The Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee of P.E.N. International

Language is a distinguishing feature among human beings. The language in ordinary use by a community is the basis for identification for that community: each person has the individual right to use his/hers own language; and each linguistic community has the collective right to use its language. This has been one of the simplest and clearest principles throughout history; however, because of this same principle, failures of understanding have been used as an excuse for conflicts and violence that have destroyed thousands of languages, together with their communities and cultures. And all of this happened for the benefit of a small number of dominant languages and their related cultures.

As a result of the technological revolution and the spread of world-wide communication, many languages are in danger. There is a prospect that most of the world`s languages are on the course of extinction in the name of efficiency, progress, globalization and internationalization of cultures and civilization.

In response to these tendencies, the International P.E.N. founded the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee:

The Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee was constituted at the 43^rd International P.E.N. Congress, held in Stockholm, 1978, with the double purpose of coordinating the programme of International P.E.N. and the meetings, as well as encouraging literary translations written in languages of lesser currency, both into world languages and into other lesser-known languages.

The history and the basic principles of TaLRC

The current Chair is Kata Kulavkova from the Macedonian P.E.N. Centre. The current Vice-Chair or Deputy Chair is Josep Maria Terricabras from the Catalan P.E.N. Centre. The members of the committee are P.E.N. Centres that have signed the International Declaration for Linguistic Rights.

Important past events:
The Ohrid 2002 P.E.N. Conference
The Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights
The UNESCO Declaration for Cultural Diversity
The Standing Orders of TaLRC
The International P.E.N. Charter
TaLRC Members - P.E.N. Centres co-signers of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights


T&LRC OFFICE:
Translation & Linguistic Rights Committee
The Macedonian P.E.N.Centre
MKC, Dimitar Vlahov Quay
1000 Skopje, R. Macedonia
Tel: +389 (2) 32 39 155
Fax: +389 (2) 31 30 054
T&LRC Office Email: tlrc@diversity.org.mk
Diversity Office Email: diversity@diversity.org.mk


T&LRC CHAIRS:

Kata Kulavkova, Chair
E-mail: poetics@sonet.com.mk
Website: www.kulavkova.org.mk

Mr Josep Maria Terricabras, Vice-Chair
and Chair of the Follow-Up Committee for UDLR
C/o P.E.N. (Centre Catalan)
Ateneu Barcelones
Canuda 6,5e
08002 Barcelona, Spain
Tel: + 34 3 318 32 98
Fax: +34 3 412 06 66
e-mail: dudl@linguistic-declaration.org
web-site: www.linguistic-declaration.org