International conference set foundations for linguistic diversity in cyberspace

 

2008-19-09 (Moscow)

 

An international conference “Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Cyberspace” addressed the issue of multilingualism on the Internet last July in Yakutsk, Russian Federation. The Conference was organized by the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Russian Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography, in cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Moscow and the Russian Committee for UNESCO’s Information for All Programme. It was a significant contribution to the celebration of the United Nations International Year of Languages.

 

The Conference brought together over 100 participants coming from 15 countries and representing NGO’s, government bodies, educational institutions, libraries, universities and private companies.

 

Thanks to a rich and diverse background of participants, a wide range of themes was discussed and a truly vibrant dialogue took place during the interactive sessions. Presentations and discussions during the three plenary sessions addressed political, cultural, social, ethical and technological aspects of activities aimed to support and develop linguistic and cultural diversity in cyberspace. Special attention was paid to the role of UNESCO in safeguarding the diversity of languages in cyberspace.

 

In addition, the participants held five following thematic sections:

• Political, Ethical and Legal Aspects of Multilingualism in Cyberspace;
• Internet and Other Media;
• The Role of Libraries in the Preservation of Linguistic Diversity;
• Languages and Education; and
• The Preservation and Development of Cultural Diversity.

 

The Conference resulted in the adoption of Lena resolution, setting the foundations for future initiatives and suggesting concrete steps towards linguistic diversity in cyberspace.