![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] Canada?s own linguistic diversity is represented by two Official Languages ? English and French ? together with the mother tongues of Aboriginal Canadians, and the ancestral languages of newcomers to our country. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_stephenharper.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] Canada?s own linguistic diversity is represented by two Official Languages ? English and French ? together with the mother tongues of Aboriginal Canadians, and the ancestral languages of newcomers to our country. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada</address>")
![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] I have had the good fortune during my lifetime to travel around the world [...]. This exposure to other nationalities opens your eyes and your heart to endless possibilities, meaningful relationships, and to promoting and fostering a more inclusive, happier and peaceful world. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Donald S. Ethell, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_donaldethell.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] I have had the good fortune during my lifetime to travel around the world [...]. This exposure to other nationalities opens your eyes and your heart to endless possibilities, meaningful relationships, and to promoting and fostering a more inclusive, happier and peaceful world. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Donald S. Ethell, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta</address>")
![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] My sincere thanks go out to the Bangladesh PessClub Centre of Alberta for the work they have done to promote International Mother Language Day in our province. You are helping Albertans to protect and promote their rich ethnic history. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Jim Prentice, Premier of Alberta</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_jimprentice.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] My sincere thanks go out to the Bangladesh PessClub Centre of Alberta for the work they have done to promote International Mother Language Day in our province. You are helping Albertans to protect and promote their rich ethnic history. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Jim Prentice, Premier of Alberta</address>")
![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] Canada is proud of its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, we value the importance of preserving mother languages in our multicultural society. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Thomas Mulcair, Leader of the Official Opposition</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_tommulcair.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] Canada is proud of its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, we value the importance of preserving mother languages in our multicultural society. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Thomas Mulcair, Leader of the Official Opposition</address>")
![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] The value and importance of preserving mother languages is vital to enhancing the vibrancy and diversity of our province. It is a way to connect us to our past, to highlight the traditions and customs of our parents and to preserve the cultural heritage of our ancestors. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Maureen Kubinec, Minister of Culture and Tourism</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_maureenkubinec.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] The value and importance of preserving mother languages is vital to enhancing the vibrancy and diversity of our province. It is a way to connect us to our past, to highlight the traditions and customs of our parents and to preserve the cultural heritage of our ancestors. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Maureen Kubinec, Minister of Culture and Tourism</address>")
![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] Language is one of the most powerful ways to preserve and promote one?s culture for future generations to learn and appreciate. We are blessed to live in a society where multiculturalism is encouraged and celebrated. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Flor Marcelino,<br />Manitoba Minister of Multiculturalism and Literacy</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_flormarcelino.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] Language is one of the most powerful ways to preserve and promote one?s culture for future generations to learn and appreciate. We are blessed to live in a society where multiculturalism is encouraged and celebrated. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Flor Marcelino,<br />Manitoba Minister of Multiculturalism and Literacy</address>")
![<blockquote class='quote'>[...] A mother tongue is more than just an accent, dialect, or language; it is an identity. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Sohail Quadri, Legislative Secretary to the Premier</address>](/media/mod_jmslideshow/686x175_fill_voices_sohailquadri.jpg "<blockquote class='quote'>[...] A mother tongue is more than just an accent, dialect, or language; it is an identity. [...]</blockquote>
<address class='quote'>Sohail Quadri, Legislative Secretary to the Premier</address>")
Voices
The following pages are devoted to the celebration of lingual diversity, culture and heritage. Each one of us is playing a vital role of the colourful and rich diversity our civilization is made of, and we think it's important to cherish and celebrate this diversity.
BPCA, the Bangladesh PressClub Centre of Alberta, wants to bring people of all nations together to celebrate each and everyone's mother language, culture and heritage. We are promoting International Mother Language Day on February 21st as day of celebration, and are supporting linguistic and cultural diversity in an effort to build peace and understanding between all nations and ethnic groups in our civilization.
An example for the celebration of International Mother Language Day
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[City TV, Diverse-City on February 25, 2014] |
BHESA's (Bangladesh Heritage and Ethnic Society of Alberta) celebration of International Mother Language Day in 2014 sparked a vivid dialogue between different local organizations like e.g. the International Heritage and Languages Association (IHLA) and other community organizations here in the area.
The mother tongue is a substantial part of what defines our cultural identity. It's a heritage that transports specific knowledge, expressions, feelings, traditions and local history. Per example the Inuit, who live primarily along the far northern seacoasts of Russia, the United States, Canada, and Greenland, have more than fifty different words for the term "snow"!
In a time where humans as a global community grow together in a fast pace, standardizing the ways of our communication, the loss of languages and its connected cultural heritage is inevitable. In the understanding that multilingual diversity has importance, many people have started projects to preserve this heritage.
The high interest amoung people and the media in this topic has inspired the Bangladesh PressClub Centre of Alberta (BPCA) to create the initiative introduced on this pages. We believe the respect for each and everyone's heritage and the collective celebration e.g. on International Mother Language Day creates a unique chance for a peaceful together while creating awareness of the partial loss of human's multilingual diversity and world memory.
 International Mother Language Magazine, Edmonton Edition 2015 |
The Bangladesh PressClub Centre of Alberta (BPCA) has created a publication for International Mother Language Day 2015. The magazine explores and celebrates the topic of mother language and linguistic diversity. The publication is called International Mother Language Magazine, and will be issued on an annual base. A print version is also available and is currently distributed amoung local communities in the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Download the International Mother Language Magazine, Edmonton Edition from February 21, 2015 and other publications at Publications by BPCA and Participants. |
