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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thanks for the feedback. I think
there are several things going on in such situations (apart from the particular
tragic events in Kenya recently).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>It is not uncommon that the ways
people use a language shared by some but not all in a particular setting might give
those who don't speak it the feeling of exclusion. A lot depends on how the
languages are used, the speakers' behavior, etc., and is not inherent to
multilingualism or its expression. On the other hand, I have noticed in West
Africa a tendency to shift languages if necessary to include someone coming
into a discussion, or else someone does a quick translation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The notion of keeping some languages
away, down and out of the picture for whatever reason may have more costs than
is realized. They don't go away so easily, and while relegated to the margins not
only serve less good than they might, but perhaps serve as vehicles for continuing
prejudice or worse. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>There was a news item about radio
broadcasts in various local languages in Kenya inciting hatred and violence.*
The solution of course would not be to curtail use of these languages, but to use
those same tongues and the terms, metaphors and cultural references that are
part of them to counter negative messages with more positive messages.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Part of the hope of language
development, as I see it, is to seize the high ground for more positive and
constructive discourse, preferably before you get to the point of such radio broadcasts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>One other note re perceptions of
language and linguistic diversity in Africa: Nigerian linguist Ayo Bamgbose has
written of the twin fallacies of language policies on the continent: that multilingualism
always divides and that one language always unites. The assumption that
language necessarily divide is strong enough that one article from Tanzania a last
year referred to the genocide in Rwanda as being between groups speaking
different languages,** which of course it was not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Maybe the issue at the water
cooler in Kenya - or in places of work in the US - should not be how to keep
people from speaking certain languages, but rather encouraging tolerance on the
one hand and politeness (at the risk of sounding quaint) on the other. Acceptance
of linguistic diversity and consideration of others' feelings in social
settings go together. The coming together in Kenya may be difficult after what
has happened, but is suppressing use of languages really an ideal element of
reconciliation or could there be other ways, especially for the longer term?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>This view of linguistic
pluralism from Uganda in 2005 may be of interest*** :<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>"From my experience with
East and Southern African cities, Kampala and Johannesburg are the more
culturally plural, that is in terms of language diversity. With inhabitants
freely expressing themselves in any of their languages that they deem fit,
rather than being constrained to relate to each other in one State-imposed
lingua franca. And this is a strength that adds to the cosmopolitan outlook and
cultural tolerance of these two post conflict societies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>"On the other hand, the
language policies of a number of our neighbours, notably Sudan with Arabic and
Kenya and Tanzania with Kiswahili, have led to cultural-cide. This has
undermined their numerous indigenous languages. …"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I might add that the description
of language use in Kampala and Johannesburg sounds a rather like my experience
in some West African cities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Don Osborn<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>*Alisha Ryu, "Radio
Broadcasts Incite Kenya's Ethnic Violence" VOA 30 January 2008 <a
href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-30-voa38.cfm">http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-30-voa38.cfm</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>**Neema Mugali, "Kiswahili,
bridging the gap of ethnic divide" Guardian 2007-05-03 09:07:34 <a
href="http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/05/03/89680.html">http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/05/03/89680.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>***Kintu Nyago, "Kiswahili:
No General Application" The Monitor, February 24, 2005 <a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/message/314">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/message/314</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
[mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Stan &
Sandy Anonby<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:55 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu; AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: "Globalization & the Role of African Languages for
Devt."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A Feb 11
article in the New York Times, entitled "Kenya’s Middle Class
Feeling Sting of Violence " seems to come to a different conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"Mr.
Mbugua spoke the other day at one of those meetings about the importance of
reconciliation in the workplace. His idea was to keep local languages, which
many Kenyans speak in addition to the country’s official languages
(English and Kiswahili), away from the water cooler. 'We don’t want
people to feel excluded when they’re at work,' he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-----
Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:dzo@bisharat.net"
title="dzo@bisharat.net">Don Osborn</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a
href="mailto:AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com"
title="AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com">AfricanLanguages@yahoogroups.com</a> ;
<a href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu"
title="lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sent:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Friday, February 22,
2008 1:42 PM<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Subject:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> "Globalization
& the Role of African Languages for Devt."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal>I just came across a link to Ghirmai Negash's 2005 paper,
"Globalization and the Role of African Languages for Development," on
the Sociolingo's African Linguistics blog at <a
href="http://sociolingolinguistics.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/globalization-and-the-role-of-african-languages-for-development/">http://sociolingolinguistics.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/globalization-and-the-role-of-african-languages-for-development/</a>
and thought I'd pass on the reference. Apparently it was just made available
online at <a href="http://repositories.cdlib.org/ies/050219/">http://repositories.cdlib.org/ies/050219/</a>
. The abstract follows; the full paper in PDF format can be downloaded at <a
href="http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1072&context=ies">http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1072&context=ies</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>"Indigenous African languages are largely eliminated,
and marginalized from use. Instead of investing in and using their linguistic,
cultural, and human potential, African governments and the elite still continue
to channel away their resources and energies into learning
‘imperial’ languages that are used by a tiny minority of the
populations. Against the backdrop of constraining global forces, and
Africa’s internal problems (wars, repression, and general economic
misery), this paper argues that African languages could be the most critical
element for Africa’s survival, and cultural, educational and economic
development. In order for this to happen, however, Africa must invest in this
sector of ‘cultural economy’ as much as it does (should do) in the
‘material economy’, since both spheres are interrelated and impact
on each other."<o:p></o:p></p>
</blockquote>
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