[A12n-forum] "Calling African Scholars" (participation in discussions on IDN)

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following item from the Highway Africa News Agency (South Africa) was
seen on AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200612080675.html . I
believe that the IDN project mentioned is the same as the one launched in
Dakar in Sept. 2005 (in which Prof. Somé and ACALAN president Samassekou
participated)...   DZO


Africa: Calling African Scholars
Highway Africa News Agency (Grahamstown)
http://hana.ru.ac.za/
December 8, 2006
Posted to the web December 8, 2006

Rebecca Wanjiku
Geneva

African scholars interested in developing and preserving indigenous
languages have been challenged to take the lead in the Internationalised
Domain Name (IDN) debate. Prof. Maxime Z. Somé, from the University of
Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso called on African linguists to actively
participate in the IDN project.

'Scientists and scholars should constitute themselves as an exceptional
authority in African affairs and move the project forward, said Somé.

Somé is concerned that Cambodia, Japan, China, Korea and Arabic countries
seem to be moving at a faster pace and leaving Africa behind.

In his opinion, linguistic experts as well as scientists in Africa should
work together and move the agenda forward. He added that the IDN project
requires linguists to agree on the language and terminologies of a
particular language and the scientists to work on the technological aspects.

After the agreement of the scripts and language tables, the UNICODE
consortium, which consists of computer makers and other bodies, will be
expected to integrate the languages into most computers sold to the Africa
region.

In this regard, if I have a computer, I can choose the language to use, just
like I select to use French or German. In the case of French, the computer
inserts the right accents and other letters that may not be available on the
English key board.

Asked whether this will lead to development of many key boards, Some? says
experts can work on some regional languages like Bambara, used in Guinea,
Mali, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso or Fulani, used in Nigeria, Senegal,
Mauritania and Mali.

'We know that this project requires a lot of financial commitment and big
businesses are not going to invest if not assured of profits. That leaves
governments, which have been very non committal, ' he adds.

But he maintains that scholars can jumpstart the process by learning from
other countries where experts volunteered their services for the sake of
development.

Some spoke at the ongoing Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) meeting in Sao Paulo, where the urgency of IDNs has taken
centre stage and its proponents are touting it as a solution to
communication problems. While there are workshops and follow-up meetings to
discuss and update on issues relating to IDNs, Africa is stuck with the
obsession of listing its numerous cultural and logistical problems as the
hindrance to IDN progress.

In 2004, Adama Samassekou, head of the African Academy of Languages was
quoted saying that there was lethargy within African leadership to use local
languages even at African Unity meetings.

Swahili was recommended in 1986 but was used at the AU meeting in July 2004
and is spoken in 15 East and Central African countries.

Copyright © 2006 Highway Africa News Agency
+27 46 636 1590
highwayafrica@xxxxxxx


**************************** Disclaimer ******************************
Copyright: In accordance with Title 17, United States Code Section 107, this
material is distributed without profit for research and educational
purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material posted to this list for
purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
Content: The sender does not vouch for the veracity nor the accuracy of the
contents of this message, which are the sole responsibility of the copyright
owner. Also, the sender does not necessarily agree or disagree with any
opinions that are expressed in this message.
***********************************************************************