The French-speaking participants registered for the "Babylon 2001" Conference, organised by The Bilingual World, on plurilingualism, which was scheduled to take place from 3 to 8 November 2001 in Iraq, aware of the difficulties of such a meeting on account of the international context created by the terrorist attacks of 11 September in the United States and by the American bombings in Afghanistan, regret that violence is prevailing over dialogue and peaceful cooperation between peoples.

The postponement sine die of the Conference prevents them from showing their fellowship and their solidarity with the Iraqi people, the first victims of an embargo which has affected them over the past decade, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), particularly amongst children. 

They request President George Bush, who has been moved by the situation in Palestine, to review American policy in Iraq and to put an end to a lethal embargo of which the entire international community and the United Nations, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, should become aware, after so many years of indifference : along with Palestine, this is one of the main causes of international tension.

Besançon, November 3rd, 2001
 

Signed :

• Giulio DOLCHI, Former Mayor of Aosta and President of the Aosta Valley Regional Council (Italy)
• Jean Paul COLIN, Professor of Classics, Doctor of State, Honorary Professor at Franche-Comté University, Writer
• Claude CHEYSSON, Former Minister of External Relations, Paris
• Francis LORIDAN, Former international reporter, Besançon
• Jean PETIT, Psycholinguist, Emeritus Professor at the Universities of Reims and Constance
• Faïza ALAMI, Professor of Modern Languages, Linguist, University of Besançon
• André TABOURET-KELLER, Emeritus Professor at the Pasteur University, Strasbourg
• Alain SENE, Honorary Professor at Franche-Comté University, Besançon
• Beate COURDIER, Professor of German, Nancy II University
• Gilbert COURDIER, Professor of German, Lecturer at Nancy II University
• Pierre-André COMTE, Mayor and Member of Parliament of Vellerat (Switzerland), Secretary General of the Conference of French-Speaking Peoples
• Michel BUGNON-MORDANT, Ph.D. in Literature, Professor of Modern Languages, Writer, Fribourg (Switzerland)
• Dr André LEFESVRE, Cancerologist, Delegate General for Studies at the World Academy of Biomedical Technologies, Paris
• Noëlle VINCENSINI, President of the Antiracist Collective of Corsica, AVA BASTA, Ajaccio
• Bruno ASTRUC, President of the Association for the Development of Exchanges with Iraq, Paris
• Brigitte FOURNAUD, Former Executive Director of the Secretariat of Edgar Faure, Rabat (Morocco)
• Walid CHMAIT, Editor-in-Chief of Radio Orient, Paris 
• Philippe FLECHON, Teacher, Paris
• Jeanne MARTINET, Lecturer, Practical School of Higher Studies, Sorbonne University, Paris
• Jacques FONTAINE, Professor, Franche-Comté University, Besançon
• Yves GAMBIER, Professor, University of Turku (Finland), Director of the Institute of Translation
• Alfred GILDER, Assistant to the Director of Cultural Affairs, Responsible for the Promotion of French Languages and Cultures, Paris City Hall 
• Erich WEIDER, Professor, Ph.D. in Literature, Champéry (Switzerland)
• Dr. Claude PRENAT, Lung Specialist, Besançon
• Louis BOCQUENET, Psychologist, Administrator of the Diwan Association, Saint-Brieuc
• Elena SOLOMARSKA, University Professor, Lecturer, Chair of French Philology, University of Kiev (Ukraine)
• Sylvia MÜLLER, Ph.D. in Science, Champéry (Switzerland)
• Jean-Claude POULAIN, Former Director of a Publishing House, Paris
• Dr Bensalem EL KOHEN, Former President of the Municipal Council and Member of Parliament of Fez (Morocco)
• Juan CUEVA, Former Ambassador of Equator in France, Quito
• Henri GOETSCHY, Honorary Senator, Honorary Member of Parliament, Colmar
• Henri WITTMANN, Emeritus Professor of linguistics, Trois-Rivières (Canada)
• Manfred FERRARI, Journalist, Roma (Italy)
• Jean-Marie BRESSAND, Honorary Journalist, Founder of The Bilingual World and of the World Federation of United Cities