Call for papers: "Endangered Languages & their Literatures" -- DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS 15 MARCH

[Scott McGinnis]

Call for Abstracts:

FEL VI: "Endangered Languages and their Literatures:
Building a Past for the Future"

Antigua, Guatemala. 8-10 August 2002

One of the most powerful functions of a language is that of repository
for the culture and worldview of its speakers.  Its grammar and lexicon
store the shared experiences of past generations, and a language is the
channel by which these images, emotions, knowledge and beliefs are
transmitted to the next.  A language does not just transmit messages; it
decorates them aesthetically, and so facilitates their reception and
retention.

Thus literature, both in spoken and written forms, is a key crossover
point between the life of a language and the lives of its speakers.
Literature gives a language prestige; and knowledge of its literature
enriches a language's utility for its speakers.  Both act to build the
loyalty of speakers to their own language.  All these effects then
reinforce one another in a virtuous cycle.  What exactly is the
relationship between a minority language facing increased pressure and
its literatures? Does the oral and/or written tradition hold a key to
the language's future survival? The sixth international conference of
the Foundation for Endangered Languages aims to pinpoint the processes
and seek new tactics for looking at literary traditions as a means of
promoting the vitality of small languages.

We hope to find answers to many questions, not all of them obvious. 
For example:
* The (re)writing of our history: How endangered language communities
seek to establish a stronger sense of their past on which to build their
future?
* How does the power of language preserve and propagate aspects of
cultural tradition and stimulate new departures in keeping with the old?
* Emerging literatures and literacies: What are the pedagogical and
linguistic issues involved in EL literary production?
* How does the use of creative-writing workshops, poetry-festivals and
literary contests impact language revitalization?
* How do oral literatures and their transmission across generations help
revitalize endangered languages or to reverse language-shift?
* Translation issues (from and into EL): Who is the target audience and
what is the target effect?
* What are the symbolic as well as communicative functions of endangered
languages in literature?
* How do efforts from within the community to maintain language address
its literary tradition?

To seek answers to these and other questions, the Foundation for
Endangered Languages hereby calls for papers to be presented at its
fifth conference, 'Endangered Languages and their Literatures', planned
for Antigua, Guatemala, for 8-10 August 2002.

It is no coincidence that we choose this venue for the conference, at
the gateway to the densest Mayan population in the world.  Though most
are familiar with the marvels of Mayan achievements in pre-Columbian
times, focusing on the past leads many to assume that when the great
cities of the Classic Period were abandoned the Mayas did not simply
return to the surrounding countryside, but disappeared altogether. Yet
it is precisely in this countryside, in thousands of small rural
communities that the Mayas and their distinct identity have survived to
number over seven million today.  Here they carry out life ways as
inscribed on ancient stones: the counting of days on their unique
calendar, the daily preparation of sacred corn on the grinding stone,
weaving garments of intricate designs at the back strap loom, and the
use of their languages.

The Mayas have withstood centuries of hardship, oppression and
persecution with their cultures and languages largely intact, a feat no
less impressive than the construction of giant pyramids.  However, the
forces of globalization, as manifested in national schools, mass media,
accelerated migration, and a cash economy, continue to encroach upon and
penetrate the Mayan world, endangering their languages as never before.
The signing of Peace Accords in 1996 signaled the close of 35 years of
civil war known as la violencia whose impact upon the Mayas was
particularly cruel and devastating.

However, in recent years, a growing movement has sprouted from the ashes
of la violencia, seeking to recover the Mayas' rightful place in
national life.  This movement has largely shunned frontal assaults on
the political system in favor of education and literacy in Mayan
languages, and the publication of dictionaries, teaching materials, and
diverse forms of Mayan literature.  Mayan organizations are now active
in diverse fields, such as health, agriculture, community development,
and Mayan religion.  All promote the use of Mayan languages both as a
symbol of collective identity and as communicative medium.

Antigua, Spanish colonial capital of Central America, is an
architectural gem nestled in the verdant Guatemalan highlands.  Though
less than an hour from the bustling capital of Guatemala City, the
cobblestone streets and tile roofs of Antigua belong to another, slower
age.  Antigua is home to several Mayan language revitalization
organizations, and also serves as a gateway to the Mayan towns and
villages, as well as the scenic splendors of the Guatemalan highlands.

We invite contributions not only from the academic disciplines of
linguistics and literature/comparative literature, but also from active
practitioners in the field with first-hand experience from which we can
learn of the worlds threatened languages and their struggle for survival
and equal status with those of international communication in the ether
and on the printed page. We have much to learn from each other, and we
invite you to share your knowledge and experience with us in the
beautiful setting of a historic town that has long been a point of
contact between diverse cultures and languages. The conference will also
provide ample opportunity to explore the surrounding area as well.

The Foundation for Endangered Languages is a registered charity in
England and Wales. FEL conferences, besides being opportunities to
discuss the issues from a global viewpoint, are working meetings of the
Foundation, defining our overall policy for future years. Participants
at the conference therefore, unless offering media coverage, need to be
members of the Foundation. There are full facilities to join on arrival,
but all proposers are strongly urged to join as soon as possible, and so
take full part in the FoundationÕs activities in the lead-up to the
conference.

Presentations will last twenty minutes each, with a further ten minutes
for discussion. Authors will be expected to submit a written paper for
publication in the Proceedings well in advance of the conference. All
presentations should be accessible largely in English or Spanish, but
use of the languages of interest, for quotation or exemplification, may
well be appropriate.

Organizers:
McKenna Brown, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Gaspar Pedro Gonzalez, Asociacion Cultural Beybal, Guatemala Nicholas
Ostler, FEL, Bath, England Chris Moseley, BBC Monitoring Service,
England Mahendra Verma, University of York, England Karen
Johnson-Weiner, SUNY-Potsdam, USA Blair Rudes, University of North
Carolina-Charlotte, USA

Abstract Submission 
Abstracts should not exceed 500 words. They can be submitted in either
of two ways: (preferably) by electronic submission, but also on paper.
They should be in English.

A) Electronic submission:
Electronic submission (by 15 Marchl 2002) should be as attachment in
Word format in email message to mbrown at saturn.vcu.edu.

B) Paper abstracts:
Three copies should be sent, (again, for delivery by 15 March 2002),
to: R. McKenna Brown, Virginia Commonwealth University, International
Studies Program, Box 843080, Richmond, VA 23284-3080 USA (fax
+01-804.225.3479)
This should have a clear short title, but should not bear anything to
identify the author(s).

On a separate sheet, please include the following information: 
NAME : Names of the author(s) 
TITLE: Title of the paper 
EMAIL: Email address of the first author, if any 
ADDR: Postal address of the first author 
TEL: Telephone number of the first author, if any 
FAX: Fax number of the first author, if any 

The name of the first author will be used in all correspondence.  If
possible, please also send an e-mail to R. McKenna Brown at
mbrown at saturn.vcu.edu informing him of the hard copy submission. This is
in case the hard copy does not reach its destination. This e-mail should
contain the information specified in the above section.

Important Dates

* Abstract submission deadline March 15
* Committee's decision April 15
* Authors submit camera-ready text June 3
* Conference August 8-10