Here is an encouraging story from the Dakar daily Le Soleil, seen in French at http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200412140690.html (reference seen in OCPA News N��123 [26 12 04]). Below is a very quick English translation done with the assistance of Systranet. DZO
"Promotion of African languages: Papyruses and Sankofa join hands" [original title, "Promotion des langues africaines : Papyrus et Sankofa se tiennent la main"] Le Soleil (Dakar) http://www.lesoleil.sn/ December 14, 2004 Published on the Web on December 14, 2004 Mathieu Bacaly The Publishers Papyrus of Senegal and Sankofa of Burkina Faso were twinned for better popularization of African languages through the continent. The two Publishers however have important literary projects of exchange between the two countries. To promote the African languages and to develop a broad readership without borders in Africa. Such is the challenge that the two editors, Seydou Nourou Ndiaye of Senegal and Jean-Claude Naba of Burkina Faso, intend to raise in deciding to twin their two publishers Papyrus and Sankofa. These two convinced panafricanists, are determined to tackle the problems that confront African languages. "We do not accept an approach of instrumentalising African languages," they indicate in deploring the current functional aspect of the African languages which are not taught to the populations. Together, they want to join their efforts to carry out the same struggle to popularize these languages. "It is necessary that we begin to circulate, for example, books in national languages of Burkina Faso for Senegal and vice-versa. But also that every author of whatever country can be published in another country without any difficulty. That will take part to break the barriers which exist between the borders and to promote our languages," underline these two editors. Social action However, they severely criticize the fact that the means placed at the disposal of the traditional [French only] schools are, by far, higher than those that are placed at the disposal of the African language teaching. It should be noted that the two Publishers Papyrus and Sankofa were born from the decision to try a revalorization of the African languages through various actions of which the raising of the quality of the produced document. For the promotion of works in national languages, the editors undertake a social action. That in order to contribute to raising the cultural level of the people. For them, the governments must intervene to support the development of African languages. They must however reflect in order to launch strategies able to help the populations to access works in national languages. "The struggle to be currently carried out is not to convince the people, since they are already convinced of the need for reading and writing in their languages. The only thing that is necessary to do is to give them the means of accessing reading and writing," the two editors state. Today, they affirm, there is a very interested readership in African languages, but which unfortunately, for the moment, is not visible insofar as all that occurs officially in our countries makes in foreign languages. Linguistic exchanges However, notes Jean-Claude Naba, person in charge for the Sankofa Publisher of Burkina Faso, in their project of twinning, they intend to reinforce the exchanges on the literary level between our two countries. Thus, they plan to organize soon a week of Senegalese literature in Burkina Faso at which will be introduced the authors writing in national languages and other authors known in French language. That would make it possible to show the variety of the linguistic situations, the literary production and art of Senegal and to emphasize the common points between the languages of our two countries. In addition, indicates Seydou Nourou Ndiaye, the Papyrus Publisher which he directs, in its projects also, plans to promote Senegalese authors in the national languages in Burkina Faso to allow them not only to be better known by the public of this country, but also so that their languages are well perceived by the Burkinabe population. According to Mr. Ndiaye, the national languages are of a capital importance that Africans tend to be unaware of. For him, there is a thing which people must understand nowadays. It is that no country in the world can develop with a foreign language. Speaking in the same sense, Jean Claude Naba stresses that writing is a dimension impossible to circumvent for development. And in this context, African languages can only contribute the share that they contribute everywhere else, meaning in culture, economics or other areas. Moreover, he notes, national literature cannot be expressed in a foreign language. "When one teaches somebody to read and write in his language, his capacity of comprehension is much more present and open that when he must learn on another language", Mr. Naba specifies. Moreover, the two editors deplore the fact that no book written in an African language has received a Nobel Prize. -- ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/TpIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
