2019 - International Year of
Indigenous Languages
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| Pope Francis meeting the indigenous people of Peru's Amazonia region in Puerto Maldonado, Jan. 19, 2018. (Vatican Media) |
The UN's international year will be officially launched at
the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on January 28.
By Robin Gomes
The year 2019 has been declared by the United Nations as
the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019).
The year will be officially launched at a special event on
January 28 at the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the lead organization coordinating the yearlong
celebration.
An International Year is an important cooperation mechanism
dedicated to raising awareness on a particular topic or theme of global
interest or concern and mobilizing different players for coordinated action
around the world.
The United Nations General Assembly in 2016 adopted a
resolution proclaiming 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous
Languages.
The UNESCO launched
a website in August 2018, to help raise the awareness on the IY2019
and on the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote indigenous languages
around the world.
Endangered languages
According to UN’s cultural agency, there are some
6,000-7,000 languages in the world today. About 97% of the world’s population
speaks only 4 % of these languages, while only 3 % of the world speak 96% of
all remaining languages.
A great majority of these languages, spoken mainly by
indigenous peoples, will continue to disappear at an alarming rate. Without
appropriate measure to address this issue, the further loss of languages and
their associated history, traditions and memory would considerably reduce the
rich tapestry of linguistic diversity worldwide.
Marginalization
In addition, indigenous peoples are often isolated both
politically and socially in the countries they live in, by the geographical
location of their communities, their separate histories, cultures, languages
and traditions.
And yet, they are not only leaders in protecting the
environment, but their languages represent complex systems of knowledge and
communication and should be recognized as a strategic national resource for
development, peacebuilding and reconciliation.
They also foster and promote unique local cultures, customs
and values which have endured for thousands of years. Indigenous languages add
to the rich tapestry of global cultural diversity. Without them, the world
would be a poorer place.
Celebrating IYIL2019 will help promote and protect indigenous
languages and improve the lives of those who speak them. It will
contribute to achieving the objectives set out in the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030.
The celebration is also expected to strengthen and reinforce
the many standard-setting tools adopted by the international community which
include specific provisions to promote and protect languages.
Indigenous figures in brief:
- 7 thousand: languages spoken worldwide
- 370 million: indigenous people in the world
- 90 countries: with indigenous communities
- 5 thousand: different indigenous cultures
- 2680 languages: in danger
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