Rationale
Many of Pakistan’s languages, especially those spoken in the northern Pakistan are highly endangered due to a lack of institutional support. The ethnolinguistic communities in this area aim to preserve and promote their languages but face challenges due to limited technical expertise, knowledge, and resources.
In response, the Forum for Language Initiatives (FLI) was established to offer training, mentorship, and capacity development aimed at promoting language preservation among ethnolinguistic communities.
Objectives
- Mother-tongue languages are used across socio-cultural and social media domains within targeted minority ethnolinguistic communities.
- Mother-tongue languages are included in education by the provincial governments.
- Children in targeted communities are accessing non-curriculum reading materials in their mother tongue.
- Businesses supported in promoting local cultural tourism, cultural music and cultural events, and local arts and crafts in targeted minority ethnolinguistic communities.
- Formalized and effective support from a broad range of organizations and institutions for the promotion of mother tongue language development at local and national levels.
Programs and Services
- Training and Capacity Building
Organizing workshops and mentorship in language documentation, curriculum development, and literacy principles to empower ethnolinguistic communities of northern Pakistan.
Publishing and support in publishing books in and about indigenous languages of northern Pakistan to support learning and cultural preservation efforts.
- Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns
Conducting campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of preserving endangered languages and promoting cultural diversity.
- Community Engagement and Networking
Building bridges among ethnolinguistic communities for knowledge sharing and collaborative efforts in language preservation.
