<div dir="ltr"><div style id="stcpDiv"><span class="">Promote and safeguard local languages - Van der Westhuisen
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<span class="">Batswana should
promote and safeguard local languages to avoid the risk of them
disappearing, says Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development, Frans Van der Westhuisen.
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<td class="">By</td>
<td class=""><a href="http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=2172">Nnasaretha Kgamanyane</a> </td>
<td class="">Wed 25 Feb 2015, 11:03 am (GMT +2) </td>
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<ul id="slideshow"><li style><img src="http://www.mmegi.bw/2015/february/25/medium_phpE6E9.tmp.jpg" height="402.36610169492" width="438"><div style="width:400px;float:left;margin-right:6px;margin-left:3px;color:white;text-align:left"><b> :</b> Van der Westhuisen </div><div style="float:left;width:24px;height:24px;margin-top:2px;margin-bottom:2px"><ul class="" style="list-style:outside none none;padding:0px"><li style="list-style:outside none none"><a href="http://www.mmegi.bw/2015/february/25/phpE6E9.tmp.jpg" rel="prettyPhoto" title="Van der Westhuisen "><img src="http://www.mmegi.bw/2013_website//widgets/gallery/article_gallery/gallery_lifemedia/img/picture2.png" title="Expand this Image" border="0/"></a></li></ul></div></li></ul>
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<p>He said this during the commemoration
of the National Languages Day commemoration held in Middlepits last
week. “Experts have advised that languages face the risk of disappearing
should nothing be done to promote and safeguard them. The commemoration
of the National Languages Day therefore is indicative of Government
commitment to ensure that local languages do not disappear from our
cultural heritage,” said Van der Westhuisen.</p>
<p>He also said the National Policy on Culture identified the
preservation and promotion of languages as a vehicle for cultural
expression, adding that Vision 2016 also encouraged Batswana to uphold
the spirit of unity, tolerance and respect through the appreciation of
each other’s languages and culture. He added that this was in line with
UNESCO’s goal of adopting sustainable national language policies to
achieve linguistic diversity and multilingualism.</p>
<p>Van der Westhuisen also said it was that spirit the Government
recognised that local or community languages needed to be developed to
enhance cultural identity and social cohesion. He further said the theme
for the National Languages Day 2015, ‘My language, My pride’,
inculcated a sense of pride in everybody, regardless of which language
they spoke. “I am informed that there are about six major languages
spoken in this area being Sengologa, Setlharo, Seherero, Sesarwa,
Sekgothu and Afrikaans. I believe that these languages may also be
spoken in other parts of Botswana particularly across the Kgalagadi and
the Ghanzi districts enabling us to interact with other Batswana from
those areas,” he said.</p>
<p>Van der Westhuisen further said language research and development was
critical for young nations such as Botswana. He urged educationists,
publishing houses and researchers, to help in the promotion and use of
local languages. He said through research and documentation a lot could
be achieved in terms of growth and sustenance of our various community
and national languages. He also said it was imperative to write and
produce dictionaries, orthographies, music and other types of formats
that would promote, and share local languages with the rest of the
world. </p>
<p>Van der Westhuisen noted that his ministry supported various
activities of cultural organisations aimed at promoting local languages.
He encouraged communities to form cultural organisations aimed at
promoting their culture and language. The United Nations General
Assembly launched the International Year of Languages, under the
auspices of UNESCO, in 2008.</p>
<p>On February 21, 2009, Botswana adopted it as National Languages Day. The first commemoration was held in Molepolole in 2010.</p></div> - See more at: <a href="http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=49457&dir=2015/february/25#sthash.3V8lnt1v.dpuf">http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=49457&dir=2015/february/25#sthash.3V8lnt1v.dpuf</a><br><br></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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