127^th Assembly and related meetings

Quebec, 21-26 October 2012

Citizenship, identity and linguistic and cultural diversity in a globalized world

Linguistic diversity

Challenges and intercultural projects

                                                                                                                                 Carmen AXENIE

                                                                                                                     Member of Romanian Parliament

                                                                                                                                                           Chamber of Deputies

                                                                                                                                                            Romanian IPU Group

Dear Mr. President,

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to take the floor.

The lingvistic diversity is one of the parameters that define contemporary society. Developments and trends in this process are complex and often contradictory.

The tradition of European lingvistic diversity still needs to be preserved and protected against the potential risks arising from the process of the globalization.

The possibility of disappearing of a large number of languages worldwide concerns both the specialists in this field and the international organizations. According to the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, over fifty percent of the 6.700 languages spoken in the world could disappear within the future of one to four generations. This problem is of undoubted gravity, if we take into account that language is an important part of the culture and spiritual identity, as well as, a „vehicle of culture”. In this context, it should be pointed out that, many indigenous languages, lack writing – which provide them a special value, the only way of transmitting culture to future generations.

Any action or scenario projected as a possible solution to counter and to gradually eliminate the risk factors should take into account several crucial aspects that characterize linguistic diversity. Thus, even the covered languages, designed as a „unique and homogeneous” are in reality a plurality area composed of different variations (in time, in space, between written and spoken, in the medium used in the specialized speaches, etc.) which intersect and condition each other – these are conclusions of a study elaborate by Council of Europe in the plurilingual and intercultural education field.

In this context, the „Alliance of Civilizations”, created by United Nations Organization on 14 July 2005 is supported by the „Group of Friens” – a community of more than 80 countries and international and regional organizations, including Romania. Romania was among the first members of the Group of Friends who adopted a Strategy and a National Action Plan on the Alliance of Civilizations, on 25 March 2009.

On 10 March 2011, Romania has adopted „the second National Action Plan on the Alliance of Civilizations, for the period 2011-2013”, aiming to promote the identification and implementation of projects and policies to improve intercultural relations, mobilization of resources, hosting regional events, dissemination of information, etc.

Our country’s  contribution to the objectives of the Alliance of Civilizations relates to the integration policies and activities to foster intercultural dialogue, growing interest of the academic and civil society initiative, due to the enhancement of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, as well as, traditions of tolerance and mutual respect of the Romanian society.

A political platform of support of the Alliance of Civilizations was extended by direct collaboration between the Parliamentary Committee for Relations with the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Parliament of Romania (Chamber of Deputies and the Senate) for the events on the Alliance of Civilizations.

Dear colleagues, let me conclude my speech by saying that the cultural and linguistic diversity and the values of the Human Universe involve an infinity of nuances that will be discussed and included in the European public policy documents.

Thank you for your attention.