FYI. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who participated in this conference about how the subject of languages was treated. DZO
African countries urged to protect cultures http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/04/eng20060604_270871.html The International Conference on Languages, Literature and Linguistics that was closed in Nigeria's northwest state of Sokoto Saturday called on African countries to protect their cultures and languages. At the closing ceremony, the conference said in a statement that African countries must make greater efforts "to protect their identity and face the challenges of globalization." According to the statement, African cultures, especially languages, will continue to be marginalized unless Africans strove to preserve them. "They have to be preserved in the face of increasing usage of world languages under globalization," said the statement. The participants said the protection of African cultures "does not mean that African countries should close their doors to other cultures." They said African countries should continue to borrow and use what is good in the dominant world cultures together with their own in their fight for technological, economic and cultural liberation in the current world. The conference noted that globalization was real and no nation could opt out of it. "Therefore, we have to prepare ourselves for it," said the statement. According to the conference, advanced countries of the world stand the better chances of benefiting from globalization than the developing ones, who are even likely to become weaker under the new world order. "At this trying time for Africans, the best strategy for confronting the reality is cooperation between African countries," said the statement. Source: Xinhua ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Home is just a click away. Make Yahoo! your home page now. http://us.click.yahoo.com/DHchtC/3FxNAA/yQLSAA/TpIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
