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.

The post IFAP advocates for protecting linguistic diversity at the official launch of the IYIL2019 appeared first on 2019 - International Year of Indigenous Language.

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)

The post Join efforts in New York to preserve, revitalize and promote Indigenous Languages appeared first on 2019 - International Year of Indigenous Language.

On 21 October 2016 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, beginning on 1 January 2019. The International Year is an important international cooperation mechanism and a year-long celebration, involving a range of different stakeholders, dedicated to preserve, revitalize, and promote indigenous languages; as languages matter for social, economic and political development, peace building and reconciliation.

Indigenous languages are essential to sustainable development; they constitute the vast majority of the world’s linguistic diversity, and are an expression of cultural identity, diversity and a unique understanding of the world. The disappearance of indigenous languages has a negative impact on areas directly affecting lives of indigenous peoples such as, politics, health, justice, education and access to ICTs among other things. Therefore, UNPFII is the appropriate setting to present the Action Plan for the organization of IY2019 to the indigenous peoples representatives and organizations.

One of the key principles of the Action Plan itself is the centrality of indigenous peoples “nothing for us without us”. During 2019, multiple actions and events are expected to be organized by indigenous peoples and organizations around the world. Hence, on Monday 16 April the Action Plan was discussed by all partners involved so that future action will all be on the same track.

In addition, UNESCO is collaborating together with FILAC(link is external) and Ecuador in the side events organized in the context of the Forum to present IY2019 and the wide range of partnering opportunities to indigenous organizations from all regions, Member States and indigenous media.

In the upcoming days, the Steering Committee, will meet to take further steps towards the implementation of the Action Plan. The Committee comprises one Member State representing each region, leaders and representatives of indigenous peoples, all interested Member States, UNESCO and UNDESA.

For more information on the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, watch the following video:

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

The post UNESCO presents in New York 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages appeared first on 2019 - International Year of Indigenous Language.

More than two hundred participants, including high level policy and decision makers, politicians, representatives of the intergovernmental organizations, experts, academia and civil society– at local, national, European and multilateral levels, gathered to reflect and discuss on the factors that have an impact on the development of European minority languages, analyzing the current difficulties, existing normative frameworks, ongoing initiatives as well as identifying opportunities for further progress.
The Forum aimed at identifying practical solutions for the languages protection and revitalization and defining new terms of action for creation of a new sustainable model of coexistence and relation between different kinds of people. The key objective was to create a large-scale opportunity for the international cooperation on specific strategies, which would enable the revitalization and standardization of languages ​​in vulnerable situations.

During his intervention, Mr Indrajit Banerjee, Director of UNESCO’s Knowledge Societies Division, Communication and Information Sector, underlined the importance of language diversity for sustainable development, as well as the rapid pace of language loss seen at the moment. He emphasized that the advent of connectivity and sophisticated information and communication platforms and technologies did not reverse this trend. On the contrary. While the Internet is considered as a primary way of sharing information and knowledge and in principle, it is open to all languages, in reality this is far from being the case. A large number of languages are still not available in online communication. The adoption of Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 focused on 17 goals should lead to greater shared prosperity and peace. Thus, language and linguistic diversity should be a central theme as it allows transmission of knowledge from generation to the next, including through the application of Information and Communication Technologies, and ensure further exploitation of scientific and technological progress for sustainable development.

Ms Irmgarda Kasinskaite-Buddeberg, Programme Specialist, Knowledge Societies Division, presented the recently launched initiative to develop a World Atlas of Languages. She stressed that the UNESCO Atlas of Language in Danger currently includes data on 2,465 endangered languages, providing information on their status along with references to key resources. Following up on the recommendations of international expert meetings and regional conferences, the Roadmap for the development of World Atlas of Language was drawn by UNESCO to include not only all of world’s languages in danger, but apparently ‘safe’ languages as well and provide more comprehensive view on language issues for development and implementation of evidence-based initiatives. The new online tool aims to build on the previous work and expand its applicability, by constructing a global task force on multilingualism and institutional network comprising of higher educational institutions working in the language documentation field as well as language communities. This collaborative work would reflect more accurately global linguistic diversity and serve also as learning and teaching resource, as well as contribute to the policy formulation and further promotion of languages worldwide.

Among those who attended the Forum and the UNESCO’s presentations were the President of the Basque Government, Mr Íñigo Urkullu Renteria, the Minister of Culture and Language Politics in the Basque Country Mr Bingen Zubiria, and the Vice-minister for Language Policy, Patxi Baztarrika, H.E Ms Teresa de Lizaranzu Perinat, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Spain to UNESCO as well as other high level representatives of the region and city of Donostia-San Sebastian. The event was organized by the city of Donostia-San Sebastian and UNESCO Centre Basque Country
UNESCO Etxea) in collaboration with the Council of Europe.

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

The post UNESCO emphasizes the role of linguistic diversity for sustainable development appeared first on 2019 - International Year of Indigenous Language.