[lg policy] FW: Report on UNESCO debate on indigenous & endangered languages

[Stephen Nover]

Please advice as to how I get an access to the Section IV of the preliminary
study.
<https://www.ic.insitehome.org/sil/international-relations/archives/unesco/conventions/feasibility/at_download/file>
Thanks.
Steve

On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 11:22 AM, Don Osborn <dzo at bisharat.net> wrote:

>  FYI (from the ILAT list)
>
> *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:
> ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Dave Pearson
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:34 PM
> *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> *Subject:* [ILAT] Report on UNESCO debate on indigenous and endangered
> languages
>
>
>
> Following a proposal by Venezuela, UNESCO is considering whether there is a
> need for a standard-setting instrument such as a declaration, a convention
> or a recommendation for the protection of indigenous and endangered
> languages. UNESCO was unable to raise the extra-budgetary funds to call a
> meeting of experts and so had to produce the report on their own. Section
> IV of the preliminary study<https://www.ic.insitehome.org/sil/international-relations/archives/unesco/conventions/feasibility/at_download/file> raises
> questions of purpose, scope, functions and principles that will need to be
> addressed before a decision can be taken. The proposed two-year
> observation period 2010-2011 is really a delaying tactic because there are
> not enough funds to develop a standard-setting instrument.
>
>
>
> This report was debated in Paris last week at the Culture Commission of
> UNESCO’s General Conference. This topic caused more debate than any other
> in the Culture Commission last week, with 45 nations and one observer (SIL)
> taking the floor to address it. Everybody, without exception, spoke of the
> importance and urgency of acting because languages are disappearing. Some
> (Hungary, Venezuela, Chile & Ethiopia ) called for the UN General Assembly
> to declare an International Decade of Languages and Multilingualism<http://donosborn.org/blog/?p=23>.
> If a decade is to be declared there will need to be some lobbying done in
> New York. Many  praised UNESCO’s Interactive Atlas of the Word’s Languages
> in Danger <http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206>.
>
>
>
> Regarding the need for a standard-setting instrument, some (Argentina &
> Cuba) said put it on the agenda for the 36th General Conference in 2011,
> others (India, Sweden & St. Lucia) said hold an expert meeting soon and some
> (Bolivia, Guatemala, Cuba & Venezuela) even offered to pay for it. These
> four nations also called for UNESCO to appoint somebody to act as a focal
> point to coordinate actions for protecting endangered languages.  UNESCO has
> agreed to this and appointed Mauro Rosi. Some (Poland, Venezuela, Mali,
> Mexico, Brazil & South Africa) called for a legally-binding convention,
> while others (Cuba, Australia & Tanzania) preferred a more advisory
> instrument like a declaration. Still others (Austria, Germany, Japan, Korea,
> Greece, Monaco, Norway, Spain, Russia & USA) said we need to study how we
> can improve existing conventions before creating new ones. South Africa
> reiterated the call in the Bamako Commitment  on Universal Multilingualism<http://www.acalan.org/eng/confeven/forum/commitment.pdf>for an International Conference on Multilingualism. UNESCO has promised to
> “keep the pot boiling” on this topic during the coming biennium. Category 2
> meetings, where all members states are present,  are now the norm before a
> proposed convention or declaration goes to the UNESCO General Conference.
>
>
>
> My contribution to the debate ended with “As we sit here and talk, unique
> voices around the world are falling silent!”
>
> Dave Pearson
>
> SIL International
>
>
>
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-- 
Stephen M. Nover, Ph.D. Director,
Language Planning Institute (LPI) and
Center for ASL/English Bilingual Education and Research (CAEBER)
Gallaudet University
HMB E111J
800 Florida Ave, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Videophone 866-569-2518
Fax: 202-448-7316
CAEBER Website: http://caeber.gallaudet.edu
http://cpso.gallaudet.edu/CPSO_Home.html
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