Siskkáldas kritihkka váilun ja heajos digitála sajáiduvvan leat áitagat sámegirjjálašvuhtii, mii boahtte jagi deavdá 400 jagi

This article written in Northern Sámi explores and discusses the content of a recently published report A Writing Hand Reaches Further, “Čálli giehta ollá guhkás”: Report on the recommendations for the improvement of the Sámi literature field. It suggests concrete ways to improve the visibility and dynamics of the Sámi literary based on the recommendations by Johanna Domokos and other writers. The report reveals structural obstacles that prevent Sámi literature to flourish. It also sheds light on the language political and historical contexts where Sámi people produce literature.

”Go eará álbmogat hállet das, mo gávdnat girjjiid, sámebirrasis sáhka lea baicce dávjjit dat, mo girji joksá lohkki.”​

Dát Harald Gaski sitáhtta varas sámegirjjálašvuođagietti čielggadeames speadjalastá bures sihke sámegirjjálašvuođagietti hástalusaid ja dan geavatkeahtes vejolašvuođaid.

Kultuvrra buohkaide -bálvalus almmuhii golggotmánus 2018 viiddes čielggadeami A Writing Hand Reaches Further ”Čálli giehta ollá guhkás”: Recommendations for the improvement of the Sámi literary field, mii gokčá buot sámegielaid girjjálašvuođadiliid. Čielggadeami lea čállán ja čohkken jorgaleaddji ja girjjálašvuođadutki Johanna Domokos.

Eaŋgasgielat čielggadeami vuosttas oasis Domokos láhčá saji ságastallamii ja fállá sihke dutkandieđu ja vásáhusaid, mat sutnje muitaluvvui čielggadeami várás. Dáin vuođul son evttoha 15 ávžžuhusa buoridit sámegirjjálašvuođagietti dili. Ávžžuhusat vuođđuduvvet jearahallamiidda ovttas sámeásahusaiguin, sámečálliiguin, sámeservviiguin, jorgaleddjiiguin, girjerádjosolbmuiguin ja eará olbmuiguin, geat barget sámegirjjálašvuođagiettis. Son čállá:

”Ealli sámekultuvrii lea dehálaš, ahte sámegirjjálašvuohta ii šatta sámečállagiid musean, dahje dušše girjerájusin iežas systemain.”​

Čielggadeami nuppi oasis guorahallojuvvojit iešguđet sámegielaid čálálaš dilit. Dán bloggačállosis čalmmustahtán čielggadeami dutkandieđuid ja evttohusaid, mat sáhtášedje leat ávkin buohkaide, geaidda sámegillii čállin ja sámegielaid nannen lea váimmu ášši.

Sámegielaid čálálaš dilit guhkkin eret dásseárvosaš sajádagas: muhtun sámegielain ain váilu ortografiija, mainna čállit

Čielggadeamis gieđahallojuvvo sámegirjjálašvuođagieddi. Ieš alddes doahpaga gietti sáhttá geavahit dušše davvisámegielat girjjálašvuođa oktavuođas, danin go dat lea áidna sámegielain, mas leat girjjálašvuođagietti struktuvrrat. Bealli buot sámegillii čállon čáppagirjjálašvuođas lea čállon davvisámegillii. Davvisámegiela girjjálašvuođa dili ii oba sáhte buohtastahttit eará sámegielaid čálálaš diliide. Ovdamearkan bihtánsámegielas váilu dálá áiggi ortografiija, mainna obalohkái čállit!

Čielggadeamis čálmmustahttojuvvo čielgasit, ahte girjjálašvuođa dilli laktása giela dillái – ja politihkkii. Joshua Wilbur (Pite Sámi Literary Texts) čállá ná:

“Kánske buot ávkkáleamos livččii, jus sámedikkit Ruoŧas ja/dahje Norggas dohkkešivčče bihtánsámegiela virggálaš sámegiellan. Dat soaittášii addit vejolašvuođa dasa, ahte stáhtat juolludivčče ruđa bihtánsámegiela lohkandáiddu ovddideapmái (ja maiddái oahpaheapmái).”

