Language as expression of unity and diversity : from Babel to Pentecost and beyond

The author confronts the reality of multilingualism from historical, cultural and religious perspectives. Complementing the view that language is a means of communication derived from the desire for unity, we should realise that language is also a declaration of diversity derived from the desire for difference. This makes speech an act of trust. This paper is a revised version of an address given at the 28th Meeting for Friendship among the Peoples, Rimini, August 2007.