FOR THE "RIGHT TO LANGUAGE AND TO AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE"

In the face of the violent surge of the problem of the safeguard of ethnic entities, including the smallest and remotest ones, it is clear to everyone that linguistic hegemony represents one of the most powerful means to enact their oppression and destruction.

It is precisely through the imposition of a certain language and of the cultural system which is inevitably linked to it, that stronger peoples aim to integrate by force ethnic realities that are different and non homologous to them.

In seeking the means that can safeguard each individual and people from such antidemocratic processes, we believe that the adoption of a supranational language, such as Esperanto, is the most effective means to oppose every form of "linguistic imperialism".

Already UNESCO, with Resolution 11.11 of 1985, urged its 160 member States to promote Esperanto as the language whose aims and results largely coincided with the objectives and the ideals of Unesco itself: mutual understanding among the peoples and the cultures of the world.

The Radical Party is the only transnational party - a transparty, in fact - formed by parliamentarians from over 30 countries and 80 different parties, by citizens living in over 50 States, which struggles to assert the right to life and the life of rights.

Moreover, we believe that the CSCE, in its effort toward a global democratization, is a particularly appropriate forum to promote the development of the right to language guarantied by a supranational language.

For these reasons, we appeal to your kind attention, proposing the following draft article on the safeguard of linguistic identity, which we hope will be included in the final papers of the ongoing negotiations:

"The participant States reaffirm the belief that friendly relations, peace, democracy and security depend increasingly on the safeguard of the cultural identity, particularly the linguistic one, of the ethnic entities.

While acknowledging the growing interconnection between democratic development and safeguard of human rights, they pledge to create the conditions for the promotion and the safeguard of such linguistic and cultural identity in the context of international relations. For this purpose, the States express the belief that the adoption of a supranational language represents the most appropriate means to guarantee such identity".

We believe that only this solution makes it possible both to avoid the contrasts at an international level which have already emerged in single State entities, and to achieve a true democratization of international relations.

Moreover, in relation to the processes of supranational integration that are being instituted, if we want to avoid them from being "condominiums" of some States on others, it is important for the CSCE to take a stance in favour of the regulation of the relations in those forums, not in favour of the adoption of an ethnic and artificially international language, but of a naturally supranational, neutral language, respectful, as such, of the single national realities.

Our wish is that the commitments taken for the promotion of instruments for the ethnic and linguistic safeguard of the National Minorities, on adopting the Paris Charter, be now adopted in this new light and with the purpose of safeguarding those same national entities.

We express our best wishes for a profitable work, and hope in an early reply.

Yours faithfully,

The Secretary, Sergio Stanzani

The President, Emma Bonino

The Treasurer, Paolo Vigevano

The President of the Federal Council, Marco Pannella

Basile Guissou, Former Minister of Burkina Faso

Ivan Mesicek, MP - DEMOS (Slovene Democratic Coalition)

Giorgio Pagano, Federal Councillor of the Radical Party