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

[fpohlmann <fpo...@ba...>]

No problem, BUT:

SOAS is pretty much on vacations right now. Try the 2nd week of September!

-Frank

>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Original Message From "Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya" <vi...@sr...> 
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>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 extinct.
>> 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 about
>> 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 family
>> benefactions amounting to many millions of pounds, is intended by the Hans
>> Rausing family to help British universities maintain the highest standards
>> 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 the
>> greatest confidence in the achievements and potential of the School, and
>in
>> enthusiasm and dedication of its scholars and leaders. The trustees were
>> impressed by the fit between their own profound concern at the threat to
>> knowledge of linguistic and cultural diversity globally, and SOAS's
>> long-standing and distinguished study of small languages in Africa, Asia,
>> the Middle East and elsewhere. The Fund's trustees also share with SOAS a
>> commitment to the highest ethical standards when co-operating with small
>> language communities-- people who are often marginalized and dispossessed.
>>
>> 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 as
>> 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 endangered
>> languages.
>>
>> Professor Colin Bundy, Director and Principal of SOAS, voiced unqualified
>> 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.  We
>> created the first British linguistics department (in 1932) and our Library
>> was identified in 1961 as a national resource for the study of Africa and
>> 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 rich
>> 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 companies
>> that would like to donate to this cause, will have the security of knowing
>> that 100% of their money goes directly to the recording and study of
>nearly
>> extinct languages.  The costs of research and documentation to ensure that
>> full knowledge of a language and its use are preserved will vary, but the
>> average is about =A3150,000: we urge all readers of this to give generously
>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 07898
>> 4075 or mo...@so...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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