Fernandes has been directly involved in Gallaudet's ongoing efforts in Thailand, where Gallaudet’s resources and expertise, supplemented substantially by the Nippon Foundation, have facilitated the successful college graduation of several cohorts of deaf Thai people who now work as sign language teachers. Thai Sign Language has been declared an official language of the country.

During her trip to Thailand, Fernandes will observe firsthand the outcomes and impact of the project.

The program’s objectives are as follows:

To call for the world’s awareness and concrete action plans from national and international bodies to jointly address how an impact language could bring to the world, especially to promote understanding through languages, and their translation and interpretation across borders;

To bridge the gaps among linguists and scholars, and among multidisciplinary professionals as well as to smooth articulation between both groups;

To promote world intellectual gatherings where experts, professionals, novices exchange knowledge, expertise, and experiences on the power of language, and how language could be used to improve quality of life and societal development;

To encourage more advanced research, grants and scholarships on the power of language, and how it can enhance world peace and sustainable development.

By Darrick Nicholas