Topic: 2024-Indigenous Languages
Country: China
Delegate Name: Isabel Xiong
Language is integral to the creation of community and stability of societies. But in indigenous communities, historically marginalized and oppressed, traditional languages are disappearing, and taking the culture and political stability of indigenous people with them. As a result, historically marginalized populations are dragged further and further into obscurity. Indigenous languages – over half of all languages spoken – are being wiped out, and the international community must act if it wishes to keep them alive.
In 2007 the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted, declaring among other things that indigenous people have a right to use, develop and pass on their languages to future generations. Since then UNESCO has created an atlas of endangered languages and launched initiatives like the International Decade on Indigenous Languages, meant to promote and revitalize these languages and cultures. Databases like the Endangered Languages Project also exist, with statistics and resources on thousands of languages.
China firmly believes that ethnic ties should not precede national unity; however, all ethnic groups have an equal right to use and develop their language, as stated in the Chinese constitution. China established several self-governing autonomous ethnic zones shortly after its founding, and schools in these regions have always been able to teach their ethnic languages, so long as Mandarin Chinese proficiency is also ensured. For recognized languages, the Chinese government provides interpreters in legal proceedings and parliament. And to preserve these languages, in 2015 China began the Language Preservation Project, one of the largest of its kind; over 1,700 locations were surveyed for language resources in just 4 years, with millions of entries collected for an audiovisual database of 123 dialects and ethnic minority languages. China is committed to finding and maintaining the balance between social harmony and ethnic heritage – it is imperative that ethnic peoples aren’t divided from the country by linguistic or cultural barriers, and thus education in common and ethnic languages are equally crucial.
China proposes solutions that will not only help current ethnic populations integrate more smoothly with society, but ensure that culture and language is passed from generation to generation. Firstly, the creation of a global archive for endangered languages, with vocal databases, audiovisual resources, digital translators and possibly artificial intelligence. With the breadth and quality of preexisting data gathered by China and other countries, the international community can come together and create an invaluable resource for linguists and minority populations. Next, the creation of language immersion schools, which allow any child to learn the culture and language of their heritage, and also allow governments to collect data and input from indigenous populations. Like the schools in China’s autonomous regions, students will learn the culture and language of their own ethnic group, as well as that of the country as a whole. Instead of remaining removed from the rest of the country, unable to advocate for themselves and slowly fading away, they can integrate into society without sacrificing their heritage or culture. With government support and community involvement, China’s methods can be replicated and developed to be even more successful. Finally, countries must make it easier for indigenous people to exist outside of their communities. Implementing policies that guarantee translators in government proceedings, from court cases to parliamentary sessions, not only creates more incentive to learn indigenous languages, but also makes things more accessible to native speakers of those languages. And creating government-sponsored education programs about indigenous culture and language can help recover some of the knowledge lost, from traditional medicines to ancient ways of life. China believes action must be taken at all levels, from community to international, and is eager and committed to working with other nations to recover indigenous languages – and with them, indigenous cultures – before they disappear completely.
Works Cited
Glass, Philip. “Preserving China’s Indigenous Minority Languages.” The Borgen Project, 7 December 2019, https://borgenproject.org/preserving-chinas-indigenous-minority-languages/.
Herfkens, Eveline. “Indigenous Peoples and the MDGs: Inclusive and Culturally Sensitive Solutions.” UN Chronicle, 1 March 2008, https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/indigenous-peoples-and-mdgs-inclusive-and-culturally-sensitive-solutions.
Shuo, Zou. “Largest project for preserving language built.” China Daily, 20 October 2020, https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202010/20/WS5f8e297ea31024ad0ba7fab3.html.
United Nations General Assembly. “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” United Nations, 13 September 2007, https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf.
‘Utoikamanu, Fekitamoeloa. “Safeguarding Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Context of Global Citizenship.” UN Chronicle, 18 January 2018, https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/safeguarding-cultural-and-linguistic-diversity-context-global-citizenship.