Sámegielaid girjjálašvuođaid dilit eai leat dásseárvosaš sajádagas. Davvi-, julev- ja máttasámegielat čállis lea vejolašvuohta oažžut girjjis almmustahttojuvvot Norggas sámegirjelágádusas ja oažžut čálli bálkká almmuheami ovddas. Dákkár vejolašvuohta ii leat anáraš- dahje nuortalašgiela čállis, gean lohkkit eanáš orrot Suomas, gos sámegirjelágádusat eai gávdno. Nuba girjjiid almmuheapmi lea ovttaskas olbmuid ja servviid duohken, dego Anarâškielâ servvi.

Askold Bazhanov ja eará sámečállit ortografiija fáŋgan

Vel rašit dilis leat Guoládaga sámegielaid (áhkkil-, darjje-, gieldda- ja nuortalašsámegielat) sámegirjjálašvuođaid dilit. Guoládaga sámegirjjálašvuohta lea eanáš čállon ruoššagillii čállin- ja ortográfalaš váttuid geažil. Áhkkil-, darjje- ja gielddasámegielaid ortográfalaš vuođđun mearriduvvui gielddasámegiella, mii lea dagahan hástalusaid buvttadit sámegillii čállosiid Ruoššabeal Sámis. Michael Riessler (Skolt Sámi literature) čállá čeahpes ja beakkán nuortalaš čállis, Askold Bazhanovis ná:

“Son lei Notozero guovllu nuortalašgiela eatnigielat (ja čeahpes) hálli, muhto son čálii dušše ruoššagillii. Ovdal go son jámii, son čilgii, ahte sivvan lei Ruošša eiseválddiid negatiiva miellaguottut su eatnigiela hárrái. Iige son livčče sáhttán čállit gielddasámegiela ortografiijain, danin go son ii livčče gulahallan dainna. Nuppe dáfus son livččii sáhttán čállit nuortalašgiela ortografiijain, mii lei dohkkehuvvon Suomabealde, muhto politihkalaš sivaid geažil dat livčče lean veadjemeahttun dalá Sovjetlihtus.”

Sámegirjjálašvuohta čállo – feara man gillii

Bazhanova ja eará Ruošša sámečálliid galgamuššan lei ja ain dávjá lea čállit ruoššagillii – giellapolitihkalaš sivaid dihtii. Sámegielaid lassin sámečállit čállet ruoššagiela lassin dáro-, ruoŧa- ja suomagillii ja maiddái eaŋgasgillii! Nappo sámegirjjálašvuođa iešvuođaide gullá máŋggagielatvuohta. Jorgalusat gávdnojit badjelaš 40 gielaide, muhto liikká menddo unnán davviriikalaš váldogielaide, mii dagaha dan, ahte hárve sámegirji joksá dáža, ruoŧŧelačča dahje suopmelačča.

Sámegirjji meroštallin ii leatge čállosa giella, muhto baicce čálli giehta, čálli identitehtta.

Sámegillii čallin adnojuvvo alla árvvus, muhto sámegielat girjji deaddileapmi ii livčče vejolaš stáhtaid juolludan ruđaid haga, eandalii ruđaid, maid Norgga sámediggi oažžu ja juolluda ovddosguvlui. Čielggadeamis čuoččuhuvvo Norgga sámediggi dehálaš rolla sámegirjjálašvuođagietti geađgejuolgin. Sivvan lea, ahte Norgga sámediggi gokčá 100 proseantta sámegielat girjji deaddileamis, go girjelágádusat mearridit deaddilit girjji.

Siskkáldas kritihkka váilun áitagin

Čielggadeamis čalmmustahttojuvvojit konkrehta hástalusat ja áitagat sámegirjjálašvuođagieddái, ja namuhan dain moadde.

