NEWS AND VIEWS: Defending our languages (05/27/01)

NEWS AND VIEWS

Defending our languages

The Year of Europe's Languages was [officially] opened on April 19 in Riga, Latvia. The following are excerpts from the address at the pan-European meeting delivered by Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia. This statement was issued by the Executive Office of the President of the Latvian Republic, printed in the Latvian newspaper LAIKS on April 28. It was translated by Biruta Cap.

... Language is an element of man's identity, which bears witness to belonging to an ethnic, social or age group. The relation to language is the relation to one's identitity: we can be proud of it, indifferent to it, or perhaps at times ashamed of it. In Riga, which commemorates its 800th anniversary [in 2001], Latvian [became the official language] only 82 years ago. Among our ancestors there were some who were ashamed of their language and preferred the language of the master of the moment - German, Swedish, Russian. They were lost to our nation, but, fortunately, there were few of them. The majority treasured their mother tongue through the course of the centuries, and, cultivating their Latvian identity, transferred it to their successors.

The Latvian language that we have inherited is an inestimable treasure. [We have] a huge responsibility to cultivate and nurture this heritage [as we] transfer it to the next generations.

The historic epochs have not been kind to the Baltic languages, whose onetime extent reached far beyond the [current] territory of Latvia and Lithuania, the home of the last two surviving Baltic languages.

Language, like any living organism, has to fight and defend its place under the sun. In the 21st century languages do not perish so much by fire and sword, [but rather] from economic and political pressures. The above mentioned threats to language do not pertain only to Latvian: even languages spoken by tens of millions often encounter serious problems today.

Among [these problems is] globalization: a process one may applaud or condemn, but which takes place regardless of our attitude towards it. The characteristics of this process are cultural exchanges and the dominance of certain languages in international communication. Inability to react is tantamount to irretrievable loss. It has been estimated that in the course of this century the number of languages will be reduced by one-half.

Over 100 years ago Latvian humanists had to defend the view that the Latvian language was rich enough not only for social use, but also for science, art, philosophy and every human endeavor. We have to thank Atis Kronvalds, Krisjanis Valdemars, Janis Rainis and many others for neologisms which made it possible to demonstrate that our language was adequate to meet all contemporary needs. I believe that today we also need intelligent and enterprising people to ensure that our language is not be excluded from any sphere of activity.

"We will be only as strong as our language," wrote Juris Alunans. We indeed need a strict and well-defined language policy that would satisfy the needs that our language requires today. That means greater care in training teachers of Latvian and improving their working conditions, greater coordination among national institutions charged with development of the Latvian language, adequate financing for the publication of various dictionaries and manuals for the use of Latvian in cybernetics and many other [projects].

Having encouraged the learning of many languages which found real use after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Latvia needs to encourage the development of its own language, which was seriously suppressed during the Soviet occupation. This has demanded new programs in legislation and in the schools.

... Not only Latvians [need to cultivate their own language]. Russian, Polish, Jewish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Ukrainian and Gypsy children have the possibility to learn their native language and culture [today in Latvia]. That is an achievement that our renewed country can be proud of.

We wish to integrate Latvia's population in which every fifth person does not know Latvian. This is but another challenge to our nation and our language that requires well-considered and strict action - first of all by Latvians themselves with respect to their own language. Only when we ourselves care for and honor our language, can we expect others to do so.

The Baltic languages are a unique cultural treasure - all the more so, if we remember that from the formerly thriving Baltic branch of the Indo-European language tree, only two [twigs] remain: Latvian and Lithuanian. In order to hand down this precious heritage, we have to use it and cultivate it.

Latvia is also responsible for the survival of the small remnant of the Liv language. This language of the Finno-Ugrian group, one of the languages of the earliest occupants of our land, was spoken only by a few dozen when Latvia regained its independence. Thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts and government support, a national program for the survival of Liv culture is now being implemented.

...The new era comes with new challenges. Science and technology offer possibilities today that could not even be dreamt of not long ago - among them, [possibilities] for language researchers. However, "there is no bread without crust," according to an old Latvian adage. The globalization of the economy, a direct result of progress in science and technology, brings with it consequences that raise well-founded concerns. One of them is the feeling that one's own culture, one's identity is threatened. Europe is home to all of us, and we cannot let our home be threatened - [even the smallest among us].

... [We have taken measures], while keeping and respecting all civil liberties, to ensure the possibility for all to comunicate in the national language. It is a difficult, but realistically attainable goal. We have received the assurance from the international community of their understanding of our language situation and support for steps to be taken for its improvement.

At the same time, we are conscious of our responsibility as a democratic country for the right of every inhabitant to safeguard and cultivate his identity ... Each must be convinced that he will not be deprived of his language in the name of some common good. From the purely utilitarian point of view, it is possible that it would be more convenient if the whole world spoke but one language. But this convenience would be only economic - cheaper. Culture is an expensive commodity, we know that. But is man without culture man?

Such an understanding must find its reflection in concretized language policies, whose purpose would be to further the development of all languages. The global use of certain languages must not lead to discrimination against others. Man's right to his identity is a sufficiently significant argument.

I am certain that the nations of Europe will find respectable answers to these challenges posed by globalization, as well as to many other historic ones. The old continent is home to many languages, as well as the burial ground of others. Our collective responsibility is to preclude new language graves. ...

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