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G20 Radio Bulletin 88 - In 50 years, around 20 indigenous languages can disappear in Brasil

The warning comes from Altaci Corrêa/Tataiya Kokama, a researcher at the University of Brasilia, in an exclusive article for the G20 Brasil website. According to her, the preservation of languages promotes human rights, global linguistic diversity and contributes to sustainable development and environmental balance. Listen and find out more!

04/01/2024 7:00 AM - Modified 6 months ago

Reporter: Although indigenous peoples represent 6% of the world's population, the indigenous populations are mainly responsible for global linguistic diversity, as they speak more than 4,000 of the world's 6,000 languages. However, it is estimated that more than half of all languages will cease to be spoken by the end of this century. Faced with the imminent loss, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Decade of Indigenous Languages for the period 2022 to 2032. Researcher Altaci Corrêa, a scholar on the subject, explains the importance of indigenous languages.

Altaci Corrêa: (greeting in the Kokama language, translation) - I am Professor Altaci, my Kokama name is Tataya. Indigenous languages are knowledge because they codify the ancestral experience of indigenous peoples in each biome. It is crucial to preserve them as they represent the cultural heritage and identity of the communities. They are also linked to traditional and ancestral knowledge and environmental sustainability.

Reporter: In Brasil, indigenous languages contain knowledge about the Amazon, the Pantanal, the Atlantic Forest, the Cerrado, the Caatinga and the Pampa. They are ancestral languages because they are the result of long and deep human coexistence in specific environments, producing highly specialized knowledge. The extinction of these languages implies the loss of knowledge that is important for tackling the climate and environmental crisis. Corrêa argues that the language issue should be included in the emergency actions taken to protect indigenous peoples and the territories of which they are the custodians.

Altaci Corrêa: The preservation of indigenous languages protects human rights, promotes global linguistic diversity and contributes to sustainable development with environmental balance for the well-being of all.

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Linguistic biodiversity, the climate crisis and the preservation of ancestral knowledge

April 1, 2024
Indigenous languages are part of Brazil’s national heritage and are threatened with extinction. In 50 years, around 20 languages could disappear, according to experts. Faced with the imminent loss of this immense wealth of expression from peoples and societies, the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (DILI) was established by the United Nations General Assembly for the 2022-2032 decade. Check out the article by University of Brasília professor Altaci Corrêa, exclusively for the G20 Brasil website.
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