Máŋggat čállit (Domokos, Gaski, Riessler) čalmmustahttet dárbbu sámegirjjálašvuođa áigečállagii, mii guorahalašii ja árvvoštalašii sámegirjjiid. Go dákkár struktuvra váilu, ii leat mekanisma, mii árvvoštallá sisdoalu, nanne sámegirjjiid vuostáiváldima ja juogašii dieđu. Dál diehtu almmustahttojuvvon sámegirjjiin báhcá dávjá riikkarájáid siskkobeallai, vaikko sámegirjjálašvuohta čállojuvvo miehtá máilmmi.

Hástalus, mii ii guoskka dušše sámebirrasa lea, ahte sámemánát, -nuorat ja nuorra ollesolbmot leat unnán čállin ja lohkkin. Sin oktavuođa nannen girjjálašvuhtii lea okta hohpoleamos bargguin, maidda bidjat návccaid ja jurddašeami. Go Kultuvrra buohkaide -bálvalus ordnii 27.11.2018 ovttas Suoma sámedikkiin dilálašvuođa Anáris čielggadeami birra, ságastalaimet vugiin, mo movttiidahttit nuoraid sámegirjjálašvuhtii.

Oktan vejolašvuohtan livčče juogadit lohkandiploma daidda mánáide ja nuoraide, geat lohket dihto meriid girjjiid. Dákkár lohkandiploma lea geavahusas juo Soađegilis. Sáme Girječálliid Searvi celkkii maiddái dearvvuođaidis: sin ja Norgga sámedikki ordnen nuoraid čállingursa lea rabas buohkaide. Das lea leamašan stuorra váikkuhus Norggabeal sámenuoraid čállin- ja lohkanmoktii. Bágo čálliid siebrie Ruoŧabealde lea ealáskahttán sámegirjjálašvuođagietti beaktilit maŋimuš jagiid áigge sullasaš gurssain.

Čielggadeames Domokos maid ávžžuha lágidit Sámiráđi girjjálašvuođabálkkašumi lassin sámegirjjálašvuođa jahkásaš gilvvohallamiid iešguđet kategoriijain: oanehis bargui man beare sámegillii (man beare šáŋŋeris), sámegillii jorgaleapmái dahje sámegielas jorgaleapmái mannu eará gillii ja nuorra čálliide dahje/ja girjjiide, mat leat oaivvilduvvon nuorra lohkkiide.

Nuba vuogit nannet sámemánáid ja -nuoraid oktavuođa sámegirjjálašvuhtii livčče:

  • lohkandiplomat
  • čállingurssat
  • girjjálašvuođa bálkkašumit sierra kategoriijain

Sámegirjjiid rašes sajádat digitála birrasiin lea áitta sámegirjjálašvuhtii, maiddái sámegielaide

Sámegirjjálašvuođa sajádat lea rášit dilis eará dáiddasurggiid ektui. Sámegirjjálašvuhtii čuhcet gielalaš hástalusat: máŋggat sámit leat massán giela dahje eai leat hárjánan lohkat sámegillii dahje eai máhte čállit sámegillii. Sámegirjjálašvuođa nannen laktása nannosit sámegielaid rašes diliide. Danin sámegielat birrasiid galggašedje lasihit dohko, gos olbmot dán áigge leat: digitála birrasis. Domokos čállá:

“Dutkamušat čájehit, ahte gielain, main ii leat digitála sajádat, lea unna vejolašvuohta ceavzit.”

Son ávžžuhage bidjat searaid sámegielaid ja sámegirjjálašvuođa digitála sajáiduvvamii, mas teknihkalaš beaivádusat, applikašuvnnat, vloggat, e-girjjit, servviid ja ovttaskas čálliid neahttasiiddut, bloggat ja Instagram-lyrihkka gulahalašedje digitála áigodaga olbmo dárbbuiguin.

Anára ságastallamis loktojuvvui maid dárbu, mii veahkehivččii stuorraservodaga lágideddjiid: neahttasiidu, mas gávdnošedje dieđut ja govvabáŋku sámečálliin ja sin dáiddabuktagiin.

