Topic:
Country: Jordan
Delegate Name: Sana Jindal
Languages play a crucial role in all of our daily lives. Language is more than a tool to just communicate, exchange knowledge, and build relationships; it is a repository for each person’s unique identity, cultural history, traditions, and memory. When indigenous languages disappear, an integral part of indigenous peoples’ culture disappears with it. Therefore every time an indigenous language is lost, the ancestral knowledge of a culture is lost forever. Most of the languages under threat are indigenous languages. The loss of global language diversity is greatly accelerated by colonization and globalization. When Indigenous languages are under threat, so too are Indigenous Peoples themselves.
Jordan recognizes the profound loss this represents, not only for indigenous communities but for humanity as a whole. Jordan strongly supports the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, which emphasizes the rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their distinct languages and cultures. Within Jordan, indigenous languages such as Domari, spoken by the Dom people, and certain Arabic Dialects of the Dedouin tribes reflect the nation’s rich cultural heritage.
Jordan advocates integrating Indigenous languages into public life and believes that they should have visibility beyond their immediate communities. For example, they can be used in public service announcements and documentation where these communities reside and promoted through tourism programs, which can help celebrate cultural diversity while providing economic benefits. Jordan emphasizes the urgent need to document endangered indigenous languages through recordings, written tests, and digital archives.
By promoting community-led initiatives, utilizing technology, and fostering global cooperation, Jordan believes it is possible to halt the decline of indigenous languages and ensure their survival for future generations.
