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<DIV></DIV>From: <I>Mia Kalish <MiaKalish@LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US></I><BR>Reply-To: <I>Indigenous Languages and Technology <ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU></I><BR>To: <I>ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU</I><BR>Subject: <I>Re: [ILAT] Buffet, Gates, & the future of linguistic diversity</I><BR>Date: <I>Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:34:15 -0600</I><BR>>Hi, Don,<BR>><BR>>There was a nice interview with Bill Gates in Newsweek recently. Talked<BR>>about how involved he is with the Foundation, and how he is interested in<BR>>talking to people who are working on technical solutions for<BR>>learning/education. . .<BR>><BR>>So . . . in a blatant but friendly, warm and loving Advertisement: Are you<BR>>going to send me and Sue something for the Anaheim Project? The digital<BR>>poster we are doing for LSA in
January?<BR>><BR>>I promise PROMISE PROMISE I will write to Bill Gates and tell him we are<BR>>doing this. In addition, I will stick in some techie concepts about things<BR>>we need for revitalization that should be in operating systems. I'll invite<BR>>him to come see us - or at least send a representative.<BR>><BR>>I was thinking of inviting him here to Gallup, to see what we are doing for<BR>>language and culture preservation and revitalization by involving the<BR>>Community, and developmental resources like Work Force Development. The<BR>>schools are trying, but I perceive there is a huge gap between what the<BR>>teachers know and can design and plan using technology, and what the<BR>>students can do. The teachers are So Limited, and with the students, the<BR>>sky's the limit. So we are working in the community to put the people who<BR>>can
create the technology [read: children and grandchildren] with the people<BR>>who know the language and culture [read: grandparents, community Elders,<BR>>parents]. Fortunately for us, people here are very supportive of this kind<BR>>of effort.<BR>><BR>>Mia<BR>><BR>>-----Original Message-----<BR>>From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]<BR>>On Behalf Of d_z_o<BR>>Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 3:36 PM<BR>>To: ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU<BR>>Subject: [ILAT] Buffet, Gates, & the future of linguistic diversity<BR>><BR>>With the news of Warren Buffet's donation of most of an estimated $44<BR>>billion to the Gates Foundation (GF), and remembering that the GF has<BR>>funded some programs for endangered languages, one wonders whether any<BR>>of this new mass of capital can be directed for use for
language<BR>>revitalization and linguistic diversity. Is not just a question of<BR>>whether some more money can be allocated for specific projects, but<BR>>rather whether resources can be found to develop and implement<BR>>long-term programs for the development of minority languages. There<BR>>are a number of important but relatively small programs to assist in<BR>>documentation of endangered languages, and there are sometimes<BR>>programs in individual countries to promote teaching of and<BR>>development of literature in certain languages, but there does not<BR>>seem to be any overarching strategy involving a range of actors (or<BR>>"stakeholders") involved in or concerned with language preservation<BR>>and development.<BR>><BR>>At this time, when we read so often about about the current and<BR>>expected rates of language
extinction, when many countries and<BR>>communities lack the resources to plan and manage for their own<BR>>linguistic diversity, when many children especially of minority groups<BR>>do not have access to formal education of any sort let alone in their<BR>>maternal language, and when older people in minority language<BR>>communities pass away taking with them knowledge that cannot be<BR>>replaced (the proverbial "when an elder dies, a library burns"), while<BR>>at the same time we have the resources, both monetary and<BR>>technological, to record, manipulate, produce, and instruct in any<BR>>language, there is an urgent need to develop bold, coherent and long<BR>>term strategies.<BR>><BR>>Basically we seem to be faced with a window of opportunity of limited<BR>>duration, and an imperative to act promptly. The GF even with this<BR>>added capital,
is not the only organization that can assist in this<BR>>area, so it shouldn't be singled out. There are other organizations<BR>>that can and should contribute as well - philanthropic, national,<BR>>intergovernmental, etc. However, given the amount of resources now at<BR>>the GF's disposal, and its implied link via its founder to information<BR>>technology (which has a great potential to help work language<BR>>development and revitalization), it certainly is a logical starting<BR>>place. And since this story is big in the news at this moment, maybe<BR>>it deserves some focused discussion in order to produce a strong<BR>>policy proposal?<BR>><BR>>Don Osborn<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></div></html>