While promoting linguistic diversity and multilingualism in cyberspace, we discover every day new users and partners. The participation of indigenous people must be an integral part of the sustainable development processes.

A key message drawn from the High-level panel, organized by UNESCO during the WSIS Forum 2019 on 10 April 2019 in Geneva, is that promoting linguistic diversity and multilingualism through ICTs contributes to the preservation, access and promotion of the invaluable traditional knowledge imbued in languages. In order to achieve fruitful results and produce effective language technologies, it is key that indigenous peoples and indigenous language users in the first place are involved in their elaboration.

Linguistic digital divide

The panelists addressed key issues related to the growing digital divide between speakers of dominant and minority languages, caused by the limited availability of resources, as well as lack of access to, technologies for indigenous language users.

Only few language technologies have been developed in lesser-used, minority languages – from basic ones such as grammar and spell checkers, to complex ones such as automatic summarization, search engines, speech recognition, etc. The Sami Parliament, in cooperation with the Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø), is engaged in initiatives for the creation of free and accessible technologies for Sami speakers, including computer and phone keyboards, spelling and grammar checkers, machine translation systems. Sharing such practices, knowledge and strategies represents a way forward to reduce the digital exclusion of indigenous peoples:

‘We are trying to develop a momentum among all indigenous people in the world to urge major tech companies to take their responsibilities; it is our hope that governments will commit themselves to improve the situation for indigenous language users, by implementing legislations that secure and  support the digital inclusion of indigenous languages’

Lásse-Ivvár Erke – Eirik Larsen, Political Advisor of the Sami Parliament in Norway

Another relevant initiative was launched by WIPO through the Open Access Policy developed in 2016 to promote the translation and reproduction of publications available on its website in different indigenous languages. As noted by Rebecka Forsgren, indigenous fellow at WIPO, this contributes to the promotion of their traditional knowledge and protection of their intellectual property.

Challenges

There are a series of political, cultural, socio-economic and technical challenges that prevent the development and mainstreaming of language technologies in minority, lesser-user languages. As stressed by Professor Joseph Mariani, Director of Research Emeritus, Mechanical and Computer Engineering Laboratory (LIMSI), French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, France), developing language technologies requires two fundamental ‘ingredients’: language resources (corpora, dictionaries, terminology databases, etc.) and language technology evaluation. Most technologies are presently based on Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning, which requires large amounts of data (billions of words, thousands hours of speech), and the larger the data, the better the systems. Rich datasets are not available for all languages, nor speakers of minority languages have the right means or set of skills to develop strategies for the promotion of their own languages online. For this reason, strong documentation efforts are needed in order to ensure inter-generational transmission.

In today’s world, ICT literacy and access to broadband connectivity are prerequisites for the fulfillment of human rights and for participation in society. Several indigenous communities inhabit isolated rural areas and struggle on a daily basis to have access to electricity and internet, the content of which is still 50% in English language and therefore inaccessible for these groups. This proportion markedly contrasts with the number of languages spoken offline. To this regard, spoken language interfaces are especially interesting, as they only require simple, cheap, largely available cell phones, and can be used by those who are not able to read or write.

Concurrently, private-sector organizations are increasingly supporting multilingualism by shifting their focus from languages ranked according to countries with the highest GDP, to developing language technologies in multiple languages, including minority ones and from low GDP countries. As stressed by Emily Taylor, CEO of Oxford Information Labs, Internationalized domain names (IDNs) have a great potential to increase linguistic diversity in the cyberspace. Since 2011, UNESCO has collaborated with EURid to produce the World Report on IDNs, with the support of Verisign and the regional ccTLD organisations.

The Way forward: a Multi-stakeholder partnership

Equipping indigenous language users with the necessary tools to benefit from latest digital developments requires the joint-efforts of multiple stakeholders, from indigenous language users themselves, to the public and the private sector, academia, and civil society organizations.

Multi-stakeholder partnership is one of the key pillars on which the Action Plan for IYIL2019 (link is external) is based. It is critical to think collectively and concretely about how to adjust technological developments and AI to serve all languages. In view of the fact that 95% of languages in the world are spoken by only 6% of the world population, there is need for new research directions and business strategies to reduce the cost for developing indigenous language technologies, and to encourage knowledge-sharing practices and their mainstreaming at the international level to enhance profit as well as contribute to global development.