Girjerádjosiid ámmátolbmot fas čalmmustahttet, ahte e-girjjiid lassin sámit livčče beroštuvvan maid jietnagirjjiin ja girjjiin, mat leat čállon álkiduvvon gillii. Jietnagirjjit ja álkiduvvon gielat girjjit heivešedje máŋggáide iešguđet (sáme)joavkkuide:

  • mánáide ja boarrásot olbmuide
  • olbmuide, geain leat váttisvuođat lohkamis ja čállimis
  • sidjiide, geat leat oahpahallamin sámegiela
  • sidjiide, geat leat masssán aktiiva sámegieldáiddu

Girjerádjosiid ámmátolbmot maid čalmmustahttet, ahte sápmelaš nuorra olbmot ja nuorra ollesolbmot váillahivčče girjjiid buotlágan fáttáiguin degomat fantasiija, scifi ja rihkosvuođašáŋŋeriin. Dán nanne maiddái jearaldatdutkamuš, masa čielggadeamis čujuhuvvo:

”Norgga sámediggi čađahii jearaldatdutkamuša jagis 2016. Dan mielde nuorra lohkkit háliidivčče lohkat buotlágan girjjiid, eai dušše girjjiid, mat muitalit sámiid árbevirolaš eallimis.”​

Ávkkálaš gažaldat lea: Mo lasihit sámegirjjálašvuođa oidnoma juo dálá sámestruktuvrrain?

Anára dilálašvuođas lei ollu sáhka maid ruđas: geas lea ruhta doarjut sámegirjjálašvuođa ja geas ii. Ruđalaš dárbbuid ii ábut badjelgeahččat ja lea namalassii Davviriikkaid geatnegasvuohta fuolahit sámegirjjálašvuođagietti dilis ja boahttevuođas. Álo čovdosat eai goit gávdno ruđas, muhto baicce jurddašeami viiddideamis. Domokos ávžžuhage smiehttat vejolašvuođaid, mo lasihit sámegirjjálašvuođa oidnoma juo dálá struktuvrrain. Soames informánta evttoha čielggadeamis ná:

”Divttaid sáhtášii láktit eará kulturdáhpáhusaide, degomat Ijahis idjii dahje Skábmagovaide. – – Dat sáhtášii bohciidahttit beroštumi girjjálašvuhtii daid olbmuid gaskkas, geat muđuid eai boađáše guldalit girjjálašvuođa. Dat seammás divošii ovdagáttuid divttaid, girjjálašvuođa hárrái.”​

Dát evttohus oaččui olu doarjaga Anára ságastallamis: mo mii ieža sáhtášeimmet buktit sámegirjjálašvuođa mielde sámedáhpáhusaide, mat juo lágiduvvojit jahkásaččat?

2019 – sámegirjjálašvuođa ávvojahki lea vejolašvuohta loktet sámegirjjálašvuođa

Čielggadeamis buktojuvvo máŋgii ovdan, ahte sámegirjjálašvuođas váilojit jeavddalaš dáhpáhusat, degomat festiválat, gos čállit, jorgaleaddjit ja sin lohkkit sáhtášedje gulahallat. Harald Gaski ja David Kroik čalmmustahttiba, ahte boahtte jagi lea gollan 400 jagi vuosttas sámegielat girjji almmuheamis. ABC – ja lávlungirjjáš ilbme Ruoŧabealde jagis 1619 ja dat ledje sihke bihtán- ja máttasámegillii. Gaski evttoha:

“Ávvojagi dihtii livččii ánolaš, jus boahtte jagi sámedikkit Norggas, Ruoŧas ja Suomas bijašedje návccaid loktet sámegirjjálašvuođa máŋggabealálaččat.”

Jahki 2019 lea sámegirjjálašvuođa oaidninčiegas erenomáš jahki maid dáid sivaid geažil:

Čielggadeapmi sámegirjjálašvuođagietti dilis gullá prošektii Multilingualism and diversity as a resource in the cultural field – employment and integration through literature in the Nordic countries ja dan lea jođihan Kultuvra buohkaide -bálvalus.

