More than 6,000 languages spoken in the world are at risk of extinction by the end of the century, the chief of the U.N. cultural agency said Tuesday. Speaking in Abuja to mark "International Mother Tongue Day," U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova said that her agency's atlas of world languages in danger "provides a map to understand this struggle.'' Bokova said that "language loss impoverishes humanity,'' adding that "the languages of some indigenous peoples carry unique knowledge on biodiversity and management of ecosystems." The director-general said "linguistic potential is an asset for sustainable development and must be shared for the benefit of all.'' Bokova said that the vitality of languages depended on all those who speak them and who work to protect them. The UNESCO chief said the use of the mother tongue at schools was a powerful remedy against illiteracy. "The challenge remains, however, to ensure this truth is actually acted on in the classroom," she said. "Excluded population groups, such as indigenous peoples, are often those whose mother tongues are ignored by education systems," Bokova said. "Allowing them to learn from a very early age in their mother tongue, and then in national, official, or other languages, promote equality and social inclusion.'' Bokova said that "multilingualism was an ally in ensuring quality education for all, in promoting inclusion and in combating discrimination,'' noting that building genuine dialogue must start with respect for languages. "Each representation of a better life, every development goal is expressed in a language, with specific words to bring it to life and communicate it," Bokova said. "Languages are who we are. By protecting them, we protect ourselves.''
