ELL: RE: Re: Additional suggestion to UNESCO/Discovery

[Akira Y. Yamamoto]

One final note on this.  Along with the list I submitted to UNESCO, I wrote
a cover letter (see below).  UNESCO/Discovery Channel Project will
undertake the first phase of the project and it will continue with more.  I
also sent the concern expressed by Toni  to UNESCO because his point is
very important.  They assured me/us that the proposed project is the first
of the series and we can expect more will be covered and I will be asking
for more help from you all.

	Here is a list of possible languages and/or contact persons for
your project.  Remember that the social and political situations are very
different from one place to another, and you will need to establish working
relationship with the community people.  In some cases, you may have to go
through official channels to obtain permission to do the filming -- whether
national government, local government, school board, program director, etc.
I do not know how you approach communities in such a project, but when
whatever form of compensation is involved, there may emerge a number of
complicated issues, and I am sure you have handled such situations in the
past.

	Many of the people I contacted expressed concern that the regions
you have specified do not cover all those areas where languages are
imminently endangered.  There are regions where we find ethnolinguistic
groups are undergoing dramatic changes and their languages are severely
endangered.  I responded to those people that the proposed project is the
first of the series and you will be looking at second and third projects so
that eventually you will cover all areas of the world.  I hope I have said
appropriate things to them.

I hope this will clarify what we are trying to do working with the
international organization such as UNESCO.   Thanks Toni for your patience.
Akira

>Mr Yakimoto did not write the suggestion.  He forwarded it to the ELL.
>Noel Rude wrote it.  I wrote the following directly to Akira but was not
>posted on the ELL by Mr Yakimoto.
>
>
>
>Dear Akira
>
>I am writing to you direct rather than send this via the ELL.  I would
>like to make contact with the Discovery Channel people about our language,
>Maori.  I note that the South Pacific is not included in the geographical
>area that they are interested in and would like to put a case up for them
>to consider Maori.
>
>
>
>Toni Waho
>
>Mana Tamariki
>
>Aotearoa $B%_(B New Zealand
>
>

Akira Y. Yamamoto
The University of Kansas
Department of Anthropology
Fraser Hall 622
1415 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045-7556
Telephone: (785) 864-2645
Fax: (785) 864-5224
E-mail: akira at ku.edu
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