism “where feasible”. The latter often undermines the very principle on which multilingualism is founded.
Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow spoke from his position and experience as diplomat and former UN staffer responsible for the promotion and support of multilingualism. He stressed the organisation’s commitment to multilingualism, marked no less by the selection and actions of the current (polyglot) Secretary-General, António Guterres, the appointment of a Coordinator of Multilingualism to mainstream multilingualism, steps taken to strengthen multilingual capacity within the Secretariat and to support the productivity of language services (e.g. the development of automated translation tools such as eLuna, and memoranda of understanding with universities to develop curriculum to meet the needs of the Secretariat).
However, Ambassador Ten-Pow drew attention to the challenges of implementing multilingualism in organizations where costs are high and where staff must do “more with less”. Even with machine translation, the cost of staff remains very high. He proposed (using the World Bank as a model), that a solution may be found by offshoring the work of (some) language staff.
Concerns were raised by panellists about the lack of engagement in language issues, in particular by English-speaking missions, as well as English hegemony both on- and off-line. Igor Shpiniov (Chair) remarked that multilingualism is perceived as an agenda pursued by countries or groups that are non-English speakers at the UN. Ambassador Ten-Pow argued that language services are often “invisible” to diplomats, though there are measures being taken by the UN to encourage greater engagement (e.g. through the efforts of the Coordinator for Multilingualism, International Translation Day, International Mother Language Day).
Ambassador Martín García Moritán noted that English has become the dominant language on the internet and in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in general. The strengths of ICT for assisting automated translation were debated amongst panellists, many noting that while they assist the work of the UN they cannot replace the oversight of language personnel. Ambassador Valentin Rybakov spoke of his personal experience as a translator and representative of Belarus, a member state that has a long tradition of training language staff and who (in collaboration with Azerbaijan) has been instrumental in establishing International Translation Day at the UN.
All panellists noted that interpretation and translation are vital to the UN and some raised concerns about continued support for language services, also noting the need to move away from practices that reinforce a bias towards the dominant translation of material from English into other languages. Ambassador García Moritán noted in particular that certain campaign vocabulary that works in English, when translated to Spanish, does not make any sense. He suggested that a “culture of translation”, in which English was the norm and other working languages were languages of translation, was stifling the voices and discourses of other language groups and acting against the principles of multilingualism. Further, Ambassador Rybakov (in line with the view expressed by Red T later in the Symposium) raised concerns about the protection of language professionals in conflict zones, noting that while journalists and media professionals are covered by Article 79 “Protection of Journalists” by the Geneva Protocol of 1949, similar protections have not yet been granted to language professionals in the field.
Ambassador Saidane invited panellists and the audience to attempt to reconcile calls by the UN for “reasonable” adjustments to support multilingualism in its work with the challenges of reaching communities and individuals outside of the UN “on the ground” in their local languages. Beside the cost of investment, she argued, there is also a cost of avoidance if we do not support a policy and practice of multilingualism that includes the views of all member-states and their citizens. She argued that the UN would benefit from hiring personnel with linguistic skills that extend beyond those officially recognised in the organisation at present. Creative solutions must be found to ensure full participation by all. She suggested that the difficulties of reaching people in UN outreach and fieldwork could be addressed by hiring local staff if more budgetary allocation were directed at this type of recruitment. This would require member-states to reconsider their approach to budgetary allocation.
Speaking of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) as a model, Ambassador Saidane stressed that while the working language of the OIF is French it does not just promote one language but linguistic diversity in general, especially supporting the use of local languages in order to encourage civic engagement. This is further reflected internally within the organisation since non-French-speaking nations (e.g. Argentina) are welcomed into its membership. Further promoting the need for the UN to consider local languages in its work, Ambassador Martín García Moritán noted that while the SDGs have been translated into seventy languages this falls significantly short of the number needed to reach all populations – especially those most in need.
In conclusion, Igor Shpiniov, Chair, summarised the main points raised in the discussion:
- The UN must work to make it feasible for all meetings to have interpretation.
- When launching communication campaigns, the organisation must bear in mind the diversity of the audience.
- We must recognise that multilingualism influences organizational culture and political culture in a positive way.
- We must work hard to manage the safety of language professionals in the field.
- The organisation must leverage technology to enhance the practice of multilingualism while also bearing in mind that machines are only assistive tools and language personnel are indispensable.