UNESCO, as lead agency for the organization of the International Year of Indigenous languages, works closely with Member states, UN Agencies, the members of the Steering Committee for the organization of the International year, and other partners, for the successful implementation of the Action plan for IYIL2019 (link is external). A series of activities and initiatives have been put in place and are planned according to the following five intervention areas:

• Increasing understanding, reconciliation and international cooperation among different stakeholders: organization of the global launch events of IYIL2019 in Paris (28 January 2019) (link is external) and New York (1 February 2019) (link is external), regional events, global conference;
• Creation of favorable conditions for knowledge-sharing and dissemination of good practices (High-level dialogue on ICT for all, WSIS Forum 2019 (link is external); UNESCO-WIPO side event on indigenous languages);
• Integration of indigenous languages into standard-setting (Action plan for IYIL2019 (link is external));
• Empower through capacity-building (Hackathon on indigenous languages in Singapore, March 2019)
• Growth and development through the elaboration of new knowledge (Call for Research Papers IYIL2019; upcoming World Report of Languages 2019).

Additionally, several concrete measures to promote access to knowledge in cyberspace, including for indigenous language users, are proposed by UNESCO within the framework of the implementation of its 2003 Recommendation concerning the promotion and use of multilingualism and universal access to cyberspace.

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00:00 JD Could you tell me about your role with the UNESCO Global Steering Committee. (Cut out of audio)

00:05 Craig: Sure, I have two hats that I am wearing on that committee. First of them is I am a representative of the UNESCO member states for the Asia Pacific Region um and what is exciting about that of course is that it is a region that is just full of indigenous languages and indigenous people ah, so that is ah a pretty significant representative role and in addition to that I co-chair the steering committee, myself and another member state representative and two indigenous people representatives are the co-chairs of the committee.

00:48 JD And in terms of the region do you think that there is a big need for representation?

00:54 Craig: Oh I think so I think it is important um that the region has a voice particularly in the organisation of the various events that are happening across the course of the year as the International Year of Indigenous Languages – but also because there is a lot of good work happening in Indigenous languages in this region and I would say particularly in this country and of course our friends and colleagues across the Tasman in Aotearoa.

01:28 JD And just in terms of this country we are in, Australia what is the situation in Australia in terms of Indigenous languages, first nation languages.

01:38 Craig: As you know at the time when the British arrived, let us use that term, shall we, in 1788, there were something between 2 and 300 Indigenous languages spoken on the mainland and within that context ah, probably close to 6 to 800 dialects within those languages so ah somebody put it recently to me this way, far from having a recent history as a multicultural nation since the end of world war two we have got a 65,000 year history of being a multicultural place and so ah we were diverse um multicultural, multilingual, of course jump ahead 230 years, and the situation is not quite so good, um, with very few of those languages spoken on about 120 in fact of those are spoken in the country and of those about 90 per cent of that 120 are considered at risk – um so it is a pretty dismal picture but what is exciting is there is a lot of work happening to re-invigorate indigenous languages there is a lot of recording work going on with 22 indigenous language centres around the country that are funded and more need to be funded but those language centres are vital in terms of language recovery and revitalisation.

02:54 JD: Do you think this international year may give a platform, what are your hopes to come out of this year as a CEO of AIATSIS, and also on the steering committee.

Craig: So I think there are a number of things I think this International Year is a unparalleled opportunity and in terms of our aspirations..

JD Why is it unparalleled?

