[Indic-computing-devel] Fw: Endangered Languages Project

[Vijay P. S. A. <vi...@sr...>]

Hi,

Please see this, very interesting proposasition, might be we can think of
taking the cause of Indic - Project to them.

vijay

----- Original Message -----
From: <in...@el...>
To: "Funknet" <fu...@li...>; "Linguist"
<lin...@un...>; "Endangered Languages"
<end...@ca...>; "Lagb Essex"
<la...@es...>; "LGShift" <lg...@li...>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 9:19 AM
Subject: Endangered Languages Project


> Press Release
>
> To help explore and record linguistic diversity across the globe, a
British
> foundation has provided =A320,000,000 over ten years to create an
> international scholarly program to study endangered languages.
>
> The scale of the funding is commensurate with the urgent--and
> enormous--threat to the world's linguistic diversity. Many of the
languages
> that will be studied are linguistic isolates. All are very nearly extin=
ct.
> They have never been adequately analysed or recorded, and they are
typically
> spoken only by a few elderly people. These languages--and their
> speakers--deserve to be remembered, and to take their place in history.=
 At
> the same time, this worldwide project to preserve crucial knowledge abo=
ut
> the world's linguistic heritage will vitally illuminate the history of =
how
> humanity settled the earth.
>
> The Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund aims to support research in the
> humanities and the social sciences. This grant, together with other fam=
ily
> benefactions amounting to many millions of pounds, is intended by the H=
ans
> Rausing family to help British universities maintain the highest standa=
rds
> of academic scholarship.
>
> When deciding to secure the participation of SOAS in this program--a
process
> that took many months of consultation--the Fund's trustees expressed th=
e
> greatest confidence in the achievements and potential of the School, an=
d
in
> enthusiasm and dedication of its scholars and leaders. The trustees wer=
e
> impressed by the fit between their own profound concern at the threat t=
o
> knowledge of linguistic and cultural diversity globally, and SOAS's
> long-standing and distinguished study of small languages in Africa, Asi=
a,
> the Middle East and elsewhere. The Fund's trustees also share with SOAS=
 a
> commitment to the highest ethical standards when co-operating with smal=
l
> language communities-- people who are often marginalized and dispossess=
ed.
>
> Part of the grant will underwrite an academic programme within SOAS,
> utilising SOAS's staff and facilities. It will train field-workers and
> deepen knowledge of endangered languages through specially designed
courses
> in field linguistics generally and endangered languages in particular a=
s
> well as by co-ordinating scholarly activity, publicity and consultation=
 in
> the field.  But the bulk of the fund will be administered by SOAS to
provide
> grants to scholars throughout the world to document and analyse endange=
red
> languages.
>
> Professor Colin Bundy, Director and Principal of SOAS, voiced unqualifi=
ed
> delight at the news of the award.  "SOAS was founded in 1916 as a
specialist
> institution for the study of languages in Asia, and later in Africa.  W=
e
> created the first British linguistics department (in 1932) and our Libr=
ary
> was identified in 1961 as a national resource for the study of Africa a=
nd
> Asia.  Our history, mission and ethos equip us for this visionary
project."
> He stressed that in addition to the School's regionally defined
departments
> concentrating on language and culture its range of disciplinary
> departments - such as anthropology, history, linguistics - offered a ri=
ch
> opportunity for becoming a world leader in the documentation and study =
of
> endangered languages.
>
> SOAS and the Fund together will underwrite the infrastructure to manage
this
> grants programs. This means that other families, foundations and compan=
ies
> that would like to donate to this cause, will have the security of know=
ing
> that 100% of their money goes directly to the recording and study of
nearly
> extinct languages.  The costs of research and documentation to ensure t=
hat
> full knowledge of a language and its use are preserved will vary, but t=
he
> average is about =A3150,000: we urge all readers of this to give genero=
usly
to
> this profoundly important cause--before those thousands of the world's
> languages (well over 50% of the total) that are now highly threatened,
> disappear forever. No sum is too small, and all money donated will go
> directly, fully, and only to the cause of recording near-extinct
> languages--and thus save a unique world heritage.
>
> www.eldp.soas.ac.uk
>
> Direct payments to SOAS can be made direct to the School's bank at:
>
> National Westminster Bank plc
> 94 Moorgate
> London EC2M 6XT
> Sort Code: 56-00-23 Account No: 08622655
>
> All general enquiries should be addressed to Mary O'Shea at SOAS on 078=
98
> 4075 or mo...@so...
>
>
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