Moção de apoio à correspondên cia do Hein van der Voort à SSILA

[Sebastian Drude]

Prezados membros desta lista,


concordo com a proposta do Dr. Gabas Jr., e avanço para fazer uma 
primeira proposta para uma tal moção, que pode ser discutida, completada 
e corrigido nos próximos dias pelos membros desta lista.
Como a moção é dirigida a um público internacional, ela é formulada em 
Inglês (correções são bem-vindas).

Com saudações cordiais,

Sebastian Drude

=====

We, linguists working on indigenous languages of Brazil and adjacent 
regions, would like to express our concern for the points that were 
raised by Dr. H.v.d. Voort in the SSILA-Bulletin #242 of August 22, 
2006, and our support for the general position taken by Dr. v.d. Voort.

In particular, we feel that there is only one sensitive answer --"NO"-- 
to the central question raised by Dr. v.d. Voort, namely: "should we as 
scientists collaborate so directly with a proselytizing organization, 
lending it legitimacy and potentially contributing to its ultimate goal 
-- that of replacing indigenous cultures with a specific Western one?"

Although the Ethnologue may be the most complete survey of languages and 
dialects existing today, relevant information that would correct 
shortcomings in the Ethnologue and thus contribute to the overall 
quality of the ISO standard is indeed badly needed.
Several of us do have such information but feel reluctant to share it 
with the editors of the Ethnologue for the very reasons given by Dr. 
v.d.Voort.  Even if the SIL is possibly better accepted among some 
academics in other regions in the world, our ethical concerns may be 
shared by many. This puts the cooperative work on a reliable and widely 
accepted ISO standard at a serious risk.

Therefore, we request that the current state of affairs with respect to 
the ISO 639-3 be reviewed, and that another, purely academic, 
institution (possibly a committee or commission to be created) be 
responsible for maintaining and revising the ISO list of languages and 
their codes.  The academic commission of the SSILA that is to evaluate 
proposals for changes of the survey of South America may serve as an 
example for other regions, and some coordination of regional commissions 
could be established in order to assure similar criteria and standards.

Of course, it would make little sense to re-invent the wheel and start 
from scratch a new collection of languages and their alternative names 
and assign codes to each of them.
But it seems important that the ISO 639-3 standard and a possible 
permanent ISO 639-3 commission be clearly separated from the Ethnologue 
and the SIL in general, even if the Ethnologue continues to figure 
prominent among the sources for the ISO standard and, one day, for a 
definitive academic list of languages, dialects and language codes.

It must be possible for any linguist to contribute to the ISO standard 
without contributing to the SIL.  We invite linguists who share this 
view to make this position clear in their local academic associations 
and to start a discussion about a possible different solution for the 
ISO 639-3.

-- 
| Sebastian   D R U D E    (Linguist, Awetí Project)
| www.germanistik.fu-berlin.de/il/pers/drude-en.html





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