Expression is free

http://philoikonya.blogspot.com/ 

Mother tongues that die

New technology, they say, might save small languages that are dying. Our hope is that technology helps those languages survive and also makes their speakers richer. No language should be unworthy of publications, films or at least some books. How can we address this anomaly soon enough? It will take clever intervention to do something. You see, it happens that those who speak the 'fringe' languages of the world speak more and more to themselves and less and less to us all. This is not a normal situation although it is taken to be so.

No media should be happy, especially when it is a rich media, or a company owning many channels, unless it is taking into account that there are some people in the world who do not have publications. Of course the argument against broadcasting to small communities is always about the money and profit but so was slavery. It is not impossible for big media to support small community radios or media of some sort in places where people are not heard in their languages. After all, we go there and exploit the situation reporting about them and often without even listening enough to them.

Today 21st February is the UNs Mother Tongue day. They say that a person who does not use mother tongue has a part of the brain which is not fully used. They also say that this has consequences in learning. But we also know that there are countries in Africa where all the business done, the laws included are still in a western language. Countries where no local language is taken into account. These countries should be advised to change this situation once and for all. A people who do not have local languages is an enslaved  people.


Mexico is marvellous. Mexico lindo y querido!

que cuide las voces de sus hijos e hijas. Mexico te lo prometo tu puedes. Tu eres Madre Amor.. como lo puedo decir desde Afrika, O Mexico?

I met Lydia Cacho in Oslo in June 2009. I do not know where she is or lives now. But it is not possible to forget her. She lives in our hearts. We sat in a panel discussing free expression. It was wonderful to listen to Lydia. I must also say it was incredible to look at Lydia and see her actions. She touched me. She heard me. She gave me a couple of her books, signed. Los Demonios del Eden and Muerdele el Corazon.

Regarding a special necklace... She said " No take it Philo. Take it. Wear it. You do not have to keep it forever. One day, you will meet a woman who is going through something they cannot explain. Feel free to give it to that person with this explanation. Tell the person that they do not need to keep it. Let it move on. I got the picture. Lydia wraps the world with love.

 I know Lydia is having a hard time and I want to remember her courage.. and share it with you.

En Los Demonios del Eden: Escribir o leer un libro sobre el abuso y comercio de menores no es facil ni agradable. Sin embargo, resulta mas peligroso guardar silencio sobre el fenomeno. Ante la muda complicidad de las sociedad y el Estado, miles de ninas y ninos victimas de comercianets que los convierten en objetos sexuales de millones de hombres que encuentran el abuseo sexual infantil y en la pornografia un deleite personal sin cuestionamientos eticos.

Writing or reading a book about abuse and sale of minors is not easy or pleasant. Nevertheless, it is more dangerous to keep silent about this phenomenon. Before the mute complicity of society and the state, thousands of girls and boy victims of merchants that turn them into sexual objects of thousands of men that find personal gratification witout raising any ethical questions in sexually abusing minors and pornography.




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