Mother Language Day being marked today

LAHORE (Staff Report) - International Mother Language day 2016 is being celebrated today Sunday across the globe including Pakistan with its theme "Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning outcomes".

This underlines the importance of mother languages for quality education and linguistic diversity, to take forward the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"Mother languages in a multilingual approach are essential components of quality education, which is itself the foundation for empowering women and men and their societies", said by Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General on the occasion of the day .

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 and proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage.

All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues served not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

In Pakistan the two-day Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival held at Lok Virsa, Islamabad on Sunday which features a variety of cultural activities in fifteen to twenty languages also include discussions on languages, literature and culture, book launches, mother language symposiums, music events, audio- visual screenings and performances.

Different organizations also held programmes, including walks, seminars, and cultural events to highlight the cultural and linguistic diversity.