Please send memorable dates for an EL calendar

[Nicholas Ostler]

Dear EL-related listers and FEL sympathizers

Having just been contacted by a production company wanting to make an
interview programme on endangered languages, I have been stumped when they
asked me for a hook to hang it on.  (I said I'd get back to them on that
aspect!)  Since the the programme is due to be aired in February 2000, I
needed to think of something either going on, or memorialized, at that time
of the year.

It occurred to me that this is a general problem: there is never a bad
moment to tell the world about endangered languages, but when can we tell
them it is a specially good time?

Could people send me (off-list, of course) appropriate dates, and I shall
reply with a compiled version.  Probably we should put this on the FEL
website at some time in the future (and maybe even use it as the basis for
a publishing idea - a physical EL calendar... that's all in the future).

Anyway, what can you think of, with widespread appeal, and a clear time focus:

endangered language days?
indigenous peoples days?
relevant conferences, meetings?
anniversaries of significant events?
...
you name it...

I think this should be useful to all of us thinking about campaigns etc.,
but it might even be useful (like the rosary for mediaeval catholics, or
(on a different time-cycle, the Yearly festivals of most religions) to keep
all the issues in our (and everyone else's) minds on  a regular basis.

Yours ever

Nicholas Ostler

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                       Nicholas   Ostler
                           President
              Foundation for Endangered Languages
                  Registered Charity 1070616

             Batheaston Villa,  172 Bailbrook Lane
             Bath           BA1 7AA        England
             +44-1225-85-2865 fax +44-1225-85-9258
                  nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk
       http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Philosophy/CTLL/FEL/