Ottawa, September 4, 2020 – The Linguistic Duality Network (LDN) was awarded funding by the Department of Canadian Heritage to launch a new website and begin a public awareness campaign that will showcase the benefits of Canada’s linguistic duality as enriching the social landscape of the country.
The #BetterTogether social media campaign begins officially on September 10, 2020 on what marks the eleventh anniversary of Linguistic Duality Day in Canada with a video being shared live at 1 pm EST that encourages supporters to share their stories using the hashtags #JDL2020LDD and #BetterTogether, and to sign up on the LDN website, www.LinguisticDuality.ca.
The Linguistic Duality Network was established in 2018 by three organizations: Canadian Parents for French, French for the Future and the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue. It has created a unified voice for anglophones, francophones and bilinguals who want to use and fully appreciate the linguistic minority language and culture in their respective communities across Canada.
“The grant allows the Linguistic Duality Network to increase its outreach by engaging like-minded supporters, helping recognize the value of genuine intercultural understanding in a global world, creating bonds between all Canadians, regardless of their ancestry.” said Nicole Thibault, Executive Director for Canadian Parents for French, National.
”Following the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act in 2019, we must strengthen the ongoing support for the two official languages of our country. This network will allow a sustained and informative dialogue.” said Guy Matte, Executive Director for the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue.
“We are thrilled that the Network now has the means to achieve its shared common vision. Canada was founded with the principle of linguistic duality at its heart, and having these two official languages foster mutual understanding among Canadians,” said Emeline Leurent, Executive Director for French for the Future.
The LDN represents a strong and united voice that creates connections between anglophone, allophone and francophone Canadians to help achieve a goal we all share: building a fairer, more inclusive and prosperous society for all Canadians, whether they speak English, French or both. The grant awarded by the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, the honourable Mélanie Joly, under the Enhancement of the Official Languages Program, Promotion of Linguistic Duality will help support the awareness campaign to strengthen Canadians’ understanding of linguistic duality.
For more information about the Linguistic Duality Network, contact
Paola St-Georges, (613) 235-1481 x 229, pstgeorges@cpf.ca
