I am curious of the position of Wikitongues acknowledging English as an important global business language, and so being fluent in English in many parts of the world will often put a person in a much better position to pursue opportunities that might better their lives and their family’s lives. I use English here as an example, simply because it is a global business language. But the conflict between maintaining native connection to their heritage might be a difficult burden. If a person is in an unfortunate situation where they have to make a choice only to teach their children to learn English or some other new language and discard their native culture so they may escape discrimination and poverty, what is a person to do? When the world looks upon areas of Sweden, like Malmö, it is frequently noted that even when cultures move into cultures that have opportunity for improvement, but which are not at all like their heritage, and then fail to assimilate, cultural problems arise. There is an argument made that North African immigrants to k southwestern Sweden have failed to learn the language, but others argue they should maintain their culture and Swedes should adapt to the immigrant’s customs. If one were to carefully look at Chicago, Illinois the argument becomes even more complicated because many parts of Chicago have historically been very isolated with their ethnic background, while at the same time assimilating into the American culture. Further, there are many linguists that argue that no language ever stays the same, and that each language constantly evolves. Should there be emphasis on maintaining your native tongue? Should there be emphasis on learning the language of a new culture that one might immigrate to? How do traditional parents fight the title wave of youthful emotions that resist maintaining the old ways, and instead choose to adopt the new ways and new customs and language of the country they immigrated to? Norway has recently made the UDI language requirements one step higher. What position does Wikitongues take on a country who has a functioning immigration policy, yet places strong emphasis on learning the language of that country, instead of using multiple languages as they do in Singapore?
3 months ago | 0
Wikitongues
This week, we attended the Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) for the first time. I (Kristen) returned home last night reinvigorated. After months of feeling the weight of nonprofit fatigue, being in a space filled with such creative and courageous voices was a much-needed jolt that reconnected me to a global movement for justice.
Each year the forum convenes urgent, critical conversations about authoritarianism and systemic violence—some of the most pressing issues of our time. But across every major summit we attend, one issue continues to be overlooked: language.
Language rights are protected under the UDHR (among other declarations and treaties), yet they’re still not seen as central to the human rights agenda. Too often, language is treated as a byproduct, rather than a driving force of human dignity. In reality, language is foundational. When people are denied access to their language, it doesn’t just limit communication—it breaks down community bonds, severs cultural continuity, and inflicts generational trauma. Around the world, governments are actively weaponizing language to suppress and control communities.
In 2024 in Türkiye, a Kurdish court interpreter, Rifat Roni, was jailed for helping run a Kurdish language organization. He still faces up to 10 years in prison. Last week in Iran, four more Kurdish language teachers were arrested for teaching their language (and many arrested and imprisoned last year). In Belarus, over 1,300 cultural rights violations were recorded in 2024 alone, including the closure of Belarusian-language schools and the liquidation of language organizations. In China, Mongolian-language instruction has been banned across Southern Mongolia as part of a campaign of forced assimilation. This might remind you of the cultural genocide the Chinese are inflicting upon the Uyghur community, where language suppression is just one part of a broader, systemic campaign of erasure.
These are not isolated incidents—they are part of a global pattern of linguistic repression. At Wikitongues, we’re committed to ensuring that language rights are no longer an afterthought. But this conversation can’t just live in language-focused spaces.
If you work in human rights, advocacy, education, or development I urge you to bring language into the room. Make it part of your programmatic planning. Ask how language impacts access, safety, and autonomy. Treat linguistic rights not as peripheral, but as central to justice.
3 months ago | [YT] | 87