Dear PEN Centres,
In 2014 PEN International will be focusing on the theme of Translation and Linguistic Rights across all areas of our work.
During the year, the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee will be working with the PEN International office to strengthen this thematic area of our work. We will organise this work around two major international days:
International Mother Language Day: 21 February 2014
International Translation Day: 30 September 2014
To mark International Mother Language Day we would like to highlight the range of work that PEN Centres are involved in related to promoting linguistic diversity and mother languages, defending linguistic rights and implementing the Girona Manifesto. We are also asking Centres who have not yet translated the Girona Manifesto into their mother language to please do so and send the translation to PEN International in time for International Mother Language Day.
We would kindly like to ask all Centres to send us a brief summary of their work in this area by 30 January 2014, so that we can compile this information, help identify major concerns and help showcase your work on the day. In particular, we would like to know:
- What are the major linguistic rights challenges your Centre is faced with?
- What activities designed to promote linguistic diversity and defend linguistic rights has your Centre been involved in during the last year?
- How has your Centre worked to promote the principles of the Girona Manifesto on Linguistic Rights?
We would be really interested to hear about all of your work in this area, and also to get your thoughts on the major challenges that need to be addressed. We look forward to highlighting this work and campaigning on these issues throughout 2014. Please send your responses to Josep-Marie Terricabras ([email protected]) Chair of the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee and to Paul Finegan ([email protected]) in the PEN International office.
Best,
Paul Finegan
Languages