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<article style="left: 0px; top: 0px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/20/language-rights-need-center-global-policy/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bigstock-say-hello-around-the-world-he-43102561-220x311.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="184" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 20, 2017</time>    <h2>Language Rights Need to be at the Center of Global Policy</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Language%20Rights%C2%A0Need%20to%20be%20at%20the%20Center%C2%A0of%20Global%20Policy%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 250px; top: 0px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/20/att-deca-present-first-ever-digital-symposium/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_2986-220x479.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="119" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 20, 2017</time>    <h2>AT&T and DECA Present First Ever Digital You Symposium</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Fatt-deca-present-first-ever-digital-symposium%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=AT%26%23038%3BT%20and%20DECA%20Present%20First%20Ever%20Digital%20You%20Symposium%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Fatt-deca-present-first-ever-digital-symposium%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Fatt-deca-present-first-ever-digital-symposium%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Fatt-deca-present-first-ever-digital-symposium%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 500px; top: 0px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/16/president-trumps-transatlantic-skepticism-will-hurt-united-states/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/NATO-220x385.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="149" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 16, 2017</time>    <h2>President Trump’s Transatlantic Skepticism Will Hurt the United States</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F16%2Fpresident-trumps-transatlantic-skepticism-will-hurt-united-states%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=President%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20Transatlantic%20Skepticism%20Will%20Hurt%20the%20United%20States%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F16%2Fpresident-trumps-transatlantic-skepticism-will-hurt-united-states%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F16%2Fpresident-trumps-transatlantic-skepticism-will-hurt-united-states%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F16%2Fpresident-trumps-transatlantic-skepticism-will-hurt-united-states%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 0px; top: 346px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/10/oped-xenophobia-speaks-louder-sound-policy-trumps-lack-strategy-africa/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/31196987133_2f8a193a5f_h-220x260.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="220" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 10, 2017</time>    <h2>OpEd: When Xenophobia Speaks Louder Than Sound Policy: Trump’s Lack of Strategy in Africa</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Foped-xenophobia-speaks-louder-sound-policy-trumps-lack-strategy-africa%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=OpEd%3A%20When%20Xenophobia%20Speaks%20Louder%20Than%20Sound%20Policy%3A%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20Lack%20of%20Strategy%20in%20Africa%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Foped-xenophobia-speaks-louder-sound-policy-trumps-lack-strategy-africa%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Foped-xenophobia-speaks-louder-sound-policy-trumps-lack-strategy-africa%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Foped-xenophobia-speaks-louder-sound-policy-trumps-lack-strategy-africa%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 250px; top: 514px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/10/towards-new-world-order/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/International-order-220x443.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="129" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 10, 2017</time>    <h2>Towards a New World Order</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Ftowards-new-world-order%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Towards%20a%20New%20World%20Order%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Ftowards-new-world-order%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Ftowards-new-world-order%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F10%2Ftowards-new-world-order%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 500px; top: 420px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/07/gitmos-15th-americas-45th-guantanamo-trumps-hands/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/5343896666_767761d96d_b-220x260.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="220" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 7, 2017</time>    <h2>Gitmo’s 15th and America’s 45th: Guantánamo in Trump’s Hands</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F07%2Fgitmos-15th-americas-45th-guantanamo-trumps-hands%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Gitmo%E2%80%99s%2015th%20and%20America%E2%80%99s%2045th%3A%20Guant%C3%A1namo%20in%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20Hands%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F07%2Fgitmos-15th-americas-45th-guantanamo-trumps-hands%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F07%2Fgitmos-15th-americas-45th-guantanamo-trumps-hands%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F07%2Fgitmos-15th-americas-45th-guantanamo-trumps-hands%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 0px; top: 641px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/06/icc-fishing-right-pool/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/14135683605_5595f9e6b3_o-220x260.