- The UN must manage the demands of language services, in terms of work limits/loads, scheduling documents, deadlines.
- The organisation has to find a way to reduce the costs of translation and interpretation.
- The organisation must work hard to attract talented language staff.
- It must sensitize English speakers to multilingualism.
- Diplomats must negotiate legally binding documents in other languages and not simply in lingua franca even in informal settings.
- The UN must hire more local staff, and staff who have command of multiple languages, and make languages a prerequisite even for procurement officers.
- The organisation must measure the cost of multilingualism against the cost of the absence of multilingualism and communicate it to member-states.
Day 2: The United Nations at Work: The Linguistic Dimension
The second panel began with an invitation by its moderator, Rosemary Salomone, for panellists, on the special occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to share their thoughts on the role of multilingualism and the challenges of achieving it within various UN bodies.
Guillaume Dabouis first outlined the main functions of the Political Section of the European Union Delegation to the UN, before discussing the language policy and practices of the EU institutions. He noted with regret that despite support for the official languages of member states in the EU, and six official languages at the UN, limitations are imposed: meetings and discussions take place via a limited number of working languages, namely English, French and German in the EU and French and English at the UN. He cautioned against the hegemony of English in particular, noting that reducing communication to lingua franca can lead to diplomatic miscommunication and misunderstandings between member states and the loss of cultural nuance.
Supporting the sentiments expressed by Guillaume Dabouis and drawing from his rich personal and professional experience in peacekeeping, Jean-Victor Nkolo emphasized the importance of multilingualism for the maintenance of peace, for the prevention of conflict, and for negotiation in (potential) conflict situations and war zones. An ability to speak the local languages and understand social mores is essential to avert potential danger and support sustained peace.
Mekki Elbadri, a member of the language and documentation staff at the UN, described the recruitment process of UN translation staff in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi and regional commissions and described the nature of his work. He discussed the increasingly heavy workload of translators at the UN as they have to adjust to “doing more with less”. He discussed the need for interdepartmental collaboration and the benefits and pitfalls of technological tools.
Russell Taylor introduced the work of the UN Department of Public Information and described in some detail the Department’s focus on three major publications (two journals and the yearbook of the UN). Given resource constraints, the publications are available only in the six official working languages of the UN.
Marie-Paule Roudil shared her thoughts on the importance of educating children in their home language, as advocated by UNESCO, as the best road to educational success. Education in the home language, she suggested, also helps to satisfy the goal of “quality education” as set out in Goal 4 of the SDGs. She noted that the use of learners’ home language at school has tremendous educational benefits, including improvement in self-efficacy, motivation and engagement in learning.
In response to questions from the floor, panellists debated possible solutions and ongoing difficulties and challenges confronting support for multilingualism in the work of the UN. They suggested a variety of possible measures, such as the use of various forms of media, diversifying the language resources of UN staff (as previously discussed in Panel 1), viewing issues from the standpoint of the locals, and the need to develop information and resources in local languages. The systemic problem engendered by the limited number of UN official and working languages was also recognised.
5. Keynote Address
Michele Gazzola
Research Group “Economics and Language”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & Universität Leipzig, Germany
The economic effects of language regimes:
The case of the World Intellectual Property Organization and the European Patent Office
SUMMARY.
Patents are a type of intellectual property (IP) rights that are promoted, delivered and protected by different national and international organisations. The language policy of such organisations can entail different effects that must be evaluated. The choice of the official and procedural languages of a patent office, for example, can cause inequalities to develop between the costs borne by inventors for access to IP protection; translation policy can affect the distribution and the spread of patent information among inventors; ultimately, language policy can affect innovation outcomes and firms’ international competitiveness.
Despite this, the role of multilingualism in IP policies has remained relatively under-explored in the research literature and few systematic attempts have been made to characterise (let alone to evaluate) language policies of IP organisations as having the possibility to affect the effectiveness of innovation processes, and to generate winners and losers.
This presentation addressed the question of the allocative and distributive effects of the language policy in IP organisations in general, and then discussed the case of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which is part of the UN system, and of the European Patent Office (EPO). These two organisations provide an appropriate context for comparative analyses. There are ten official languages (or “languages of publication”) of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), administered by WIPO, namely, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The language regime of the EPO includes only three official languages, that is, English, French and German. A comparison between different language policies showed under which conditions more multilingualism can be at the same time more cost-effective and more fair than monolingualism.