Prošeakta nohká dál, muhto jus lea juoga, mo Kultuvrra buohkaide -bálvalus sáhttá veahkehit, doarjut dahje rávvet sámegirjjálašvuođagietti dili ovddideames – áinnas gánniha leat oktavuođas. Sámegirjjálašvuohta goit ii játta – dan jietna gullo, jus mii beare nákcet dan guldalit.

 

Čálli, Helga West lea bargan čavččadálvve 2018 Kultuvrra buohkaide -fitnus prošeaktakoordináhtorin. Su bargguide lea earet eará gullan čielggadeami juolgáidahttin.

 

A Writing Hand Reaches Further, “Čálli giehta ollá guhkás”: Report on the recommendations for the improvement of the Sámi literature field: Domokos_report

Gullá prošektii: Multilingualism and diversity as a resource in the cultural field – employment and integration through literature in the Nordic countries

Ruhtadan: Davviriikalaš ministarráđđi

Jođiha: Kultuvrra buohkaide -bálvalus

Čállit: Vuosttas oasi lea čállán Johanna Domokos ja nuppi oasi artihkaliid iešguđet sámegielaid diliid birra leat čállán David Kroik, Joshua Wilbur, Päivi Alanen, Lill Tove Fredriksen, Harald Gaski, Sigbjørn Skåden, Petter Morottaja, Michael Riessler ja Irene Piippola

Lassedieđut: Kultuvrra buohkaide -bálvalusa jođiheaddji Rita Paqvalén, rita.paqvalen@cultureforall.fi

 

Language is a City

Text: Ahmed Zaidan

My Finnish language is like a hotel by the highway, while my Arabic is like the city of Tokyo, and my English resembles the city of Turku.

Language is a city full of alleyways and small details. Poetry is the old town in the city of language.

Some languages in us form small separated villages, while others are like the big cities with areas that we haven´t visited for a very long time. Therefore, sometimes we feel that we’re lost in our mother language, and we feel the need to expand our awareness by wandering the old parts in the city of language.

When we start learning a language, it means that we’ve already started to build our own city, the city that will one day attract more visitors and tempt others to stay for longer. Some will get stuck, if the city of language was built in a tricky way, like the cities of religious languages. Then we would need a while before finding the shortcut to get out. While, in the cities of literature and arts, life thrives and cafés are full all the time, and rivers are a vibrant source of beauty.

Some of us have reserved a hotel in the cities of our beloved writers, while sometimes we ask to extend our residency for longer. For instance, my Finnish language is like a hotel by the highway while my Arabic is like the city of Tokyo, and my English resembles the city of Turku.

The humble highway hotel is in the middle of the desert, where I would park my car to dwell in for a short while, getting access to the necessities of life and nothing more, such as the important phrases that I use in my everyday living, distant from the literary language. That’s what I’ve built with my Finnish language.

Turku is small and beautiful, also I am still discovering it every day through meeting new people and getting to know the city more and more. This resembles my experience with English language, where I consider myself the explorer who would travel in the small details to fulfill a bigger picture. There I have a larger space to move and to stay for longer time, I also have the ability to browse the city on many levels.

***

Ahmed Zaidan. Photo by Mikael SoininenAhmed Zaidan is a poet and journalist from Mosul, Iraq. Arrived to Finland in 2013, recognized as a political refugee. Graduate of University of Mosul, Translation Studies. A winner of the prize of Creative Writings of Mosul University for twice. Author of “Aurora from Mosul” a poetry collection written in English, published in Germany 2018.

Kolibrí Festivaali

Kolibrí – the Ibero-American children’s cultural festival  is a way to experience multiculturalism and multilingualism in Finland through children’s eyes. Kolibrí offers an artistic, recreational and educational program in a multicultural setting for all families, irrespective of nationality or language. The events and workshops organized  are open to all, free of charge and carried out in several languages.  From the website you find information also in Spanish and in Portuguese.