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="220" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 6, 2017</time>    <h2>Is the ICC Fishing in The Right Pool?</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F06%2Ficc-fishing-right-pool%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Is%20the%20ICC%20Fishing%20in%20The%20Right%20Pool%3F%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F06%2Ficc-fishing-right-pool%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F06%2Ficc-fishing-right-pool%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F06%2Ficc-fishing-right-pool%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 250px; top: 992px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/03/following-footsteps-conversation-nasa-astronaut-dr-don-thomas/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/bigstock-Space-Transportation-43560061-220x260.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="220" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 3, 2017</time>    <h2>Following in Their Footsteps: A Conversation with NASA Astronaut Dr. Don Thomas</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F03%2Ffollowing-footsteps-conversation-nasa-astronaut-dr-don-thomas%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Following%20in%20Their%20Footsteps%3A%20A%20Conversation%20with%20NASA%20Astronaut%20Dr.%20Don%20Thomas%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F03%2Ffollowing-footsteps-conversation-nasa-astronaut-dr-don-thomas%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F03%2Ffollowing-footsteps-conversation-nasa-astronaut-dr-don-thomas%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F03%2Ffollowing-footsteps-conversation-nasa-astronaut-dr-don-thomas%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
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<article style="left: 0px; top: 936px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/02/un-world-leaders-committed-israeli-palestinian-two-state-solution/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/General-Assembly-Opens-21st-General-Debate-20-September-2016-220x368.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="155" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 2, 2017</time>    <h2>UN and World Leaders Committed to Israeli-Palestinian Two-State Solution</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F02%2Fun-world-leaders-committed-israeli-palestinian-two-state-solution%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=UN%20and%20World%20Leaders%20Committed%20to%20Israeli-Palestinian%20Two-State%20Solution%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F02%2Fun-world-leaders-committed-israeli-palestinian-two-state-solution%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F02%2Fun-world-leaders-committed-israeli-palestinian-two-state-solution%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F02%2Fun-world-leaders-committed-israeli-palestinian-two-state-solution%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
<article style="left: 250px; top: 1287px;" class="gmail-positioned"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/2017/02/01/book-review-death-expertise-tom-nichols/"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bigstock-Business-Expert-Advice-Concep-84271424-220x260.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-frontpagetile gmail-size-frontpagetile gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="220" height="260">  <figcaption>    <time>February 1, 2017</time>    <h2>Book Review: The Death of Expertise, by Tom Nichols</h2>  </figcaption></a><div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F01%2Fbook-review-death-expertise-tom-nichols%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Book%20Review%3A%20The%20Death%20of%20Expertise%2C%20by%20Tom%20Nichols%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F01%2Fbook-review-death-expertise-tom-nichols%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F01%2Fbook-review-death-expertise-tom-nichols%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F01%2Fbook-review-death-expertise-tom-nichols%2F">Share in Email</a></div></article>
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</div><ul id="gmail-menu-about-diplomatic-courier" class="gmail-menu"><li id="gmail-menu-item-4570" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-post gmail-menu-item-4570"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/our-mission-2/">Our Mission</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-4571" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-post gmail-menu-item-4571"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/the-team/">The Team</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-6949" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-taxonomy gmail-menu-item-object-category gmail-menu-item-6949"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/category/calendar-events/">Events</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-4574" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-taxonomy gmail-menu-item-object-category gmail-menu-item-4574"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/category/resource-articles/media-news/">Media & News</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-4572" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-post gmail-menu-item-4572"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/work-with-us/">Work with DC</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-6093" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-taxonomy gmail-menu-item-object-category gmail-menu-item-6093"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/category/resource-articles/print-issues/">Print