Kremlin tells Kyrgyzstan to cool it on language issue Russian embassy complains about language bullying.

Russian embassy complains about language bullying. Bne IntelliNews #Kyrgyzstan #LanguagePolicy #Kremlin #LanguageRights #RussianEmbassy

China codifies assimilation policies into law threatening ethnic minority identity: Report - Yes Punjab News Report says China is tightening minority autonomy via new laws, expanding Mandarin education and reshaping Tibetan identity.

China codifies assimilation policies into law threatening ethnic minority identity: Report yespunjab.com?p=228552

#China #Tibet #MinorityRights #EthnicPolicy #XiJinping #LanguageRights #CulturalIdentity #UNReport #HumanRights #NationalPeoplesCongress #Mandarin #Geopolitics

Francophonie Consultation 2026 | About us The University of Ottawa is organizing a consultation on the Francophonie for the University community.

📅 STUDENTS: Francophonie Consultation - Faculty of Arts Discussion Group March 24. Want to tell #uOttawa what suspending French-language programs means to you? This is your chance.

Show up. Speak up.

Details: buff.ly/934eopz

#SOSClassicsUO #ONfr #LanguageRights

Department's response to uOttawa's re-suspension of Greek and Roman studies: "We are shocked at the willingness to ignore the interests of Franco-Ontarians."

Share this story! buff.ly/UtgW0vq

#SOSClassicsUO #ONfr #LanguageRights #uOttawa

A steel truss bridge stretches across a calm body of water at sunset. Warm golden light highlights the metal structure and the vehicles crossing it. A small boat moves along the water below, and buildings and low hills appear in the background beneath the orange sky.

The irony is breathtaking. uOttawa launches Francophonie Consultation 2026 asking "Does the University meet our community's needs?" while simultaneously eliminating the only French-language classics program in Ontario. #SOSClassicsUO #ONfr #LanguageRights #uOttawa #Ottawa #francophonie

campaign - Antiquité | Religions | Classics: Ottawa update: UNIVERSITY of ottawa RE-SUSPENDS greek and roman studies! ALERTE : L'Université d'Ottawa RE-SUSPEND Antiquité grecque et romaine suspension of

Timeline of harm to Franco-Ontarian students:

Oct 2025: French classics program suspended
Jan 2026: "Reinstated" after pressure
Feb 2026: Re-suspended after 10 weeks

buff.ly/UtgW0vq

#SOSClassicsUO #ONfr #LanguageRights #uOttawa #Ottawa

Group of uOttawa students posing in front of the ancient Theatre of Marcellus in Rome.

Since 2016, uOttawa has been designated under Ontario's French Language Services Act, creating BINDING legal obligations to provide undergraduate programs in French.
Rights matter. buff.ly/UtgW0vq

#SOSClassicsUO #ONfr #LanguageRights #uOttawa #ottawa

campaign - Antiquité | Religions | Classics: Ottawa update: UNIVERSITY of ottawa RE-SUSPENDS greek and roman studies! ALERTE : L'Université d'Ottawa RE-SUSPEND Antiquité grecque et romaine suspension of

The University of Ottawa Act (1965) REQUIRES the university to "preserve and develop French culture in Ontario." Suspending the only French-language classics program in the province doesn't preserve French culture, it harms it. buff.ly/UtgW0vq
#ONfr #uOttawa #SOSClassicsUO #LanguageRights #Ottawa

February 16, 2026 - Annual General Meeting.
to register) TODAY docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Discussion on bill and the bill 21 court appeal Sign up now for zoom meeting tonight
#quebec #polqc #languagerights #montreal #canada #linguistic #polqc #qcpoli

Florida Driver License Rule Change Forces Retest for Spanish Speaking Driver A License Earned, Then Put in Question A Florida woman who recently passed her driver license knowledge exam in Spanish says she was later told she would have to take…

🚨 Breaking News 🚨

Florida Driver License Rule Change Forces Retest for Spanish Speaking Driver

South Florida Media – Florida’s Free News Leader

Article Link: sfl.media/florida-driv...