The festival is produced by Ninho Monikulttuurikeskus ry, (www.ninho.ry) a grassroots association working for a more multicultural and plural Finland. Besides the festival the association also organises a biannual seminar on children and bilingualism, promotes Ibero-American children’s literature and illustration projects in Finland and supports several exchange programs between Finnish and Ibero-American artists working around children’s arts and culture, with a special emphasis in literature and illustration.

Most of the events of Kolibrí take place in Libraries in Espoo and Cultural Centers in Helsinki.

Photos from events organized by Kolibrí festivaali

Storytelling by Verónica Miranda
architecture by Carolina Isasi & Laura Zuvillaga
music by Aurinko ry with Clara Petrozzi, Grisell MacDonell and Jordy Valderrama
illustration by Kolibrí honored guest 2017: Isidro Ferrer.

Photos credits: Kolibrí Festivaali.

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Iranian, Indian and Pakistani poets between mysticism and self-realization

Text: Giti Nassouri

Persian and Indian culture have been two of the oldest and most fertile grounds poetry. Poetry is visible in the lives of different social classes. More than being the preoccupation of a social and cultural elite, poetry has been the means through which the ordinary people living in these cultures made their lives and deaths endurable, beautiful and meaningful. In Persian culture for instance; even before the introduction of modern education, ordinary people knew their genius poets through whom they could express their hope and despair at any moment of their life. There appeared different genres of epic, satire, romance and mystic within Persian poetry. Ferdowsi (940-1020) in epic, Nezami Ganjavi in romantic epic, Ubayd Zakani (1300-1371) in satire, Faridudin Attar (1145-1221) in mystic are arguably the greatest masters of these genres of Persian poetry. Persian poets such as Rumi (1207-1273) and Hafez (1315-1390) synthesized aspects of all the existing genres into their poetry. Hafez is still very popular, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that a copy of Hafez’ collected works can be found in almost every Iranian home. Poets like Hafiz and Rumi were capable of transmitting the beauty and meaning of their poetry into the neighboring culture, the Indian culture.

In this regard, I would like to mention the rich poetic tradition in contemporary Iran, India and Pakistan. Poetry reading competition is an old tradition among Iranians and the Urdu speaking population in India and Pakistan. In the poetry competitions, the first participant recites a verse of a poem and the next participant reply with another verse, which starts with the last letter of the verse used by the first participant and so on. The competition continues until one of the participants fail to recite a verse according to the rules. Every participant is only allowed to use a verse only once; repetition of verses is not accepted. The poetry competition is called “Mushaereh” in Persian and “Bait bazi” in Urdu. The poetry competition which for centuries had been both entertaining and educational seems unfashionable these days in Iran, India and Pakistan. But in the past it was the easiest way of persuading young people to make themselves familiar not only with their literature and cultural heritage but with what it meant to be human.

I would like say a few words about three remarkable poets, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Iqbal Lahori who made great impacts on the Iranian, Indian and Pakistani culture and whose voice have transcended the language and culture within which and through which they presented their work of poetry.

Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi known as Rumi is widely considered as literature’s greatest mystical poet and as one of the most influential poets worldwide. Rumi’s poetry has inspired other writers and readers for centuries. His work has been translated into various languages and he has been one of the bestselling poets in the US.

Rumi’s poetry writing began at the age of 37 after his meeting and friendship with Shams Tabrizi. Shams Tabrizi, a Sufi Master who remained his spiritual mentor until his death, was one of his biggest influences. Rumi had a deeply spiritual relationship with Shams, and this spiritual relationship transformed Rumi from being a sober theologian and a preacher to an impassioned seeker of truth and divine love. The death of Shams, which affected Rumi deeply, brought out new aspects of his spirituality, which he expressed in his poetry. Rumi composed thousands of strong emotional verses in his poems as a way to express his grief at the loss of his friend. He believed passionately that music, poetry and dance were among the mystical ways of connecting with the divine.