6. Summary of Papers
Language Rights and Responsibilities
Papers in this session addressed both theoretical and practical challenges in the consideration of language rights.
John Edwards, arguing from the perspective of political philosophy and sociolinguistics, suggested that “language rights” must be differentiated from “language claims”; the latter carrying little more than moral and rhetorical weight. It is disingenuous, he argued, to speak about language rights when they are still at the level of claims without any obligation for implementation. This can be highly detrimental to minority language groups.
Others discussed the language rights of minority groups in regional or national contexts. The issue of Deaf language rights and legal protections were discussed in papers by Emmanuel Asonye et al. and Reagan. Timothy Reagan documented the varied status of, and rights afforded to, sign language (SL) and SL users in national legislation internationally. Emmanuel Asonye et al. discussed and compared similarities between the linguistic rights of African refugee children in New Mexico and those of Deaf people in Nigeria.
The disadvantages of national language policies which promote global English as a language of education were discussed by Sawasdiwat Na Ayutthaya in her account of education in Thailand, broadening the discussion of the challenges of multilingualism to the ASEAN context.
Finally a review of the UN’s language rights legislation was proffered by Nirvana Bhatia, who documented the evolution of rights discourse in official documents and charters of multilateral agencies. These, it was argued, will be difficult to enforce.
The International Criminal Court
The limitations of language provision within the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the need for greater multilingual provision were discussed in two presentations. The first, Leigh Swigart, outlined the dominance of English and called for staff and judges to have greater multilingual competence in order to satisfy Article 67 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the demands of a fair trial. The second, Beatrice Owiti, focussed on the limitations of language provision at the ICC for speakers of African languages. Detailing cases of mis-interpretation and errors in translation, Owiti made a powerful case for robust multilingual provision in all cases admitted to the Court.
Language Policy and Linguistic Diversity
Presentations in this session addressed two main issues: the modelling and nature of language regimes in multilingual organisations and workplaces, and the consequences of formal and informal language policy/ies.
In the former case, Lisa McEntee-Atalianis and Michele Gazzola argued for the necessity of developing mathematical models of various language scenarios in order to measure optimal regimes for specific organisational functions. The limitations of existing formulae were outlined and suggestions for new measures presented, including the consideration and exploitation of speakers’ active and receptive (passive) competence in languages. Francis Hult, drawing on his analysis of the operation of parallel language systems in various domains of work (teaching, research, and administration) in universities in Sweden, explained the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. Both presentations highlighted the importance of undertaking robust empirical research and “needs analyses” in order to determine effective policy and planning in multilingual organisations.
The subsequent presentations in the session addressed the informal and self-regulatory nature of language planning and in the case of Spencer Hazel et al. its impact on membership identity. Dorte Lønsmann and Janus Mortensen presented their research in a company in Denmark which operates under an English-only language policy. They demonstrated how English had become “naturalized” as a working language in the company as a consequence of employees’ shared neoliberal ideals regarding the international reach of English and its financial benefits (leading to company profits). Hazel et al. discussed how “language policing” and “self-policing” manifest within the workplace, describing the tension between, on the one hand, the adoption of language policies and, on the other, workers’ professional identity and performance in international corporations.
Interpretation and Translation
Papers in this session addressed the benefits of interpreter and translation provision/training for defence work (Mirna Soares Andrade) and for refugee resettlement (Shana Pughe Dean). Soares Andrade discussed the benefits of multilingualism and language services within the work of the Inter-American Defense College. Dean described the interpreter and translation training afforded to resettled refugees in Utica, New York, and the support provided to establish interpretation and translation firms facilitating employment.
Multilingual Education
The final session of the symposium addressed salient challenges in the provision of multilingual education. Presenters discussed a range of issues, including the virtues of supporting minority languages in the school context and challenging the oppressive nature of global/dominant national languages.
Carol Benson, drawing on her work in Cambodia, cautioned against a “monolingual habitus” and discussed the development of multilingual education in this context, encouraging “language testing in expressive writing instead of [relying on] EGRA” [Early Grade Reading Assessment] – a move that would be beneficial both to students and teachers.