#FloridaNews #DriverLicense #Policy #LanguageRights #BreakingNews #SouthFloridaMedia

Sadly, other countries recognize sign language and have interpreters Picture in Picture and in person. INCLUDING RUSSIA

What about American Sign Language in the USA? Nothing. Shame. #languagerights #accessiblity #signlanguage

**Global protest round-up from MiniMia on Mastodon - Dec. 14**

#FreePalestine #WorkersRights #ClimateAction #LanguageRights
#Palestine #Gaza @palestine
#news #politics

https://syzito.xyz/@fkamiah17/115718330212557059

#teacherleadership positions teachers as the experts. Karen & Jaden led our Day 1 of Translanguaging training. The asynchronous group started yesterday.

@susana.i.johnson, @drkateseltzer, Dr. Ofelia Garcia, thanks your for your scholarship.

#languagerights #multilingualeducation #freedomdreaming

TLDR (3/3):

At stake isn’t just a debate over street signs — it’s a question of linguistic coexistence:

➡️ Who decides which languages are visible in shared spaces?

➡️ How can communities honour both cultural heritage & mutual respect?

#langsky #linguistics #language #Irish #languagerights

'Speak English, period': GOP bill axes interpreter loophole in citizenship exam A new Republican proposal would end language exemptions for older permanent residents who take the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship exam.

'Speak English, period': GOP bill axes interpreter loophole in citizenship exam: www.foxnews.com/politics/spe... | Fox News (9/13/15) | By Elizabeth Elkind
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#LanguageAccess #LimitedEnglishProficiency #LEPs #EO14224 #LanguageRights #Interpreter #1nt #atanet

One more week to complete this survey (closing 15 Sep). So far v few responses from #IrishLibrarians - would be great if @victoriarend.bsky.social could capture insights on linguistic diversity and #Gaeilge provision in #Éire & #TuaisceartÉireann #LeabharlannaPoiblí #PublicLibraries #LanguageRights

No English? No Rights #PamBondi #Project2025 #LanguageRights #DOJ

Trump made English official US language, revoking translation mandates & deepening access barriers. New report shows how #languagediscrimination denies ppl access to healthcare, justice, and safety. www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/lost-in... #HumanRights #LanguageRights #RightToAccess #HRRC

Ngugi wa Thiong’o: The Case for Economic Decolonisation As the curtain falls on the remarkable life of professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Africa and the world bid farewell not just to a prolific novelist, but to a fearless advocate for African self-determination. Ngugi’s legacy is carved not only in the pages of his globally acclaimed novels, but in the fierce convictions he held about language, identity, and cultural freedom. Language as Resistance Ngugi stood tall among Africa’s leading thinkers because he dared to challenge the colonial foundations of African thought. He was among the first to openly reject the dominance of English in African literature, boldly choosing to write in his native Kikuyu language. His belief was clear: African stories are best told in African languages. His celebrated work, ‘Decolonising the Mind’, remains one of the most important intellectual texts of our time – a clarion call for Africans to reclaim their narratives, rewrite their histories, and break the mental chains left by colonial rule. Ngugi didn’t just talk about liberation – he embodied it. He remained unwavering in his mission: to centre African voices and restore pride in African heritage through language and storytelling. From Cultural to Economic Liberation As we honour Ngugi’s legacy, we must go beyond literary celebration. The deeper message in his work resonates profoundly with the continent’s economic struggles today. Just as he fought for intellectual and cultural freedom, so too must we pursue economic emancipation. True decolonisation must go beyond the mind – it must transform how Africa trades, produces, and prospers. Today, Africa finds itself trapped in an outdated and imbalanced economic model. Despite vast natural resources and the world’s youngest population, the continent remains heavily dependent on external markets. Intra-African trade accounts for only 15% of the continent’s total trade, starkly contrasting with Europe’s 75% and North America’s 60%. This reflects a colonial legacy of economic fragmentation, where African countries continue to export raw materials while importing expensive finished goods, replicating patterns of extraction and dependence. Even as we trade with Western countries, it is crucial that Africa pursues balanced trade relationships – win-win partnerships that respect African value and promote mutual growth. This balance will ensure Africa benefits fully from its resources while fostering external partnerships that support long-term, sustainable development. AfCFTA: Our Economic Destiny The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents the most ambitious step yet toward changing this paradigm. With its potential to unite over 1.4 billion people into a single market, AfCFTA could become Africa’s long-awaited economic liberation movement – an opportunity to create continental value chains, promote industrialisation, and retain wealth within Africa. But the promise of AfCFTA is yet to be fully realised. Bureaucratic red tape, policy incoherence, and slow implementation by member states continue to delay its impact. Without decisive leadership and political will, the dream of intra-African trade risks becoming another beautiful idea stalled on paper. For AfCFTA to work, we must cut through the inefficiencies. We must simplify customs procedures, harmonise trade policies, invest in infrastructure, and digitise trade platforms. Otherwise, we will remain a continent that talks about integration but lives in division. Completing Ngugi’s Vision Ngugi taught us that liberation begins with the mind – but it cannot end there. Economic decolonisation is the next step. At the same time, pursuing economic decolonisation does not mean rejecting all external partnerships. Instead, Africa must engage with the global economy on terms that ensure mutual benefit, equity, and respect for African agency. Balanced trade relations with Western countries – where both sides benefit and grow – will be key to Africa’s long-term prosperity. Ngugi’s legacy challenges us to think bigger – not only about reclaiming language and culture, but about owning our economies. He passed us the baton. What we do with it now defines the next chapter of African history. Writing Africa’s Future In his honour, let us not only read his books: we must live his message. Let us build the infrastructure that connects our cities, the digital corridors that empower our youth, and the legal frameworks that make trade between African states easier, faster, and more profitable. Let us not mourn Ngugi’s death with silence. Let us respond with action. Let us write, trade, build, and rise – not as 55 divided countries, but as one united continent ready to claim its place in the world. Ngugi has handed us the pen. The ink is in our hands. It is now our duty to write Africa’s next chapter – one of unity, prosperity, and full economic decolonisation. His ideals live on through his children, including my longtime friend Tee Ngugi, a writer and intellectual in his own right, who was a media and communication lecturer for many years at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. – Elvis Mboya is the president of the Namibia-Kenya Chamber of Commerce and a former journalist in Namibia and Kenya. The post Ngugi wa Thiong’o: The Case for Economic Decolonisation appeared first on The Namibian.

