tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post8739290065408338742..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On the International Year of LanguagesDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-430844840830679532007-12-31T10:03:00.000+00:002007-12-31T10:03:00.000+00:00Well done. Word of - I was going to say 'mouth', b...Well done. Word of - I was going to say 'mouth', but that doesn't seem appropriate for Wiki, Facebook, et al, but I can't think of an appropriate alternative - click, maybe? - is probably one of the most fruitful ways of spreading this kind of news. To get something moving, though, we need to prompt powerful people - who may of course have initiatives in mind anyway. Two come to mind: Rieks Smeets (Intangible Heritage Section at UNESCO) and Vigdis Finnbogadottir (UNESCO goodwill ambassador for languages).<BR/><BR/>The link between Earth and Language is rhetorically very powerful. As I say in the paper, Earth focuses us on existence; Language focuses us on co-existence.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-15504157828855544622007-12-31T03:20:00.000+00:002007-12-31T03:20:00.000+00:00I'm reading over your paper and very glad you have...I'm reading over your paper and very glad you have weighed in on the subject of how best to approach this (before almost everyone else). I agree completely about linking with other "Years." Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) in particular, given the linguistic & biodiversity connections you mention, but also in narrow terms of logistics, the fact that IYPE will have its formal launch at UNESCO in Paris the week before IMLD. How can we bridge the two symbolically in Paris with all that that could mean in terms publicity and prompting thinking?<BR/><BR/>In the meantime I've been writing people. For what it's worth, I set up a Facebook group and started a Wikipedia article - small measures but worthwhile.<BR/><BR/>BTW, there was also a Year of African Languages in 2006, but I think it did not have enough resources to make the impact.Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16275678707103038011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-83362761520202825772007-12-30T18:34:00.000+00:002007-12-30T18:34:00.000+00:00And it's also the Year of the Reef and the Year of...And it's also the Year of the Reef and the Year of Sanitation. There is a lot of competition about, indeed. I've written up my views on how to publicise our Year more in a paper I gave to a UNESCOCat forum in Barcelona on Languages Day earlier this year - it's downloadable on my website: 'What do we do with an International Year of Languages'. Any initiatives of the kind you mention are worthwhile, I think.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-28856853887137760692007-12-28T15:13:00.000+00:002007-12-28T15:13:00.000+00:00With the New Year almost here, I'm not seeing as m...With the New Year almost here, I'm not seeing as much activity on IYL as with the other two "Years" proclaimed for 2008 by the UN (Planet Earth and the Potato).<BR/><BR/>I'm wondering if we shouldn't try to link together - at least informally - various organizations and prominent individuals worldwide who are interested in IYL, in order to give a higher profile to "civil society" etc. support & activities. This would ultimately be in collaboration with UNESCO, of course, but with its own collective identity. And it could continue to be useful in supporting other initiatives, such as the annual International Mother Language Day. I'm checking out some possibilities.Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16275678707103038011noreply@blogger.com