03:18 Craig: Well because it is a year in which global focus and global effort and now the risk is that it 12 months of global focus and 12 months of global effort and then when 2020 roles around it is another year for something else, um and so one of things that the steering committee the global steering committee is particularly focuses on is what is the legacy here so apart from a year which we focus on Indigenous languages, where we shine the spotlight on the good work that is being done and the work that needs to be done and we have the interest and the energy of all the member states of the United Nations because this was after all a product of a General Assembly  resolution, and we have all of that energy focussed, well what next we want to make sure that there is ongoing work – um so;

04:15 Craig: So one from an AIATSIS perspective our aspiration goes through a few things, first of all is the visibility of Indigenous languages, if you go to some places where there are a bit ahead of the game, further ahead of the game than we are in, like New Zealand, you get off a plane in New Zealand, it is immediately obvious, it is the signage there is dual signage, there is just visible languages, … we see a bit of this happening, you hear station IDs, and things in things in local languages starting in appear in the country, but I hope that the focus of this year will produce much more visibility of indigenous languages – but I would like to see places reverting to the indigenous names – for me I long for the day when I can talk about Uluru and not have to qualify it by saying Ayres Rock – just that general usage, when words start to be picked up and to be used

05:13 JD: Do you think that if you can get the visibility we are talking – it is not a great word – but mainstreaming – if you get that as sort of habitual thing during this year, do you think that will have some currency moving on? Could that be part of the importance of the year that you start pushing various things so that it becomes something that people just do?

05:34 Craig: I think that is right I have seen that happening already and it is without minimising or without cutting of any avenues of redress it is a really important form of redress, um that starts to recognise the knowledge and the values and the world views that have been here for 65,000 years.

05:54 JD You mention that you are going to the UN Permanent Forum would it be possible do you think that one of the legacy’s could be that you take the success of this year, or some of the things that have come out like some of the things we have been talking about to the Permanent Forum – can an international year push good ideas through to benefit more people?

06:10 Craig: Oh I think absolutely it is one of the you know, I mentioned before it is a great opportunity, it is one of the elements of that opportunity is that shared learning and knowledge exchange and so it is one of the reasons why I think um International engagement around Indigenous issues is so absolutely critical because we can learn from one another – we have got some things that we might that other people might be interested in knowing how we did them but equally there are some really tough issues and some really ah deep sort of policy conundrums that we are wrestling with that perhaps other countries have been wrestling with and have found solutions for.

06:48 JD: So you will be taking some of the Australian and regional experiences to the UN Permanent Forum.

06:55 Craig: Well absolutely, and so the thing about the Permanent Forum is it’s member states its a enormous number of Indigenous peoples representatives and representative bodies that go, so is is a venue where you have the states and Indigenous Peoples coming together and I think that that is important – there will be a focus at this during the first week of this session on Indigenous Languages. 

07:21 JD: And, is this what keeps you going, is this your passion?

07:23 Craig: well look yes it is, I think the opportunity, having the opportunity um to be able to be part of a process where Australians get to in a sense reimagine what does it mean to be an Australian, what does it mean to be part of this country, and this place, um – the chance to be part of that I find completely energising – it appeals to everything that kind of gets me going.

JD And language in particular?

Craig: Well I think that is really important, I think that that is, now I am careful a bit about that because um, I think it is very important, but I don’t want to we need to be careful that we are not saying to Indigenous people who through no fault of their own and through the circumstances of history, have lost the ability to use their language – that somehow they are less genuinely aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander- I think that would be unfortunate and unhelpful,

Craig: but I know as a 53 year old ah, who sat down with somebody in my office a couple of years ago, a linguist who worked on the Dunghutti language, my language dictionary, and started to learn, it didn’t make me more aboriginal, it helped me connect much more, with um, with that identity, so it didn’t create the identity but it certainly reinforced it – and so now I get to sit with my grandchildren and whisper Dunghutti words in their ear – you know- I sit with my grand daughter and point to her  big brother and say that is your “Bingai” just things like that might just mean that other ah, my children and my grandchildren might not have wait until they are 51 years old before they get to engage with their language and before they get to engage with the sort of um perspective shaping ideas that gives you –but just to be able to find other ways to look at problems or other ways to think about situations and is such a powerful thing and why wouldn’t you want to be part of shaping a country that is able to do that – and instead of ah you know a continual sort of regressive war about our national identity and trying to lock in this very narrow fixed white anglo-saxon sense of who we are as Australians why wouldn’t we create something that is rich and diverse and beautiful that we all can own.

Ends.

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The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages (Ref.: 71/178) in order to raise global attention about the critical risks confronting indigenous languages, and their significance for sustainable development, reconciliation, good governance and peace building. The International Year on Indigenous Languages is therefore an important occasion for strengthening international cooperation in those areas.

