International Day of the native tongue

The international Journée of the native tongue was proclaimed by UNESCO the February 21st 2000, and is celebrated on this same date each year in the Member States and with the Head office of UNESCO in order to promote the linguistic Diversité and cultural and the Multilinguisme.

This day devotes the recognition of the Journée of the Movement for the Language, commemorated with the Bangladesh since 1952, when the police force and the army of the Pakistani state, which occupied the Bengladesh then, opened fire on the crowd of the speakers of Bengali expressing for their Droits linguistics with Dhaka.

History

In 1999, the General conference of UNESCO adopted resolution 37 recommending of measurements to promote the multilingualism, including by promoting a universal access to the cyberspace and the multiculturalism on the world information networks.

In the year 2000, the international Day of the native tongue was celebrated for the first time. In a message read during the ceremony of the first demonstration, the General secretary of the United Nations Kofi Annan gave his support for the international Day of the native tongue which, has it says, makes become aware with all the people of the value of the languages. Reaffirming the importance paramount to preserve the diversity of the languages, the General secretary called with efforts increased to preserve the languages as a shared inheritance of humanity. The celebrations of the international Day of the native tongue in 2000,2001,2002 and 2003 were the occasion of speech and exchanges of ideas led by academics, linguists, civils servant, religious organizations, and other representatives of Member States on the topics of the culture, education and the languages. Throughout the world, many cultural local activities took place like the reading of poetry in the schools, the exposures and the plays. Radio programs and of television produced by local mediums and nationals were born.

The celebration of the international Day of the native tongue is in the forefront of the efforts of the Organization to promote linguistic diversity and multilingual education. It is in these terms that the Managing director of UNESCO, Mister Koïchiro Matsuura, expressed himself at the time of the international Journée of the native tongue on February 21st, 2002: “Today more than ever, let us seek the comprehension and the recognition of the other people and other cultures by respecting their languages and the ways of thinking which are expressed through them.”

External bonds

international Day of native tongue (UNESCO)

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