History

RML2future – network for multilingualism and language diversity in Europe

The European awareness-raising campaign language diversity developed from the work of the network RML2future – network for multilingualism and language diversity in Europe. The network, which was financed by the EU Commission, was build up in the years 2009 – 2012 by several partners from all Europe and was dedicated to the promotion of multilingualism and linguistic diversity in the Europe of the 21st century, actively involving the regional- and minority languages (RML). Out of the necessity to increase the reputation of minority languages raised the idea to create a language sensitization campaign by the help of information- and communication technologies with a regional implementation: language diversity.

The network RML2future is therefore the frame and base, out of which raised language diversity. The network supports the campaign by handing over the results of its three-year-long work. Next to working meetings, conferences, promotion tours, the development of promotion and information materials on European multilingualism and linguistic diversity, the network developed and published together with other actors documentations, reports and guidelines. Many of them can be found on our website in the archive.

The network RML2future comprises the fields early multilingualism, language certification, adult education, language planning and language policy. To exploit the regional education potentials in cooperation between professionals, experts and decision makers, the network is aiming at the acquisition of necessary knowhow in the field of language planning and language policies amongst the participants. The networks pursues the objective of developing into a center of competence in
the field of regional and minority languages as well as multilingual regions. RML2future is based on the more than 100 organizations of European autochthonous, national minorities united in the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) and the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN).

Overview over the network’s objectives:

• Promotion of European multilingualism, by making an effective contribution to achieve the objective of learning the mother tongue plus two additional languages from an early age on and through lifelong learning, using the minority languages that are existing in the regions.
• Preservation of linguistic diversity in Europe and in particular of the endangered minority languages, through increasing their prestige and recognition, especially in the European context of multilingualism.
• Exploitation of regional education potential in cooperation between professionals, experts and decision makers as well as the creation of language- friendly environments in the different European regions, integrating the minority languages.
• Involvement in the development and implementation of a European language policy that integrates the minority languages and mainstreaming of the results of the network.
• Establishment of a professional network to implement the objectives as well as to support and encourage a strengthened European cooperation, especially amongst language teachers and language establishments of minority languages.

Find here the partners of RML2future