Re: CHAT: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Personally, I won't be translating the UDHR into any of my conlangs.

In the first place, I'm not fluent in any of them, which makes translation
an arduous task.   I already have texts that I want to translate.

Secondly, like some of the other projects mentioned on this list, my
languages aren't that relevant to the UDHR.    Goesk is quasi-germanic, and
will be used to write about strange beings who may be one man's fantasy or
may exist in another dimension.   Nu will be used to write about the story
of the children who were taught to speak it by the madman who captured them
as babies.   Palo will be used to write about the radical agenda of possible
ET's, I think.

Thirdly and more importantly, the UDHR people are soliciting translations in
languages that represent actual nations.   Sending them the UDHR in my
conlang would not be as bad as sending my paintings of food to a food drive
for Ethiopia, but it would be less than an act of good faith, unless I
identified my languages as those which I invented.    I think it would be
improper to submit  the UDHR in one of my conlangs, when many vanishing
natlangs, including those of people who've been deprived of too many rights,
will probably be underrepresented in the UDHR translations.

HOWEVER, I can think of one excellent reason to submit a copy of the UDHR in
one's own conlang;   to assert the rights of the individual, including the
rights of individuals with eccentric avocations.   Naturally, the person who
submitted a translation for that reason would need to identify the language
as his or her own invention.

Anyway, I'll probably send in some kind of proclamation to our government's
UFO experts instead.   Are those black helecopters I hear?   ;-)

Jim G.