International Mother Language Day was observed in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Thursday with a call for redoubling efforts to preserve the over 3000 languages facing disappearance worldwide.
The day was marked in United Nations Conference Center, under the theme “Languages Matter: Silver Jubilee Celebration of International Mother Language Day.”
Addressing the event, Aboubakri Diaw, chief of staff at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said the celebration “provides a unique opportunity to take stock of the progress made in promoting multilingual education, while recognizing the power of languages to bring individuals, people, and nations together.”
Data from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) showed that around 40 percent of the estimated 8,324 languages worldwide are at risk of disappearing.
Abdoulaye Salifou, education program specialist at the UNESCO Liaison Office with the African Union (AU) and UNECA, highlighted the importance of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity as well as the crucial role of mother language in education, communication, culture, and science.
He described language as a tool for human beings to exchange thoughts, a carrier of inheriting civilisation, and a bridge for enhancing understanding, which emphasises the importance of language.
”The celebration of the International Mother Language Day reminds us that protecting language diversity is protecting the common cultural heritage of mankind,” he said.
MG/as/APA