Here is one of Rumi’s poems in Persian played with traditional Iranian music:

Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian who received the Nobel Prize

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali mystic and poet, who wrote poetry in both Hindi and Bengali languages and translated some of his own poems into English. Along with familiarity with western literature and culture, he held on to his native literature and cultural heritage. But Tagore’s love for his native literature and culture did not prevent him thinking universally. Tagore’s most celebrated book of the poetry is called Gitanjali, published in 1910. The English translation of the book, which was a great success made him well-known in the literary circles in Europe and the United States. Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Gitangli with its emotional and mystical content is described as Nature Mysticism. Although Tagore had a Hindu background, the spirituality of his book is generally expressed in universal terms, which can be understood by Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, or any other faith. The Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, wrote about Tagore’s poems:

“These lyrics – which are in the original, my Indians tell me, full of subtlety of rhythm, of untranslatable delicacies of colour, of metrical invention – display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my life long.”

Muhammad Iqbal, known as Shair-e-Mushriq or Poet of the East 

Muhammad Iqbal (November 9, 1877 – April 21, 1938), also known as Allama Iqbal, is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Urdu literature, with literary work in both Urdu and Persian.

Pakistani, Indian and other international scholars of literature, regard Iqbal as an outstanding classical poet. Although he never visited Iran, he wrote most of his poetry in Persian (about 60% of his poetry is in Persian). The fact that he neither visited Iran nor formally studied Persian, did not prevent him from producing amazing works of Persian poetry. In Iran, Iqbal is known as Iqbal-e Lahori (Iqbal of Lahore) and his Persian works are highly appreciated. Rumi was a spiritual guide for Iqbal, and Rumi’s poetry and philosophy had a deep influence on Iqbal’s mind.

Allama Iqbal’s remarkable poetry focuses on self–respect and self-realization. He believed that “self–respect and self-realization” could mobilize our internal energies and provide us the real dynamics of success.

Finally, I will share some of the beautiful verses composed by these three giants of Persian, Bengali and Urdu literature.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy”

Rabindranath Tagore

“Failure is not fatal until
we surrender trying again
is the key of glorious victory”

Muhammad Iqbal

Giti Nassouri is a librarian at the National Library of Norway. For many years, she has worked at the section for multilingual library at Oslo public library (Deichmanske Bibliotek). There she was in charge of Bengali, Hindi, Panjabi, Dutch, Greek, Dari, Pashto, Persian and Urdu book collections, which has been transferred to the National Library of Norway.

 

Basic questions about Saaminess reveal not-so-hidden racism

Text: Petra Laiti

The question I get asked most by a mile is how being a Saami is visible in my life. In this essay I ponder why basic questions about one’s Saaminess are not only hurtful but also echoing underlying structures of Finnish society.  

The question “how you can tell if you’re a Saami” is telling in terms of figuring out where the Saami stand in Finnish society. Unfortunately, Finns know very little about the Saami, but more specifically, Finns don’t necessarily realize just how little they know. This is demonstrated particularly well when discussing racism against the Saami.

In my experience, there seem to be three key points that are difficult to make a wider Finnish audience understand. I would argue that these three points need to be understood before racism towards the Saami can be discussed properly. The points are very simple:

  • The Saami are not the same as Finns.
  • The Saami are an indigenous people.
  • The Saami are at a disadvantage in society compared to Finns.

There’s an explanation to why these points are so simple; if the only thing a person has ever learned about the Saami is through a children’s movie or a semi-offensive comic, not knowing basic facts is natural. However, ignorance will also lead to asking: “How is being Saami represented in your life?”. In the discourse surrounding the Saami identity and Saami culture, Finns will look for things they recognize in order to determine if a Saami is Saami according to what Finns understand to be Saami.

This is a central problem in Finnish society. Finns have a habit of asking the “but why?”- question, because they feel a need to understand what makes a person Saami. The question is seemingly relevant, since the right to self-determination of the Saami has not been fulfilled in Finland. Most Finns have never knowingly met a Saami, but many have seen racist imagery of the Saami, or rather, imagery of Finns portraying what they believe the Saami to be like. This can lead to a Saami having to answer questions coming from Finns, whose preconception of the Saami is racist without the Finn in question realizing that their preconception is racist.

