To enhance students’ understanding of the values of cultural diversity, and to mobilize them to ‘Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion’, UNO Baku – Department of Public Information (UNDPI) teamed up with the Information Resource Complex of the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL IRC) on 21 May for an educational and cultural festival which was rich with vivid colours, dances, and national costumes, as well as traditional foods, songs, and poems laced with vibrant history.

“Today I am delighted to see so many talented and enthusiastic Azerbaijani young people raising their voices for cultural diversity,” said the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Antonius Broek, in his speech. “Beyond the well-known tolerance of the Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani society can set an example with its strong belief in multiculturalism and diversity,” he added.

The festival brought together representatives of the Azerbaijani Parliament, heads of diplomatic missions, local authorities, civil society activists, linguists, and other prominent personalities, with the purpose of highlighting the value of cultural diversity – both as a means of communication and as an expression of identity in a tolerant society.

“I am really honoured that the Azerbaijan University of Languages is hosting this wonderful festival to further encourage everybody – families, co-workers, neighbours - to ‘Do One Thing’ to support diversity and inclusion in the pursuit of constructive and vigilant dialogue. We are really proud to live in a unique country like Azerbaijan, where different cultures and civilizations meet at the crossroads between East and West, North and South,” said Samed Seyidov, the rector of AUL. 

“We are really happy to be part of this world campaign”, said Firuza Aliyeva, one of the AUL students dressed up in a Japanese kimono. “Our university may, for one day only, flourish with the spirit of diverse cultures, but we will remember this for a long time”. Commenting on the day’s events, the students’ language tutor Aynur Amirova noted that, “the eye-catching costumes, astonishing performances, vibrant monologues, great artistic skills and all-around ambience were results of long preparation and training from students ready to utter their love and respect for this language.”

The head of the Information Resource Complex, Ms. Shahla Khudiyeva summed up the festival. “Today we carried the message to the heart of our society, so that cultural diversity may become a shared wealth. I would like to express our collective gratitude to all our partners and to the UNDPI office in Baku in particular, for their continued support and long-term cooperation within the United Nations Academic Impact initiative.”

 

On 23 February, over 500 children joined UNIC Harare and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in commemorating International Mother Language Day. The children from Children in Performing Arts Workshop (CHIPAWO) Centres in Harare Norton, Domboshava, Chitungwiza and Bindura, performed traditional dance, drama and recited poetry in different local languages thereby demonstrating the cultural diversity and multilingualism existing in Zimbabwe.

The children also made totemic praises to demonstrate the need to master different and rich cultural forms of expressions and to emphasize and enlighten the audience on the importance of totems, their role in promoting identity and to strengthen relations. In addition, Emerald Hill School for the deaf taught some children sign language.

UNIC also mounted an exhibition of UN publications translated into Shona and Ndebele. These included the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Calendar of UN Observances.

Further, UNIC translated the International Mother Language Day message issued by the UNESCO’s Director-General, which was read in Shona at the event.

There are more than 16 languages spoken in Zimbabwe. These include Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of UNESCO in November 1999, and adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2009. The Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism and to highlight greater awareness of the importance of mother tongue education.

In observance of International Mother Language Day, which is globally celebrated on 21 February, UN Office (UNO) in Baku for the fifth time in a row, initiated a series of gatherings to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Joining forces with the various minority groups residing in Baku, students from the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL), as well as members of the U.S. educated Azerbaijan Alumni Association, UNO Baku highlighted the theme of the 2013 celebration: “Books for Mother Tongue Education.” The event was embellished with traditional songs and dances performed by representatives of Talysh, Lezgin and Khatish minority groups, adorned in their respective national costumes.

In her remarks, having touched upon the brief history of International Mother Languages Day, the UNO Representative underlined the importance of mother tongue education and its vital role in promoting respect among youth towards cultural diversity and ‘otherness’. “As these languages die out, we not only lose a language, but also lose an entire knowledge system - a unique heritage of mankind becomes extinct – so, you are all on a mission to make your mother language everything it can be,” she said. She also expressed hope that youth will ardently use these UN observances in the future to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions, and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

“We at the AUL, encouraged by the UNO team are big supporters of the International Mother Language Day observance and are genuinely thankful to the UN for the opportunity to celebrate this day and further strengthen our University’s commitment to diversity,” said Gulara Safarbekova, a student at the AUL.

Gulara was the star of the event, graciously performing the Lezginka - a popular dance in the Caucasus, which derives its name from the Lezgin people, who are Caucasian mountain natives. They live in the southwestern parts of Dagestan and in adjacent areas of Azerbaijan where they are considered a minority. UNESCO’s Atlas of the “World’s Languages in Danger”, classifies their Lezgin language as “vulnerable”.

According to UNESCO, “more than 50 per cent of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken in the world are likely to die out within a few generations, and 96 per cent of these languages are spoken by a mere 4 per cent of the world's population. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given pride of place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.”

At the end of the event Gulara’s dancing partner Naib Abayev, an ethnic Khatish boy from Khinalig – an ancient Caucasian village, said that he was thrilled to be taking part in an event organized by the “world’s largest global organization,” and along with other students promised to further strengthen commitment to diversity. The event was closed by Christin Stepnova’s assertion that “people’s heart languages are central to culture, community, education and identity,” followed by gratitude to the UNO team for the opportunity to celebrate this day together. From now on she said, “Mother Language Day is our Day"

For this year’s International Mother Language Day, the UN Information Centre, (UNIC) in Tokyo was invited to two events at The University of Electro-Cmmunications (UED), and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) respectively.

At UED, several activities were organized including a Mini-UN discussing themes about languages, fashion shows by international students wearing ethnic costumes, speeches conducted in mother tongues, and a lecture about the origins of languages. There were also different country booths set up by international and Japanese students, where students enjoyed learning languages and cultures. A unique international exchange took place.

At TUFS, after the address by the Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan and the President of TUFS, UNIC Tokyo’s representative read out UNESCO’s message for the Day and encouraged the university students to enhance their understanding of other cultures through learning languages.

Afterwards, about 100 students participated in an international exchange by reciting 12 language poetries and choruses. The students from different nationalities including Bangladesh, sang songs and showed their traditional dance. Bangla is one of the classes taught at the university which was added to the programme last spring as the 27th language.