Issues</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-4573" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-post gmail-menu-item-4573"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/submissions/">Submissions</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-4576" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-post gmail-menu-item-4576"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/advertise/">Advertise</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-4579" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-post gmail-menu-item-4579"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/beware-of-fictitious-emails-and-scams/">Disclaimer</a></li><li id="gmail-menu-item-6286" class="gmail-menu-item gmail-menu-item-type-post_type gmail-menu-item-object-page gmail-menu-item-6286"><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li></ul><div class="gmail-single-article-jumbo"><img src="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bigstock-say-hello-around-the-world-he-43102561-960x450.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-jumbo gmail-size-jumbo gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="960" height="450"></div><div class="gmail-single-article-header">    <h2>Language Rights Need to be at the Center of Global Policy</h2>
<div class="gmail-article-sharebuttons">  <a class="gmail-article-share-facebook" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F">Share on Facebook</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Language%20Rights%C2%A0Need%20to%20be%20at%20the%20Center%C2%A0of%20Global%20Policy%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F%20%40diplocourier">Share on Twitter</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F">Share on LinkedIn</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:your@email.com?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomaticourier.com%2F2017%2F02%2F20%2Flanguage-rights-need-center-global-policy%2F">Share in Email</a>  <a class="gmail-article-share-print" target="_blank">Print article</a></div>    <time>February 20, 2017</time>
    <span class="gmail-author">Written by Akshan de Alwis, UN Correspondent</span>
</div><p>Languages, with their 
complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, 
education and development, are of strategic importance for people and 
planet. Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under
 threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the 
world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, 
memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for
 ensuring a better future — are also lost.</p>
<p>More than 50 percent of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken in 
the world are likely to die out within a few generations, and 96 percent
 of these languages are spoken by a mere 4 percent of the world’s 
population. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given pride
 of place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a 
hundred are used in the digital world.</p>




<p>Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, the promotion of 
education for all and the development of knowledge societies are central
 to UNESCO’s work. But they are not possible without broad and 
international commitment to promoting multilingualism and linguistic 
diversity, including the preservation of endangered languages.</p>
<p>While the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural 
Organization (UNESCO) has signed an agreement with the International 
Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) to 
measure global citizenship and sustainable development education, the 
persistent marginalization of mother languages worldwide is threatening 
Goal 4 of the UN for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).</p>
<p>The Agenda 2030 includes seven targets in Goal 4 that aims to “ensure
 inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
 opportunities for all”.</p>
<p>The seventh target – Goal 4.7 – obliges the international community 
to ensure that in the next 15 years “all learners (would) acquire the 
knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, 
including, among others, through education for sustainable development 
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a
 culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation 
of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable 
development”.</p>
<p>UNESCO relates global citizenship to the empowerment of learners to 
assume active roles to face and resolve global challenges and to become 
proactive contributors to a more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and 
secure world.</p>
<p>But the chances that Goal 4.7 would be achieved are rather bleak 
unless adequate steps are taken urgently. The reason can be deduced from
 some important data released by the UNESCO on the occasion of the 
International Mother Language Day, celebrated annually on February 21.</p>
<p>According to a new paper by UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring 
Report (GEM Report), 40% of the global population – the combined 
population of China, India and the United States – does not access 
education in a language they understand.</p>
<p>Economic linguists – those that study the economics associated with 
language policy – have noted that the immediate and long term economic 
benefits of mother tongue education out-weigh the cost when compared to 
not implementing mother tongue education policy.</p>
<p>UNESCO also points out that more than 50 per cent of about 7,000 
languages spoken in the world are likely to die out within a few 
generations, and 6,720 of these languages are spoken by a mere 4 per 
cent or 296 million, slightly less than the population of Indonesia. 
“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,” says UNESCO.</p>
<p>The GEM Report titled ‘If you don’t understand, how can you learn?’ 
