Language : a right and a resource

Linguistic human rights (LHR)is a growing area of study combining the principles of national and international law with the study of language as a central dimension of ethnicity.

Implementation of these principles is aimed at ensuring that no state or society violates these basic rights.

This study aims to broaden the knowledge of the important role of language in minority rights and in social and political struggles for LHRs.

Exploring the interactions of linguistic diversity, biodiversity, the free market and human rights, the contributors present case studies to highlight such issues as Kurdish satellite TV attempting to create a virtual state on the air through trying to achieve basic LHRs for Kurds in Turkey; the implementation of LHRs in the Baltic states; and the obstacles met in education by Roma and the deaf in Hungary because of lack of appropriate LHRs.