UN calls for language preservation
The UN said due to globalization processes, languages are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether.
Languages are of strategic importance for people and the planet, the United Nations (UN) said on Thursday ahead of international mother language day 21 February.
On Wednesday's #MotherLanguageDay, celebrate linguistic diversity by recording human rights in your language ➡️ https://t.co/Y4iaAtR0pw #StandUp4HumanRights pic.twitter.com/cuMF99422S
— United Nations (@UN) February 21, 2018
The day, to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, was proclaimed by the UN in November 1999 and has been observed annually since February 2000.
In 2007, the world body called upon the member states “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages” for their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development.
#MotherLanguageDay Today is international Mother Language Day. Are you making a deliberate effort to teach your children how to speak their mother tongue SINDHI?
— حاڪم علي سهتو (@engrhakim) February 21, 2018
The UN said due to globalisation, languages were increasingly under threat or disappearing altogether.
“When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost,” it said on Thursday.
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The UN said at least 43 percent of the world’s estimated 6 000 languages were endangered.
In the spirit of International Mother Language Day. https://t.co/EF0h2dQsuV
— Amandla! (@AmandlaMobi) February 21, 2018
“Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.”
“All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance, and dialogue,” it said.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is Linguistic diversity and multilingualism count for sustainable development.
On the occasion of 'International Mother Language Day', I'd ike to draw attention to linguistic diversity of the World and to promote towards sustainable futures through multilingual education. Let's reach the unreachable #UNESCO #internationalmotherlanguageday #motherlanguageday pic.twitter.com/ZwzwGLjiQO
— Joseph Felfoldi (@Joseph_Felfoldi) February 21, 2018
The UN said to foster sustainable development, learners had to have access to education in their mother tongue and other languages.
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“It is through the mastery of the first language or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing, and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values, and traditional knowledge, thus play an important role in promoting sustainable futures,” the UN said.
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