Several debates took place during the day including Open Roundtable discussions in which a wide range of subjects, such as making technological innovations accessible for indigenous language speakers, promoting access to information and knowledge in indigenous languages and the role and contribution of academia and public organizations in the preservation, access and support of indigenous languages were discussed. Special attention was given as well to the activities of the Information for All Programme (IFAP) in promoting multilingualism in cyberspace.

The session on increasing access to information and knowledge in indigenous languages saw the participation of the Director of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for the Arabic Language, the Executive Director of Folk Alliance International and of the Vice-Chair of the intergovernmental Information for All Programme (IFAP), Mr Evgeny Kuzmin. In his intervention, Mr Kuzmin stressed the importance of celebrating the International Year of Indigenous Languages as an opportunity to bring to the attention of the public the importance of multilingualism and linguistic diversity. ‘We have to use these opportunities to the full and offer the world such a vision of the value of the languages to the forefront. We have to offer the world a human and noble language policy which will let people use their potential in the languages of their choice, so that their dignity is not derogated, and languages are not used for the purposes of domination, suppression and separation’, he said.

IFAP encourages its Member States to duly take cultural and linguistic diversity into account when formulating and implementing digital innovation policies and solutions and use appropriate tools to promote linguistic diversity and multilingualism in cyberspace. IFAP also advocates through policy recommendations the entry of new languages into the digital world, the creation and dissemination of content in local languages in cyberspace. The Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace is an important normative instrument that recognizes that linguistic diversity in technology and universal access to information in cyberspace are at the core of contemporary debates and can be a determining factor in the development of a knowledge-based society.

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02 February 2019 – This Friday the High-Level Launch Launch Event of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, following the Official Launch Event that took place in Paris in the same week. Have you missed the event, were not able to join but would like to see it again?

Find more Information on the High Level Event in New York here.  And see it again following this link:

Find the whole Webcast of the High-Level Event in English under the following links if you were not able to join us.

Access the UN WebTV to see the Full Event

To see the Photos of the High Level Event, click here!

UN webcast videos: Cultural Performance by Kwakwaka’wakw Dancers: https://bit.ly/2HGGjfI

Do also not forget to

Join the IYIL2019 “#IndigenousLanguages” campaign on Social Media

using the hashtags

#WeAreIndigenous

Twitter :
https://twitter.com/IYIL2019
@IYIL2019

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/indigenouslanguages/
@indigenouslanguages

Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IYIL2019/
@IYIL2019

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30 January 2019 – This Monday the Official Launch Event of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) took place at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. We are looking forward to celebrate this important event together with you throughout the year! Have a look at the event once again here:

Find the whole webcast of the Launch Event in English and French under the following links if you were not able to join us. We have also attached the agenda for you.

Access UNESCO webcast:

http://webcast.unesco.org/live/room-02/en
http://webcast.unesco.org/live/room-02/fr

To see the Photos of the Opening ceremony, click here!

Do also not forget to

Join the IYIL2019 “#IndigenousLanguages” campaign on Social Media

using the hashtags

#WeAreIndigenous

Twitter :
https://twitter.com/IYIL2019
@IYIL2019

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/indigenouslanguages/
@indigenouslanguages

Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IYIL2019/
@IYIL2019

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Official Global Launch Event of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages

This official launch event is co-organized by UNESCO, UNDESA, and the members of Steering Committee for the organization of the International Year, as well as with the participation of other relevant stakeholders.

To be held under the theme “Indigenous languages matter for sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation”, this official launch event will gather high-level governmental officials, indigenous peoples, civil society, academia, media, information and memory organizations, United Nations agencies, public language harmonization and documentation institutions and private sector bodies.

The official launch event aims at providing a global forum for a constructive debate in which high-level speakers and prominent experts will address new paradigms for safeguarding, promoting and providing access to knowledge and information for the indigenous languages’ users.

UNESCO, in its capacity of the leading UN agency of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, will organize the Official Global Launch event of the 2019 International Year on Indigenous Languages that will take place from 15.00 p.m. to 18.30 p.m. and cultural programme from 18.40 to 19.30 p.m. on Monday, 28 January 2019 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France (Room II).

