Font: Maaya
21-23 November 2012
Pre registration Form – – Symposium brochure
Outline As emphasized repeatedly in Net.lang, towards the multilingual cyberspace [1], cyberspace presents both, a threat and an opportunity, for languages. Threat, because the most equipped languages impose themselves; opportunity, because, by its accessibility and universality, cyberspace can give a channel to those who need it, directly, as a recording option, and indirectly, through the dissemination of knowledge.
Maaya, the world network for linguistic diversity, has organise the III SIMC, a meeting which brings together some thirty international experts with the intention of shining a spotlight on practical initiatives in the area of the appropriation of cyberspace as a means of revitalisation for languages.
Objectives To publicise best practices and failures relevant to the presence which has been established by the languages of the world in cyberspace, and especially in Web 2.0. To alert the general public to the importance of linguistic diversity in the digital world with an emphasis on the emerging issues in connection with the job market.
Background
The first two editions of SIMC (Barcelona, 2009; Brasilia, 2011) had provided a space for joint discussions among specialists in order to identify the key points for debating multilingualism in cyberspace, to review the state of the art in this area, to create synergies, and to allow the progress of the discussions being held in emerging fields.
These first two meetings have brought together some of the partners of the recently formed consortium Dilinet, intended to lead an ambitious European project with a global perspective where the creation of indicators on linguistic diversity is the central core. They also pinpointed the issues that has been developed in Net.lang, the book already mentioned at the beginning of this document, and fed the agenda of the World Summit on Multilingualism that Maaya is currently proposing to UNESCO.
Finally, it is important to mention UNESCO IFAP conferences, the last held on 12-14 July, 2011 in Yakutsk, (Russian Federation) where a roadmap towards the World Summit on Multilingualism –the Yakutsk Call for Action– was proposed and approved by the participants.
III Symposium Orientation
This 3rd Symposium will be more focused on the dissemination of concepts than the two previous (which were more oriented towards the exchange of knowledge among experts): it will allow to highlight concrete initiatives related to the appropriation of cyberspace as a means of language revitalization, while fostering a systemic approach to multilingualism in cyberspace.
It will be open to a wide audience in order to make available the issues of linguistic diversity in the digital world and to facilitate understanding of the issues by all persons interested in the development and promotion of languages. Cyberspace will be taken in the broad sense including new media.
It will be also an opportunity to mention the preparation for the World Summit on Multilingualism, to promote the book Net.Lang. towards the multilingual cyberspace (in particular, to encourage other translations of this book which for now is published in English and French and soon in Russian), to present the Dilinet project (indicators of linguistic diversity in the digital world), and to present Wikipedia as a good example of multilingual tool.
Venue and date
The III International Symposium on Multilingualism in Cyberspace will be held on 21-23 November 2012 at the auditorium Marie Curie in the CNRS (3, rue Michel Ange – Paris 16e – France) which is able to accommodate approximately 200 participants.
III SIMC Scientific Council:
The following experts take part of the Scientific Council :
Daniel Pimienta (Funredes) / Dominican Republic [President]
Themes (subjects):
4 subjects have been selected by the III SIMC Scientific Council members :
4 specific roundtables will also be proposed:
Speakers
Thirty speakers would be invited, including several international speakers. Among them, the authors of Net.lang, the members of the Dilinet consortium and other speakers chosen by an ad hoc scientific committee, depending on the selected topics. The minutes will be available online after the meeting. The public will be encouraged to participate actively in the discussions, on the basis of a 50-50 participation between the public and the speakers.
Languages
The languages of the SIMC will be French and English and an interpretation service will be provided.
Sponsors
The following entities provide their support to the meeting: DGLFLF CNRS, IMMI, ISCC, Wikimédia France et la Francophonie
Registration
Before November 15th, 2012: € 70 (students and Maaya members: 35 €) On-site November 21-23, 2012: € 90 (students and Maaya members: € 45)
Complete the pre-registration form before payment.