International Mother Languages Day

The 21st of February has been, since a UNESCO declaration in 1999, International Mother Languages Day. Unfortunately, UNESCO hasn’t bothered to get their logo for this year’s commemoration out and about, so I’ve posted an old one.

If you’re wondering what this is all about here’s some explanation in typical UN-speak:

The General Conference,

Recognizing the need to improve understanding and communication among peoples,

Also recognizing the great importance of safeguarding the linguistic and cultural heritage of humanity and extending the influence of each of the cultures and languages of which that heritage is composed,

Considering the current threat to linguistic diversity posed by the globalization of communication and the tendency to use a single language, at the risk of marginalizing the other major languages of the world, or even of causing the lesser-used languages, including regional languages, to disappear,

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Also considering that educating young people throughout the world involves sensitizing them to dialogue between cultures, which engenders tolerance and mutual respect,

Further considering that substantial progress has been made in the last few decades by the language sciences, but that insufficient attention has been paid to the extraordinary ability of children to reproduce sounds at key periods of their development,

Noting that the ability of children to acquire phonetic and grammatical skills has been scientifically corroborated,

Considering that these skills enable young children to acquire competence at an early age in real communication, both passive and active, in at least two languages, whichever they may be,

Aware that democratic access to knowledge depends on a command of several languages and that provision of such access for all is a duty at a time when private language training, which is both expensive and elitist, is spreading in many countries,

Mindful of the resolutions adopted in support of bilingual education at its 18th and 19th sessions (1974 and 1976),

Taking into account the establishment by the Executive Board in October 1998 of the Advisory Committee for Linguistic Pluralism and Multilingual Education and the creation of the Languages Division in the Education Sector by the Director-General in 1998 …

So, to borrow an expression from my mother language, “blah, blah, blah.”

I’m not being flippant here, as celebrating and valuing languages should be fundamental, and every language lost costs humanity more than we may ever know.

Although this event may not be getting much attention where you are, people trying to keep their languages alive in this time of global communication and homogenization are quite excited about the ‘attention’ paid on this ’special day’.

(’Attention’ and ’special day’ are only put in quotes as a slam to the UN’s under-emphasis on the issue in every way … other than naming a day after it. Big whoop. What did that cost them?)

In Bangladesh, for example, it’s a huge deal since their struggle for independence began with the “Language Movement” there, and February 21st was picked for International Mother Language Day because it is the Bangladeshi observance of their Martyrs Day, the 1952 event that set history in that country in motion.

This day is so important to Bangladeshis that they have an International Mother Tongue Language Day monument, and are now instrumental in building another in Toronto, Canada.

In total 188 countries observed the day … not all peacefully, as language is important, and clinging to a mother tongue is often seen as subversive behavior.

Take Iran, as an example. They marked the day there with authorities conducting extensive arrests of journalists and students in Tabriz, Ahar, Shabestar, Urmiyeh, and Ardebil in the Azarbaijan province.

Yiddish, a language Nazi Germany attempted to do away with completely, gets a boost.

In Israel, International Mother Language Day will give a fresh impetus to Yiddish, with Beit Leyvik, the Tel Aviv-based headquarters of the Yiddish Writers and Journalists Association, leading the way. Yiddish organizations and institutions across the country are also participating with story-telling, readings and community singing.

Russia is home to more than forty groups of indigenous peoples, and if you’d like to hear a bit of some of the languages there in danger of disappearing, here’s a link where you can listen to native speakers … and singers.

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