Erina Iwasaki, similarly drawing on Bourdieu’s sociological theory of habitus, argued for the transformational potential of multilingualism in education to support social justice and peace. Maung Nyeu discussed the challenges of monolingual policies in Bangladesh, and Ari Sherris and Joy Kreeft Peyton documented the promising potential of grassroots activism amongst marginalised groups in supporting and promoting multilingual literacy using the Gambia Reads programme as a case study.
Protection of Translators and Interpreters
At the conclusion of the first day, Vigdis Eriksen, board chair of the NGO Red T, described the work of her organization and its goal of providing protection for translators and interpreters in conflict situations. Red T, as its website states, “advocates on behalf of translators and interpreters at risk and gives them a voice – a voice to inform the public about their true role as impartial linguistic facilitators… We speak out against the translator-traitor mentality, educate and rally the public, and help advance the world’s understanding of the T & I profession.”
7. Conclusions and Future Directions
In closing Humphrey Tonkin, symposium chair, returning in part to his opening comments and attempting to summarize the views expressed by participants (particularly areas of consensus), offered preliminary reflections on the content of the programme and also directions for future work by academics and the UN. We summarize them as follows:
Parity and outreach. Language parity and language outreach are not the same. Various participants in the 2018 symposium pointed out that the need for resources to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has little or nothing to do with the current formal language policies of the United Nations and its agencies: we are dealing here not with the ability of the staff and the member-states to communicate with one another (the assumed purpose of the existing language regime at the UN), but with the implementation of a programme of outreach that should be considered and funded separately from language parity within the UN. While favouring language parity, most participants accepted that it should be pursued within existing resources; but the SDGs, based on a quite different set of assumptions about inclusion and two-way communication even from their predecessors the Millennium Development Goals, cannot simply be loaded on to the existing language services.
Language resources among UN staff. Participants pointed to the vast linguistic capabilities possessed by UN staff outside the official languages that are neither utilized nor even inventoried. The UN does not know who speaks what language. While it might be difficult to mobilize these resources within existing UN constraints (and the existing linguistic architecture), they represent an asset of huge importance that needs to be tapped, and turned into a resource. Participants argued that such resources should be measured and alternative language regimes modelled.
Non-western perceptions of language. Languages play many different roles and have quite different valencies in individual societies and populations. Western views of language are not universal. An awareness of such differences is an important part of creating meaningful two-way communication and serving the needs of others outside the assumptions of the developed world.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition to hearing papers on a range of other organizations and international cooperative efforts (the European Union, ASEAN, the International Criminal Court, and others), symposium participants drew repeated attention to the fact that the year 2018 marks the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this year, of all years, attention must be paid to equity and inclusion, and the tolerance of difference.
The protection of translators and interpreters. The presence of a representative of RedT meant that the symposium also learned about efforts, long overdue, for the protection of translators and interpreters in high-risk settings, particularly conflict situations. It is precisely in these settings that language resources are of vital importance. Symposium participants stressed that it is incumbent on the international community to do what it can to ensure the safety of language workers in the field and pledged their support for such efforts.
Symposium participants were particularly grateful for the active co-operation of so many members of the United Nations staff and of individual UN delegations, who contributed their thoughts and ideas in their personal capacities as people interested in the effective use of language at the United Nations. The Study Group looks forward to continued dialogue and co-operation in the future.
Apppendix:
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME
THURSDAY, MAY 10
8:00-9:00 Registration & Coffee
9:00-9:20 Welcome
Humphrey Tonkin (Director, Centre for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems)
Joel Goméz (President & Chief Executive Officer, Center for Applied Linguistics)
9:20-10:45 Panel Discussion: Parity and multilingualism at the United Nations
Moderator: Igor Shpiniov, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, UN Secretariat.
Panelists:
H.E. Amb. Martín García Moritán, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations
H.E. Amb. Narjess Saidane, Permanent Observer for the International Organization of La Francophonie to the United Nations
H.E. Amb. Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Guyana to the United Nations
H.E. Amb. Valentin Rybakov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-11:45 Keynote Address: Michele Gazzola (University of Leipzig):
What are the economic effects of language regimes?: The case of the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the European Patent Office.
