Delegation : The Republic of SenegalCommittee : Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM)Names : Nadia Isfandari & Novia RubiantiUniversity : Universitas Padjadjaran

Topic A. Fate of Endangered Languages

Our country acknowledges that culture is a key element to take into account to achieve the development goals set by the international community. In 2005 on the occasion of the fist review of the Millennium Development Goals, regarding to Goal 2: achieve universal primary education, the international community recognized the “diversity of the world and that all culture and civilizations contribute to the enrichment of human kind.” Cultural policies and culture-based projects significantly contribute to achieving the MDGs and eradicating poverty in the world, while also strengthening national ownership by target population.1 Our nation is no exception to linguistic diversity or the crisis of language endangerment. Senegal is home to more than thirty distinct languages, many of them in danger of disappearance due to low speaker levels, lack of inter-generational transmission, or location in areas of armed conflict. More than twenty of Senegal’s languages are poorly described, spoken by small minority groups, and could be considered endangered according to UNESCO’s nine Language Vitality Factors that were defined in the framework of its policy to promote and protect linguistic diversity throughout the world.2

The Republic of Senegal welcomes more discussion on the issue of preserving endangered language. Our country recognizes the rights of persons belonging to national minorities must be fully respected as part of universal human rights. Several steps have implemented, the first is the provision of a standard writing system in order to raise the status of Senegalese languages and leading to their recovery. Six of the Senegalese languages (Wolof, Seereer, Pulaar, Mandinka, Soninké and Joola) have had standardized writing systems for some time, between 1971 and 1985. Partially as a result of this, some of these languages are studied by students at universities and some public schools. Since 2002, however, 13 more languages (hasaniya, balant, manjaku, noon, mankaañ, bëdik (mënik), oniyan (bassari), saafi, baïnuk, laalaa, jad (bajaranke), ndut, jalonké have received official “codified” designation, giving them the status of “national languages” and requiring that they be considered by educational overseers. This means that to this date 19 languages have been given the status of national languages. However, there are probably as many as 20 other languages that are unwritten and, therefore, have no official status. The second step came in 2006 with the institution of the Académie Sénégalaise des Langues Nationales (Senegalese Academy of National Languages), an institution whose purpose is to empower speakers of local Senegalese languages. The Academy continues to produce materials to be used in the teaching of these languages both to the Senegalese as well as foreign learners. Finally, the Centres de Ressources Educationnelles Polyvalents pour Adultes (CREPA) (Adult’s Multi-Educational Resource Center) is an institution concerned with adult education that promotes local languages by encouraging their use in community development activities.2-4

Despite our country has made significant progress toward developing a process for minority languages to become considered in educational and policy concerns, we propose a recommendation to prevent the natural susceptibility of indigenous languages to extinct. States, nongovernmental organizations, local activist, and the lesser extent, the indigenous people itself must be involved and work together to ensure that the efforts on language preservation are implemented sustainably successful. We believe that language, as a part of culture, is an essential investment for world peace and stability. By integrating culture into development strategies and policies, we also are ensuring the sustainability of the Millenium Development Goals.

References1. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. [cited 2013 24 February];

Available from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/achieving-the-millennium-development-goals/mdgs/.

2. Sall AO. Endangered languages and linguistic policy in Senegal: the Mënik’s case. Laboratoire de Linguistique IFAN- Université Cheikh Anta Diop.

3. Salla AO. Multilinguism, linguistic policy, and endangered languages in Senegal. Journal of Multicultural Discourses. 2009;4(3):17. Epub 22 Jan 2010.

4. Brenzinger M, editor. Language Diversity Endangered. Berlin: Mouton Reader; 2007.