This panel, conducted by CIEMEN (International Escarré Centre for Ethnic Minorities and Nations), aims to raise awareness about the implementation of a Binding Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights in different regions, including Catalonia and Kurdistan. Coming 30 years after the Barcelona Declaration, which warned that over half of the world's languages face extinction without a binding international framework, this session recognizes that safeguarding linguistic diversity is as essential for democratic pluralism as biodiversity is for nature. By addressing the absence of linguistic rights in Kurdistan, the panel aims to empower the Kurdish community and its culture, making language a central element of conflict transformation. Furthermore, sharing the experiences of Catalonia offers practical solidarity and reinforces the forum's goal of socializing peace by ensuring the balanced participation of all languages in intercultural relations. This moves beyond a mere objective of justice to establish it as a fundamental condition for global cultural sustainability and non-violent coexistence. The panel aims to contribute to the establishment of a just and lasting peace by addressing one of the fundamental elements of the minoritization process of Kurdish culture—thus touching upon a significant dimension of the Kurdish issue. It is considered that sharing the Catalan experience from a comparative perspective in this context could provide a valuable contribution to the societal peace process. Language: English and Spanish (with Turkish and Kurdish translation) Participation: Open to everyone. Capacity: 20
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