International Mother Language Day

19 february 2021

Interesting

It is known that any language is a form of expression of people’s ideas and thoughts. In turn, the original form of such an expression is protected by copyright. Finding a balance between the interests of the author and society, copyright contributes to the cultural development of society and motivates authors to create new works. It ultimately develops the language of a particular nation used both in literature and folk art.

February 21 is celebrated around the world as International Mother Language Day. This holiday was established by a decision of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 with the aim of promoting  linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Every year, as part of the Mother Language Day celebrations, various events are held in different countries, dedicated to a specific topic and aimed at promoting respect and protection of all languages (especially endangered languages), as well as preservation of linguistic diversity and multilingualism. Thus, over the years, this holiday was dedicated to sign language and the Braille system; the relationship between mother tongue and multilingualism; raising public awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions based on mutual understanding, tolerance and dialogue; safeguarding the intangible heritage of humanity and preserving cultural diversity, the quality of linguistic education, etc.

In the Republic of Belarus, there are 2 official languages – Belarusian and Russian. Nevertheless, many other nationalities live in our country, the most represented are Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, and Jews. They, just like the representatives of even smaller diasporas, strive to preserve their linguistic traditions.