11:45-1:15 Session 1: Language Rights & Responsibilities
John Edwards (St Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie University):
Language claims & language rights
Timothy Reagan (University of Maine):
Sign language multilingualism: The forgotten language diversity in disempowered communities
Emmanuel Asonye (University of Mexico), Ezinne Emma-Asonye (University of Mexico), Queenette Okwaraji (University of Rochester) and Khadijah Asili (Vizionz-Sankofa):
Linguistic diversity and the language rights of the underprivileged population in Africa and America: Towards an inclusive society in 2030
Chair: Lisa McEntee-Atalianis (Birkbeck, University of London)
1:15-2:00 Lunch
2:00-3:00 Session 2: Language Rights & Responsibilities (continued)
Nirvana Bhatia (Linguistic Rights Specialist):
The paper chase: A review of the UN’s recent language-rights legislation
Maneeratana Sawasdiwat Na Ayutthaya (President of ASEAN Center for Multilingualism, Translation & Interpretation):
Multilingualism, translation and interpretation in the ASEAN Community
Chair: Timothy Reagan (University of Maine)
3:00-3:30 Break
3:30-4:00 Session 3: The International Criminal Court
Leigh Swigart (Brandeis University):
English at the International Criminal Court: Working language or default language?
Beatrice Owiti (Kenya Methodist University):
Interpretation and translation in the International Criminal Court
Chair: Rosemary Salomone (St. John’s University, New York)
4:00-4:15 Vigdis Eriksen (Chair of the Board of Red T):
The protection of language workers in combat zones
4:15-4:30 Video Presentation: “Multilingualism: why and how to promote it?” (OIF)
4:30-5:00 Summary of the day’s proceedings and general discussion
FRIDAY, MAY 11
8:00-9:00 Registration & Coffee
9:00-9:15 Welcome and address:
Joel Goméz (President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for Applied Linguistics)
9:15-10:40 Panel Discussion: International Organizations at Work: The Linguistic Dimension
Moderator: Rosemary Salomone, Kenneth Wang Professor of Law, St. John's University
Panelists:
Guillaume Dabouis, Head of the Political Section, UN Delegation of the European Union
Mekki Elbadri, translator, Arabic Section, Documentation Division, United Nations
Jean-Victor Nkolo, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, United Nations
Marie-Paule Roudil, Director, UNESCO Liaison Office, New York
Russell Taylor, Chief, Publications and Editorial, United Nations Department of Public Information
(Affiliation is for identification purposes only. The comments of the panellists do not necessarily represent the position of the organizations with which they are affiliated.)
10:40-11:40 Session 4: Language Policy & Linguistic Diversity
Lisa McEntee-Atalianis (Birkbeck, University of London), Michele Gazzola (University of Leipzig) and Torsten Templin (Humboldt University, Berlin):
Measuring diversity in multilingual communication
Francis M. Hult (Lund University, Sweden):
Parallel language use: A Nordic solution for multilingual organisations?
Chair: Humphrey Tonkin (President Emeritus, University of Hartford)
11:40-11:55 Break
11:55-12:55 Session 5: Language Policy & Linguistic Diversity (continued)
Dorte Lønsmann (Copenhagen Business School) & Janus Mortensen (University of Copenhagen):
English only? A critical examination of the “natural” status of English as a corporate language
Spencer Hazel (Newcastle University), Katherine Kappa and Kamilla Kraft (University of Copenhagen): Language policing in international organisations: Explicit and embedded orientations to language repertoires and their impact on professional identity
Chair: Francis M. Hult (Lund University, Sweden)
12:55-1:40 Lunch
1:40-2:40 Session 6: Interpretation & Translation
Mirna Soares Andrade (Inter-American Defense College):
Multilingualism and language services at the Inter-American Defense College
Shana Pughe Dean (Tone Translate):
Creating opportunity and understanding in a multicultural world on the move: Refugee resettlement agencies
Chair: Lisa McEntee-Atalianis (Birkbeck, University of London)
2:40-2:55 Break
2:55-4:40 Session 6: Multilingual Education
Carol Benson (Teachers College, Columbia University):
The importance of a multilingual habitus when assessing literacy skills in educational development
Maung Nyeu (Harvard University):
Multilingual education – an essential cornerstone for promoting diversity and inclusion in a globalizing world
Erina Iwasaki (Teachers College, Columbia University):
Reframing multilingualism in terms of opportunity
Ari Sherris (Texas & A & M University-Kingsville, Texas) & Joy Kreeft Peyton (Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.):
The power of multilingualism and multiliteracy for languages and groups
Chair: Rosemary Salomone (St. John’s University, New York)
4:40-5:00 Closing discussion: Future directions & collaborations: Academic impact on the work of the UN