Get involved

We hope actions taken during IYIL2019 will generate as much interest and positive change as possible for indigenous languages and those who speak them. It is with this in mind that we invite you to get involved in making the year a success.

The survival and robustness of indigenous languages plays a vital role in the sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation processes of the communities that speak them.

As such, events taking place during IYIL2019 should take into account the year’s three main themes which encompass both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The revitalization and maintenance of indigenous languages should be supported through measures to ensure that more material, expanded content and a wider range of services are available to speakers in order to increase and improve how much they are spoken. This will be done using language and information and communications technologies, where appropriate, in order to improve everyday use of indigenous languages and encourage best practice, equality and proficiency in their use.

Actions taken should help indigenous children, young people and adults to be able to access education, information and knowledge in their home languages. It is important to improve data collection and sharing of information in and about indigenous languages, using language technology and other communication and information mechanisms.

They should also empower indigenous language speakers and cultures by promoting the mainstreaming of their knowledge and values within broader sociocultural, economic and political domains through specific language technologies and other relevant methods of communication and information.  Actions should also promote their cultural practices and traditional sport and games. This will ensure better transmission of indigenous languages, customs and traditions to future generations.

All interested parties including Member States, indigenous peoples, UN system organizations, academia, public and private bodies, media and other stakeholders are encouraged to participate actively in IYIL2019 and uphold the spirit of the year by taking measures to promote and protect the right of indigenous peoples to preserve and develop their languages.

A coherent approach and joint collaborative action by many different stakeholders will have the maximum positive impact for indigenous communities.

And it will have improved the lives of indigenous peoples by strengthening their capacity and that of organizations working in this sector.

It will also have encouraged other stakeholders to take appropriate action in support of indigenous languages and contribute to attaining the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and other normative frameworks.

• Better international cooperation and partnerships to stimulate debate and support, promote and empower indigenous communities.
• Protection of traditional ceremonies and cultural heritage.
• Strengthened cooperation to document indigenous languages.

• Promote ethical dissemination of indigenous knowledge to protect intellectual property.
• Raise awareness of the significance of indigenous language issues for national, regional and international development plans.
• Develop appropriate knowledge-sharing platforms and resources which support, promote and make indigenous languages more accessible.
• Technical support for statistics used to assess demographic trends, the status of particular languages and changes in linguistic diversity.

• Assist with policy analysis, monitoring and programme delivery in education, culture, science, social and human sciences, and communication and information, and other relevant fields.
• Deliver and monitor policy measures taken to support, promote and make indigenous languages accessible, and ensure that they are used in teaching, research and administration.
• Ensure that indigenous languages are documented with the active participation of the language holders.

• Reinforce capacity to put in place inclusive educational policies which raise professional standards at all levels of education.
• Train more and better qualified teachers and education specialists.
• Develop new and open educational resources to facilitate teaching and learning in indigenous languages, integrate indigenous cultures and traditional knowledge into mainstream education, and create writing systems for indigenous languages to help improve learning.
• Support the promotion of research into these languages, enhance indigenous professionals’ ability to teach in their mother tongue, develop the skills needed to participate in educational decision-making.
• Encourage initiatives fostering the dissemination and teaching of indigenous languages and involving popular traditional cultural and ritual practices.

• Introduce contributions from the indigenous cultural and linguistic heritage into national, regional and global development perspectives and strategies.
• Promote the exchange of scientific knowledge and sharing between cultures.
• Encourage stakeholders to pay increased attention to issues affecting indigenous languages and cultures.