• Concept Note and Programme
• Photo Gallery

Join the IYIL2019 “#IndigenousLanguages” campaign

#WeAreIndigenous

Twitter :

https://twitter.com/IYIL2019

Access UNESCO webcast:

http://webcast.unesco.org/live/room-02/en
http://webcast.unesco.org/live/room-02/fr

Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IYIL2019/
@IYIL2019

Official website:
https://en.iyil2019.org/

https://fr.iyil2019.org/

https://es.iyil2019.org/

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Venezuelan activist, actress and model Patricia Velásquez was designated today the Organization of American States
OAS) Goodwill Ambassador for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas during a ceremony at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution in Washington, DC.

Velásquez, who is descended on her mother´s side from the Wayúu Taya people, said she will fight for the rights of all indigenous peoples. “It is an honor to echo the call by all the indigenous communities of the Americas, I assume this commitment with great responsibility. It is not only for my Wayúu people, but also the Quecha, Yanomami, Guaraní, Aymara, Secoyas and many others, we are all cousins,” said Velásquez.

For his part, the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, indicated that with the new appointment the OAS takes a step further in promoting its theme of “more rights for more people.” “I am proud that the OAS can count on the support of a faithful defender of the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas to help us in the effort to foster understanding and promote their inclusion,” he added.

Patricia Velásquez is the President of the Wayúu Taya Foundation, a non-profit organization that strives to improve the situation of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

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Presenting the Action Plan

On 16 April 2018, UNESCO presented the Action Plan(link is external) for the organization of the 2019 International Year of indigenous Languages (IY2019) in the 17^th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
UNPFII).

The Action Plan serves as the guiding document for joint efforts to promote indigenous languages around the world in 2019, and contributes to put the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Issues into effect.

The IY2019 aims to draw attention to the critical loss of indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote them, as well as to the necessity to take further urgent steps at national and international levels. The freedom to express themselves in their own language and to allow free exchange of knowledge are core components of human rights.

Getting involved in the IY2019

Ms Irmgarda Kasinskaite, Programme Specialist at UNESCO, encouraged Member States and organizations to get involved through multi-stakeholder participation, namely by getting involved in the steering committee or ad-hoc groups.

The steering committee comprises one Member State representing each region; leaders and representatives of indigenous peoples, interested Member States, expert colleagues, the special rapporteur of Rights of Indigenous Peoples, UNESCO and UNDESA. Special ad-hoc groups will also provide advice to specific aspects of the Action Plan, and allow all other interested parties to be involved.

UNPFII Side Events

Aside from the plenary session, UNESCO also hosted a side event to discuss the potential events and activities for the IY2019.  The objective of the session was to share views on the proposed Action Plan, identify key partners interested in contributing to activities, and create a calendar of events for next year celebrations. 

During the session, a panel introduced the importance and significance of the International Year. They discussed different programs working at advancing culture and arts, their support to the proposed Action Plan, best practices to promote indigenous languages, and the need for capacity building to revitalize cultural heritage. In addition, they also suggested some proposals for implementation of the IY2019:

• Increasing Private Sector involvement through programs and investments
• Using digital and online platforms, such as, Social Media to disseminate information and engage with youth
• Working with organizations to host workshops on the importance of languages
• Integrating traditional knowledge into curriculums in the education system
• Introducing the idea of an international decade in addition to the international year
• Establishing a process to protect intellectual property of indigenous groups.
• Encouraging institutions to open up their archives and share information with local communities

Indigenous Media Zone

Ms Irmgarda Kasinskaite participated in a live webcast in the Indigenous Media Zone organized by the Permanent Forum. In the interactive discussion, participants covered approaches to significance of the upcoming International Year on Indigenous Languages, and raised questions including the top issues ensuring survival of indigenous languages, the engagement of governments, the long-term benefits of the IY2019 Action Plan, and the impact and role of the Steering Committee.

They also stressed the importance of inter-generational connection, and cultural heritage through preservation of indigenous languages.

Source: UNESCO
https://en.unesco.org/themes/linguistic-diversity-and-multilingualism-internet/news)

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