International Mother Language Day

About International Mother Language Day

• It is observed globally every year on February 21 to recognise and promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
• According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization International Mother Language Day was recognised on the initiative of Bangladesh and has been observed throughout the world since the year 2000.
• The theme for 2024 is "Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning". 
• Significance
  • According to UNESCO, globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in the language they speak or understand.
  • So, as a commitment towards understanding the importance of the mother language or mother tongue, UNESCO decided to observe the day.
  • It underscores the role of languages in promoting inclusion and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
• Issues: Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.
• At least 45% of the estimated 7000 languages spoken in the world are endangered.
• Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.

Q1) What is UNESCO?

UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).The constitution, which entered into force in 1946, called for the promotion of international collaboration in education, science, and culture.

Source: International Mother Language Day Exhibition Showcases the Global Symphony of Languages