argues that being taught in a language other than their own can 
negatively impact children’s learning, especially for those living in 
poverty.</p>
<p>Marking the Mother Language Day last year, UNESCO Director-General 
Irina Bokova underlined the basic principle of children learning in a 
language they speak. “With a new global education agenda that 
prioritizes quality, equity and lifelong learning for all, it is 
essential to encourage full respect for the use of mother language in 
teaching and learning, and to promote linguistic diversity. Inclusive 
language education policies will not only lead to higher learning 
achievement, but contribute to tolerance, social cohesion, and, 
ultimately, peace.”</p>
<p>The study finds that learning improves in countries that have 
invested in bilingual programs. In Guatemala, students in bilingual 
schools have lower repetition and dropout rates. They also have higher 
scores in all subject areas. Children in Ethiopia who participated in 
bilingual programs for eight years improved their learning in subjects 
across the curriculum, says the document.</p>
<p>According to the paper, countries with colonial histories often find 
that shifting to bilingual education is complicated, as can be seen in 
many Latin American contexts that continue to use Portuguese, or 
Spanish, or in many Francophone African countries, where French remains 
the predominant language of instruction.</p>
<p>The GEM Report’s World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) shows 
that this trend seriously hampers students’ chances of learning.</p>
<p>In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, 55% of grade 5 students who speak the 
test language at home learned the basics in reading in 2008, compared 
with only 25% of those who speak another language.</p>
<p>In Iran, 80% of grade 4 students who did not speak Farsi at home 
reached the basics in reading, compared with over 95% of Farsi speakers.</p>
<p>In Honduras, in 2011, 94% of grade 6 students who spoke the language 
of instruction at home learned the basics in reading compared to 62% of 
those who did not.</p>
<p>In Turkey in 2012, around 50% of poor non-Turkish speaking 15 year 
olds achieved minimum benchmarks in reading, against the national 
average of 80%.</p>
<p>In multi-ethnic societies, including Turkey, Nepal, Pakistan, 
Bangladesh and Guatemala, the paper shows that imposing a dominant 
language through a school system – while sometimes a choice of necessity
 – has frequently been a source of grievance linked to wider issues of 
social and cultural inequality.</p>
<p>Aaron Benavot, Director of UNESCO’s GEM Report says language can 
serve as a double-edged sword. “While it strengthens an ethnic group’s 
social ties and sense of belonging, it can also become a basis for their
 marginalization. Education policy must ensure that all learners, 
including minority language speakers, access school in a language they 
know.”</p>
<p>The paper offers key recommendations to ensure that children are taught in a language they understand:</p>
<ol><li>At least six years of mother tongue instruction is needed so that 
gains from teaching in mother tongue in the early years are sustained.</li></ol>
<ol start="2"><li>Education policies should recognize the importance of mother tongue 
learning. A review of 40 countries’ education plans finds that only less
 than half of them recognize the importance of teaching children in 
their home language, particularly in early grades.</li></ol>
<ol start="3"><li>Teachers need to be trained to teach in two languages and to 
understand the needs of second-language learners. Teachers are rarely 
prepared for the reality of bilingual classrooms, including with 
inclusive teaching materials and appropriate assessment strategies. In 
Senegal, only 8%, and in Mali, only 2% of trained teachers expressed 
confidence about teaching in local languages.</li></ol>
<p>UNESCO Director-General Bokova emphasized that “mother languages in a
 multilingual approach are essential components of quality education, 
which is itself the foundation for empowering women and men and their 
societies”.</p>
<p>With this in view, UNESCO’s Education 2030 Framework for Action, a 
road-map to implement the 2030 Agenda, encourages full respect for the 
use of mother language in teaching and learning, and the promotion and 
preservation of linguistic diversity, noted Bokova.</p>
<p>“Multilingualism is essential to drive these objectives forward – it 
is vital for success across the 2030 Agenda, regarding growth, 
employment and health, as well as sustainable consumption and 
production, and climate change,” she added.</p>
<p>Bokova assured that UNESCO brings the same focus to advancing 
linguistic diversity on the Internet, through support to relevant local 
content as well as media and information literacy.</p>
<p>Through the Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) programme,
 she said, UNESCO is highlighting the importance of mother and local 
languages as channels for safeguarding and sharing indigenous cultures 
and knowledge, which are vast reservoirs of wisdom.</p>
<p>When it comes to the SDGs and the law, language considerations are 
paramount. SDG 16, which calls for “peaceful and inclusive societies for
 sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build 
effective, accountable and inclusive institution at all levels,” implies
 that an individual’s rights guaranteed under Article 2 of the Universal
 Declaration of Human Rights must be incorporated into the SDGs 
regardless of the language spoken by an individual. Yet the SDGs do not 
address language services such as translators and interpreters necessary
 to ensure that already disenfranchised speakers of minority or foreign 
languages are not burdened with ensuring adequate and fair 
representation under the law.</p><p><a href="http://www.diplomaticourier.com/language-rights-need-center-global-policy/">http://www.diplomaticourier.com/language-rights-need-center-global-policy/</a><br></p><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/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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