#NgugiWaThiongo #Decolonisation #AfricanLiterature #CulturalFreedom #LanguageRights

prayer flags flutter above & around white Tibetan stupas set against a backdrop of blue sky, sparse white clouds, and rugged mountain terrain.

#Tibet: A Land of Many Languages

@geraldroche.bsky.social reports on the danger Tibet’s languages face of extinction languagemagazine.com/2025/05/27/t... #languagerights

Modi’s push for Hindi isn’t just about language, it’s about power. HRRC's Claire Ellison unpacks how it erases Indigenous, Muslim, and South Indian voices. www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/hindi-h... #HumanRights #India #LinguisticFreedom #LanguageRights #IndigenousPeoplesRights

First Steps to Protect indigenous languages in Namibia - The Villager Newspaper First Steps to Protect indigenous languages in Namibia  The Villager Newspaper

#IndigenousLanguages #LanguagePreservation #Namibia #CulturalHeritage #LanguageRights

Bill 96 erodes legislative language equality
#Quebec #Canada #Bill96 #QuebecLaw #Bilingualism #LanguageRights #LegalEquality #CanadianLaw #Constitution #ConstitutionalLaw #FrenchAndEnglish #SupremeCourt #CharterOfTheFrenchLanguage #LanguageJustice
the-14.com/bill-96-erod...

Steenkamp Enters Khoekhoegowab Storm ... Says No Language Is Superior to Another [New Era] A storm is brewing at the Auas Primary School in the heart of Katutura, where disgruntled parents and community members and the school's management are at loggerheads. It is alleged that the staff and principal are plotting to remove the Khoekhoegowab (KKG) language from the school. At the centre of the brouhaha is principal Toini Nauyoma, the alleged orchestrator-in-chief of the move.

#Khoekhoegowab #LanguageRights #EducationMatters #CommunityVoices #CulturalDiversity

