linguists, unesco, endangered languages presentation by anahit minasyan section for the diversity of...
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Linguists, UNESCO, endangered languages
Presentation by Anahit MinasyanSection for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, UNESCO
Timeline
Year Dedicated initiative Related initiative
1992 Launch of UNESCO’s ELP CIPL congress & call
1994 Red book of endangered languages
1996 1st edition of the Atlas
2001 2nd edition of the Atlas Univeral declaration on cultural diversity
2002-2003
UNESCO Ad Hoc Group on endangered languages
2003 Language Vitality and Endangerment paper
Convention on intangible heritage
2007 Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples
2008 UN Resolution on Multilingualism
2009 3rd edition of the AtlasGC debate on possible Convention
World Culture Report
Main actors and stakeholdersMain actors and stakeholders
a) Member States (governments)b) Epistemic community(linguists,
anthropologists)c) Speakers (grassroots NGOs,
activists, indigenous groups)
d) UNESCO Secretariat (international civil servants and national project officers)
Epistemic communityEpistemic communityRationale: high esteem of scientific authority, legitimizing public action of governments and organizations
Modalities within UNESCO•soliciting contributions to documents (reports, policy guidelines, position papers, etc.)•soliciting participation in ‘expert meetings’ aiming to shed light on specific questions •involving in Committees, Evaluation Panels or as consultants to tackle a particular research task or manage a project
Selected expert meetings organized by UNESCO’s Culture Sector
Year Meeting
1997 International expert meeting on language policies in Africa (Harare)
2003 International expert meeting on endangered languages (Paris)
2005-2006
Reigional expert meetings in Bamako and Addid Ababa
2007 Expert meeting on language mapping (Paris)
2011 Expert meeting to review LVE (Paris)
A typical discourse production-diffusion-interpretation cycle
Actor Action
Epistemic community produces and popularizes a particular idea or an argument
Governments interpret/develop it into programmatic or normative texts, policies and measures (national level); resolutions and norms (international level)
UNESCO / UN staff interpret/develop it into advocacy texts, reports, guidelines; support implementation of norms
Speaker communities appropriate and use to substantiate their claims for language rights and status, and/or to secure funding for their safeguarding efforts, provide feedback
UNESCO Atlas of Languages in UNESCO Atlas of Languages in Danger: Three Print Editions Danger: Three Print Editions (1996, 2001, 2010)(1996, 2001, 2010) First edition – 1996 - in English, French and Spanish. 600 languages on 53 pages, 12 maps.
Second updated edition – 2001- in English only.800 languages on 90 pages, 14 maps.
Third edition - 2010 – in English, French and Spanish. 2500 languages on 154 pages, 62 maps.
For each language, the print Atlas provides:
- name - degree of endangerment - country or countries
where it is spoken.
Online Atlas Phase 1 (2008): intensive data Online Atlas Phase 1 (2008): intensive data collection and collation by an expert groupcollection and collation by an expert group
- researching and consolidating data- inputting data in the online tool- locating languages on the map- discussing over email: regional editors concerned + editor-in-chief + UNESCO
Phase 2 (2009-20012) - ‘crowd-reviewing’: feedback Phase 2 (2009-20012) - ‘crowd-reviewing’: feedback and content production by public, mediated by and content production by public, mediated by expertsexperts
over 1000 user
comments and
suggestions
submitted
through various
channels in 2009
– 2012
majority from
speakers of listed
languages
Overview of commentsComment status
% Treatment stage
Under treatment
37% UNESCO: accept / reject (offensive, nonsensical, duplicates)Editor-in-Chief : accept & forward to regional editor / closeRegional editor(s) in consultation with Editor-in-Chief : verify & suggest update / verify and close; reply to authorUNESCO: validate, update online Atlas
Treated 63% Rejected by UNESCO : 7 %Closed by Editorial Board : 51 %Validated by Board & reflected in online Atlas : 42 %
Total 100% 100%
Closed’ comments (no modification)
Comment 699 about Soyot language (Russian Federation) marked as extinct in the Atlas. The user suggested that during a research project, he saw Soyot was taught at school and that school teachers could speak the language.
•The regional editor confirmed these efforts to revitalize the language since the 1970’s but also observed that these attempts are yet to produce measurable impact. •After deliberation between the Regional Editor and the Editor–in-chief, it was decided not to amend the entry.
‘Validated’ comments - Bashkarik
Degree of endangerment Severely endangered Definitely endangered
Number of speakers Approximately1500 Estimated 40 000 speakers
Alternate name(s) Gawri; Kalami; Kalkoti (dialect) Gawri; Kalami
Iso-code(s) gwc, xka gwc
Bibliography Joan L.G. Baart and Muhammad Zaman Sagar (2004): Kalam Kohistani Texts. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies and Summer Institute of Linguistics.
Coordinates lat : 35.2893; long : 72.6168 lat : 35.5222 ; long : 72.5817
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