Latin America’s Indigenous Linguistic Heritage and Traditions discussed at the Summit in Brazil

The Panel Session "Linguistic Heritage and Traditions of Indigenous Peoples: from the Past to the Future" held as part of the World Public Summit: Latin America "New World: Latin America in Shaping a Shared Future" which took place in Salvador (Brazil) on June 16-17. The event, which brought together representatives of the expert community of Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Haiti, India, Mexico and Russia. It continued the work of the World Peoples Assembly on the preservation and development of the native languages of the peoples of the world.

The main issues of the discussion were:

• Language preservation: what factors pose the greatest threat to the native languages and traditions of indigenous peoples today.

• International experience: what practices of preserving folk traditions are successfully applied in Brazil / Latin America.

• From discussion to action: what concrete steps should form the basis of the final Communique and subsequent international cooperation?

During the Panel Session, special attention was paid to the issues of interaction between the academic community, representatives of indigenous peoples, public organizations and cultural institutions. One of the key objectives of the meeting was to form a coordinated understanding of the necessary measures to preserve and strengthen the linguistic heritage, as well as to develop common approaches to cooperation at the national and international levels.

— The relevance of the topic under discussion is due to the increasing threat of extinction of the languages of the indigenous peoples of Latin America, including Brazil, where linguistic diversity has historically been an important part of cultural and civilizational heritage. Today, more than 300 languages, both indigenous and immigrant, are spoken in the country, while over 120 languages have been lost in recent centuries. In the context of globalization and increasing cultural unification, the preservation of linguistic diversity becomes an important factor in protecting the cultural identity of peoples and the sustainable development of society," said Irina Polyakova, moderator of the Session, Head of the Directorate on Spiritual Culture of the World Peoples Assembly.

The speakers were:

• Eduardo de Almeida Navarre - Professor at the University of Sao Paulo (USP), a leading expert on the Tupi language and old Tupi (Brazil);

• Alexey Istomin - Leading researcher at the American Department of the Miklukho-Maclay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Science.;

• Lipi Biswas Sen - Leading specialist at the Center for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Latin American Studies (CSPILAS) at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (India);

• Eset Bokova - Head of the Federal Institute of Native Languages of the Peoples of the Russian Federation, Honorary Worker of Education and Enlightenment of the Russian Federation;

• Juan Miguel Diaz Ferrer - Professor at the Pedro Gual Institute of Higher Diplomatic Studies, member of the International Russophile Movement (Venezuela);

• Wakay Cicero Pontis da Cruz - Spiritual leader and advisor of the Fulkasho Indigenous community, musician, public figure and keeper of traditional culture (Brazil);

• Sandra Baldivieso - Activist of the Movement of Indigenous Women of Bolivia (Bolivia);

• Callerbe Monel - President and founder of the Mouvman Zantray Ayiti organization, President and founder of the Russian-Haitian Council, Special Adviser to the President of the Youth Government of Haiti, adviser to the former Prime Minister of Haiti;

• Carolina Gaspar Ramirez - Director of the Mexico-Russia Cultural Center (Mexico),

and others.

During the discussion, the participants reviewed the current threats faced by the native languages and traditions of indigenous peoples, as well as presented the international experience of their preservation and support in Latin American countries.

Following the discussion, the participants adopted a Communique reflecting the main conclusions of the expert discussion and identifying priority areas for further international cooperation between professional linguists, representatives of public organizations and experts in linguistic and cultural heritage preservation.

COMMUNIQUÉ

on the linguistic heritage of indigenous peoples in Latin America

We, the participants of the round table in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil), representing the academic community, indigenous peoples, public and cultural organizations,

● affirm that the native languages of indigenous peoples are the basis of spiritual culture, historical memory and the intangible heritage of humanity;

● note that many languages are under threat of extinction, what leads to the loss of unique knowledge and cultural practices;

● recognize that language protection is an integral part of the rights of indigenous peoples and requires systematic support from States and the international community, including UNESCO,

and also:

1. We note the current key challenges:

● decrease in the number of native speakers;

● limited access to education in native languages;

● insufficient institutional support;

● weak presence of languages in the public and digital environment.

2. We propose priority areas of action:

● support for intergenerational language transfer;

● development of bilingual and intercultural education;

● increased participation of indigenous peoples in language policy;

● using digital technologies to preserve and teach languages.

3. We make recommendations:

● States should develop and strengthen language policies aimed at protecting and developing native languages.

● International organizations should expand programs to support linguistic diversity and initiatives of indigenous peoples.

● Academic and cultural institutions should develop joint projects on documenting and popularizing languages.

● Civil society should promote public awareness of linguistic diversity.

We confirm our readiness for further cooperation and the development of joint initiatives aimed at preserving and strengthening the linguistic heritage of indigenous peoples.

This Communique is open for all interested parties to join.

The Panel Session confirmed the high international interest in the preservation of the linguistic and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples. Combining the efforts of scientists, public figures, representatives of cultural institutions and native speakers creates the basis for new joint projects aimed at protecting linguistic diversity and strengthening intercultural dialogue.

Media accreditation, cooperation issues: media@world-assembly.org.

More information and the program of events are available on the official website of the World Public Summit.