Education ministry denies Khoekhoegowab removal amid community protest Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture executive director Edda Bohn has denied claims that Auas Primary School removed Khoekhoegowab as a subject. This follows protests yesterday morning from the Dolam community, which handed over a petition alleging the “inhumane treatment and erasure” of the Khoekhoegowab language at the school. “On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, I am happy to say yes, our minister met the aggrieved community members at Auas Primary School and we listened to their petition as well as received that in good faith. “Regarding your question on whether or not I can confirm that Khoekhoegowab is being removed, I must in fact say this is not true. Khoekhoegowab is being taught at the school and is used as the predominant language alongside Afrikaans,” she says. A petition, dated 22 April and addressed to education minister Sanet Steenkamp, alleged systemic neglect and discrimination against minority languages in the education system. The petition argued that the removal of Khoekhoegowab classes, while a logistical decision, is a violation of cultural and constitutional rights. It expressed frustration at what it describes as a continued pattern of structural exclusion masked by claims of national unity. “Let’s be clear on one thing, what we have isn’t unity, it’s uniformity enforced through silence. It is the comfort of numerical dominance mistaken for moral authority. The dismissal of minority realities as ‘perception’ or ‘tribal bitterness’ is not objectivity, it’s erasure,” the petition read. Speaking at the handover, Steenkamp says the presence of community members and parents at the petition handover shows their dedication to the education of their children. She states that some parents learned about the discontent of parents over the removal of Khoekhoegowab on social media. “I wish to acknowledge as said that many of you have taken leave to be a part of the petition handover because of the importance that you attach to your mother tongue,” Steenkamp says. The document also outlined not only the legal basis for their claims, referencing the Namibian Constitution and the Basic Education Act, but also the emotional and cultural toll of language erasure. The petition emphasised that language is not just a tool for communication but a critical aspect of identity and heritage. “We are not asking for space or your permission. We are claiming our national space with truth as our compass and justice as our direction,” the petition read. Detailed grievances include allegations of misconduct and unilateral decisions made by Auas Primary School principal Toini Nauyoma. She is accused of removing Khoekhoegowab classes without proper consultations and replacing them with Oshikwanyama classes, repeating a similar pattern from her time at Groot Aub Primary School. “It is an undeniable fact that Auas Primary School finds itself in an area where the majority of the people speak Khoekhoegowab. It is also a grounded fact that Ms Nauyoma removed Khoekhoegowab from pre-primary classes and replaced it with Oshikwanyama, applying the exact modus operandi she did at Groot Aub Primary School,” the petition read. Community members also accuse Nauyoma of discriminatory remarks and showing favouritism in hiring, alleging that teachers paid for positions and that many hires were from her village. They claim this points to a broader trend of nepotism, tribal discrimination, and victimisation within the school system. “It is a fact that in January, children of Damara/Nama backgrounds were called useless and with no future by Ms Nauyoma,” the petition read. Moreover, the petition called for urgent corrective actions. Among the demands are an independent investigation into hiring practices, freezing of recently advertised Oshikwanyama posts, and the immediate removal of Nauyoma while investigations are underway. Concerned community members also request transparency through documentation of parent meetings and language policy decisions. “Where there is no interest in Khoekhoegowab at schools, we demand to see reports of evaluations and monitoring,” the petition noted. It highlighted the vital role of indigenous languages in fostering self-identity and academic success among pupils. It argued that losing one’s native language results in the extinction of cultural identity and detachment from one’s heritage. “We will not surrender our language to anyone, for roots are to be grounded deep and firm to keep a tree alive for years,” the petition read. As part of their next steps, the petitioners are calling for a nationwide boycott on 5 May, urging all stakeholders to mobilise and demand accountability from the education ministry. They have also attached documents supporting their claims, including letters from affected schools and endorsements from traditional and student bodies. “We demand that the matter be treated as an urgent concern,” the petition noted. It reflected a broader concern that Namibia’s education system may be failing its minority communities by not upholding the constitutional and legislative guarantees of cultural and linguistic diversity. The post Education ministry denies Khoekhoegowab removal amid community protest appeared first on The Namibian.

#Khoekhoegowab #Education #LanguageRights #CulturalPreservation #CommunityVoices

Allegations of language discrimination at Auas are serious- Steenkamp Allegations of language discrimination at Auas are serious- Steenkamp NBC Online Tue, 04/22/2025 - 18:06

#LanguageDiscrimination #Khoekhoegowab #AuasPrimarySchool #CulturalHeritage #LanguageRights

Tamil Nadu Clings to Its Identity: Says No to Hindi Tamil Nadu reaffirms its commitment to the Tamil language, rejecting Hindi imposition and defending its cultural identity and linguistic heritage.

Tamil Nadu Clings to Its Identity: Says No to Hindi

#TamilNadu #TamilLanguage
#HindiDebate #IndianCulture
#LanguageRights

eng.harbouchanews.com/2025/04/tami...

School principal treads hot water in language row School principal treads hot water in language row NBC Online Mon, 04/07/2025 - 19:25

#Education #LanguageRights #CulturalPreservation #Khoekhoegowab #SchoolCurriculum