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Draft Proposal: International Sign Language

Posted on Apr 2 2006, 09:26 PM

Name: International Sign Language
Category: Human Rights
Strength: Mild

BELIEVING communication between individuals within any UN member nation or in-between UN member nations is vital,

CONCERNED that opportunities for the verbally-impaired may be limited in some nations,

UNDERSTANDING the benefits of an international visual or sign language for verbally-impaired citizens who wish to travel abroad,

BELIEVING that verbally-impaired people need to learn a language that allows them to communicate effectively,

UNDERSTANDING that the use of technology can dramatically increase a verbally-impaired person's quality of life, by opening up the channels for two-way verbal communication,

The UN hereby

1. DEFINES for the purposes of this resolution:

a) 'word' as a movement or gesture that is used within a sign language framework to convey a meaning to others under the same sign language framework,

B) 'dictionary' as a recognised organisation of words and the specific idea that they convey,

c) 'verbally-impaired' as any person who is not able to participate effectively in two-way verbal communication due to severe hearing or speech impediment;

2. ESTABLISHES the International Sign Language and Verbal Communication Research Organisation(ISLVCRO), mandated to:

a) create an International Sign Language (ISL), harmonising the various sign language dictionaries into a standard ISL dictionary, and to add words that affect a majority of UN member nations,

B) provide a mechanism for nations to propose additional words to the standard ISL dictionary,

c) coordinate international research into technologies that allow the verbally-impaired to participate in two-way verbal communication;

3. MANDATES that all verbally-impaired citizens of member nations are given free access to training in the ISL;

4. STRONGLY URGES member nations to make training in the ISL available at no cost to persons who are not verbally-impaired, particularly health care, law enforcement, and emergency services professionals;

5. ALLOWS member nations to add regional-specific words to the standard ISL dictionary to create regional dictionaries;

This post has been edited by Bazalonia on Apr 2 2006, 09:27 PM

Bazalonia

Eating A Bazalope Burger

Posts: 774

Posted on Apr 2 2006, 10:46 PM

Interesting. I'd support. I think, though, as with anything that comes out of the political anus that is the UN, improvements should be made and revisions done.

Pacitalia

The best place on earth.

Posts: 505

Posted on Apr 2 2006, 10:49 PM

I would consider establishing an International Sign Language would be along the same lines as establishing a worldwide official language. I would fear for the damage that could do to the cultures of individual nations.

Thus, I OPPOSE this motion.

Sarzonia

It's all about the Navy.

Posts: 577

Posted on Apr 3 2006, 08:34 AM

Well I'm in favour of this one. Unlike traditional spoken languages, sign language is something which is best standardised. Well, I think so anyway. So there.

Bettia

We don't do defence

Posts: 956

Posted on Apr 3 2006, 05:08 PM

how about adding a pre-amble clause like...

"RECOGNISING the differences between Verbal communication and Sign Languages which make Sign Languages prime candidates for standardisation as opposed to the fluidity of most, if not all, verbal languages."

Bazalonia

Eating A Bazalope Burger

Posts: 774

Posted on Apr 3 2006, 07:47 PM

I oppose. I agree with Sarzonia on the international language portion of it. I also protest, on a smaller note, the "free" portion of the mandated part.