In 1948, The United Nations drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in a world that was reeling from widespread tyranny and war. This declaration served to set the standard for subsequent decrees in support of the right of every person to live in peace and dignity. In Article 1, the declaration states simply: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Inspired by this human rights pronouncement, the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (UDLR) was signed in 1996 at a conference hosted by the Escarré International Centre for Ethnic Minorities and Nations (CIEMEN) in Barcelona. Attending the event were representatives from a wide variety of organizations, including UNESCO (a branch of the United Nations) and PEN (Poets, Essayists, and Novelists) International. The latter is a worldwide organization of writers “to promote literature and defend freedom of expression around the world” (http://www.pen-international.org">www.pen-international.org).