The project

The European Observatory for Plurilingualism

The European Observatory for Plurilingualism a structure of mutualisation and cooperation between partners working for plurilingualism, was founded during the first European Conference on Plurilingualism, which took place in Paris on 24th, and 25th November 2005.

The principle of the Conference was to gather decision-makers, researchers and members of the civil society in a same process in order to clearly ask the linguistic questions within their political, cultural, economical and social stakes at the level of the European Institutions and at the level of each of the member states.

A European Charter of Plurilingualism has also been set up after the 1st Conference. This Charter is now available to be signed by the citizens of the European countries. This document will be lodged with the various European and national instances in the form of a petition during the 2nd European Conference. It can be accompanied by projects of legal or ruling documents.

In between Conferences, the EOP will take part to many events and will undertake several actions.

The EOP, as an observatory, answers to the features of an observatory. It has an active role. It gathers information from a network of partners, which it analyses. It published or makes references to articles and existing studies. It produces original articles and can conduct studies. It elaborates strategies, which it suggests to the various actors in the field of languages and plurilingualism.

Such is the spirit of the project explained hereunder.


Aims

As expressed in the Statutes of the Observatory, the aims are as follow:

  • Support the linguistic diversity of the European Union in all its political, administrative, economical, social and cultural components
  • Further the emergence of an active European citizenship based on the understanding of European languages and cultures
  • Promote, through plurilingualism, the cultural diversity, the foundation of every creativity, the exchange and respect of the other, a basis for a peaceful progress
  • Contribute to the prejudice against xenophobia and aggressive linguistic communitarianism through the promotion of plurilingualism and interculturality
  • Create collaborations for the conduct of events and research on the same matters
  • Contribute to a collaborative Internet website whose missions are the following:

 

  • Build up a European and multilingual data base on languages and plurilingualism
  • Be a direct publication site for feature articles on languages and plurilingualism
  • Be a source of information and exchange for the civil society on the various components concerned by the linguistic questions, namely: families, teachers, companies, workers…
  • Further the coupling of scientific research and civil society
  • Publish an electronic newsletter.

Structure of the site

The structure of the data base is as follows:

Content columns (vertical)

4 main fieds:

Each fieds must cover 3 levels of information

Generally speaking, there will be only one site with one content and not different contents for the various countries. Information will have to cover a maximum of countries, however the information per country will be the fields themselves. The contents will be published in their original language and the languages in which they would have been translated. However, the  headings will be in each language.

Tools lines (horizontal)

Beyond the site itself, the public aimed at in particular is:

 


The means

In order to act, the Observatory sets up communicational and organisational means, which are:

Communication mediums


Organisational means

  • Editorial committee

  • Scientific committee

  • An organisation in planning with an initiative committee, a strategic control committee

  • Editorial team organised around 4 main themes: culture, education, economy and social, international, with versions per country and geographical areas

  • Network of correspondents per country of the European Union, which are covering one of more of the four fields.

  • Technical abilities for conducting studies on European credits and others

  • Some aspects of this organisation would deserve to be more developed (editorial team, international network of correspondants)


Economic model

The Observatory is utilizing an economic model inspiring itself from the principles of the economy of free software combining both voluntarism and professionalism.

The Observatory is first and foremost a platform for the pooling of the actors of plurilingualism.

As an Internet website, for the general public, it is a classic Internet site, some kind of window or documentary base on plurilingualism and interculturality. However for people who register on the site (different from being a member of the association, which implies a registration and the payment of a fee), it is a collaborative site on which there are many operational means to take part to build it. 

The Observatory is independent from any political, economic, union or professional organisation. The Observatory depends only on its founding members and partners. 


Approach

Since the first Conference in November 2005, the Observatory committed itself in an approach in three big steps:

1st step: launch (June-December 2006)

2nd step: expansion

3rd step:


Initiative committee on the project

Apart from its statutory instances, the Observatory set up a flexible organisation, open and oriented towards the goaled aim. The initiative committee is its main tool: it is in charge of the strategic running. In addition to the members of the administration council and scientific committee, it widens in particular to various partners.


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Rapport d'activité 2018

Stratégie 2019-2021

Assises de Paris

Assises de Berlin

Assises de Rome

Assises de Bruxelles

Assises de Bucarest