Yang, P. (2022, November). Language and Cultural Diversity through Partnerships for a Sustainable Future in Australia. Presentation at the 2nd GSN International Conference: Localising SDGs for Built Environment & Communities: A North-South Exchange, 24-25 November 2022, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.

This presentation focuses on the goals of SDG 11 and SDG 17 (https://en.unesco.org/sustainabledevelopmentgoals), and discusses the importance for the Australian communities to embrace the language and cultural diversity to achieve sustainable community development in Australia through building and maintaining a partnership with organizations at different levels in other countries. Two dimensions are in focus here to accomplish the objectives of sustainable language and cultural diversity (SDG 11) and sustainable global partnerships with higher education organizations (SDG 17). First, the researcher calls upon culturally diverse communities in Australia to embrace language diversity against linguistic imperialism (Edwards, 2011; Phillipson, 1992). Assuming linguistic superiority, linguistic imperialism not only claims language dominance in political, economic, military, and media arenas but also deprives other languages of their language rights and freedom, for example, the Aboriginal languages in Australia. As linguistic imperialism disrupts linguistic ecology (Mühlhäusler, 1996), this disruption can be terminated by implementing language diversity. The second dimension is cultural diversity against cultural hegemony (Artz & Murphy, 2000) and cultural imperialism (Phillipson, 2008). Cultural hegemony gives rise to racial discrimination and creates social injustice. Cultural imperialism strangles cultural diversity. Australian universities need to take the lead in building partnerships with all education providers (e.g., VET), associations (e.g., LCNAU), and academies (e.g., Australian Academy of the Humanities) in Australia, as well as those (e.g., UNESCO) around the world. When they work together and collaborate as sustainable partners to work towards the objectives of SDG 11 and 17, language, cultural diversity and partnership can develop sustainably and take firm ground. This helps bring social stability and sustained development to Australian communities and global villages.