The International Mother Language Day is a United Nations yearly event observed on the 21st of February. The purpose of this day is to promote the awareness of cultural, grammatical and linguistic diversity, and to promote peace and multilingualism and cultural values. The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first proclaimed this event in November 1999.
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To people of different cultures and races, languages are important for identity, communication, education, social integration, and development. However, due to the quest for literacy and globalization processes, indigenous languages are increasingly going extinct, or under threat of disappearing. When languages fade, the world's rich array of cultural diversity, opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression also fades. The future of that tradition or culture may also be lost in the process.
At least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world. - United Nations
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The Theme of the 2019 International Mother Language Day is indigenous languages as a factor in development, peace and reconciliation
To enhance development in all regions of the world, learners need to have access to education both in their mother tongue and in other languages. For example, a native Yoruba student in Nigeria should have access to education both in Yoruba and English languages. This is however not in place at the moment and has caused a great divide between those who have easy access to English language speakers and materials and those who do not have such access. The basic skills of reading, writing and computation are acquired more effectively when learned in the mother language. This then transcends to upholding cultural values and tradition, and in turn, securing a good future for that language.
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One of the simplest ways of upholding culture through language is in the teaching of history, and indigenous languages. For example, history of a particular people, history of a particular event/festival in the land, etc. These days, in Africa especially, some local languages are being substituted for foreign languages in the schools. Learning indigenous languages is made optional for the students, who out of ignorance or wrong orientation choose to study foreign languages because...
"...there are more job opportunities in learning foreign languages."
This notion, though may be true sometimes, it does not mean local languages should be discarded, thereby depleting the cultural values of such a people and gradually making the language to head for extinction. We all need to rise and uphold our cultural values, our beliefs, our traditions, and most importantly, our languages, before they all go extinct.
IJEWO MI (MY CONFESSION)
To celebrate International Mother Language Day 2019, the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services invites you to submit your favorite proverb in your mother tongue to HERE. Your proverbs should be on the following topics: peace, harmony, conflict resolution/competence to deal with conflict, mindfulness, resilience, well-being. The proverbs will be compiled, and the most appropriate ones will be selected to be published on their official website and other digital communication tools.