This is not a Saami problem; it’s a problem of the Finnish society not understanding the privileged position that ignorance gives them.

I have been asked a large variety of questions like this. It can be anything from “what percentage of you is Saami” to “why don’t we just have genetic tests to determine who you people are”.  A counternarrative I often face is Finns belittling my Saaminess because I don’t “look” Saami (as if being Saami has anything to do with looks).

People don’t seem to realize that any variation of these questions is still rooted in the indoctrinated idea that it’s up to someone else to prove whether or not a person is indigenous.  When trying to discuss racism and purposeful racist comments directed towards the Saami, the same thing happens. The discussion revolves around determining whether or not the case in question is racist in terms that Finns understand to be racist.

For instance, I was harassed by a person and ended up taking my case to an authority a few years ago. I was called “dirty” and “filthy” and there were comments stating that my family “smelled” due to my ethnic background. Instead of recounting my experiences as they were, I spent a significant amount of time explaining why the harassment was racist. While the issue was resolved, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would’ve turned out had I not known how to explain the context. What if I didn’t know why the insults were hurtful, but simply knew that they were? Would the case have been resolved in my favor?

It all really depends on how much a person understands about indigenous cultures. A discussion with a Finn can be very advanced or incredibly simple, sometimes both. A person might have knowledge of the Finnish logging industry and how they try to press the Saami for a larger access to our reindeer herding grounds, but still ends up asking the question: “explain to me again, how exactly you guys are oppressed?”. So, while the Saami are required to make a legally convincing argument, we are still faced with very simple questions as well.

The entire discourse is completely missing the point of the right to self-determination. The point, the incredibly central point, is that the Saami have no obligation whatsoever to explain every root and branch of our culture in order to justify our demand to be taken seriously. A lasting solution is not that Finland suddenly starts making Saami-friendly laws, it’s that the power to govern ourselves is returned to the Saami. This is not a Saami problem; it’s a problem of the Finnish society not understanding the privileged position that ignorance gives them.

So, what does it mean to be a Saami? How does it show in my personal life? Well, one way to explain that question is to point at this text. One of the most visible examples is the amount of times I’ve had to explain that asking that question is a reminder of how much work there is still to be done.

How’s that for indigenous activism?

Petra Laiti is the chairperson of Suoma Sámi Nuorat, the Saami youth organization in Finland. Laiti works in Helsinki as the Vice President for the National Union for University Students in Finland. She is also a blogger and an activist, who regularly calls out the Finnish society for neglecting Saami voices.

Photo of Laiti: Sakari Röyskö

Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding

The Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding (or Vigdís World Language Centre, for short) has been established in April 2017, based on an agreement between UNESCO and the government of Iceland. The primary purpose of the Centre is to raise awareness of the importance of languages as one of mankind’s most precious cultural assets.

The World Language Centre will be an information centre for languages and culture with facilities for research and dissemination. It has an exhibition space and an auditorium. In the first years, it will focus on the language situation of the West Nordic region. In cooperation with other institutes, international scholars and those interested in languages, such a centre will be a significant contribution towards preserving and strengthening linguistic diversity.

The World Language Centre regards it an honour to develop and continue the pioneering work that Vigdís Finnbogadóttir has carried out as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Languages.

The Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre. It counts with an international advisory board that provides advice for preparing and developing the activities of the Vigdís International Centre of Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding.

The Centre, in cooperation with other institutions in Iceland, now hosts one of world’s largest collections of bi­ and multilingual dictionaries; a donation from Infoterm, based on the legacy of Eugen Wüster (one of the fathers of terminology as a field).

The Vigdís World Language Centre is a part of The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages at the University of Iceland.

The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages

The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages is a research institute working within the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Iceland. The Institute is a research centre for scholars who teach modern languages and cultures, the classical languages and translation studies.

Since 1st October 2001 the Institute has had the honour of bearing the name of Ms. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland, 1980-1996. Ms. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir has been a powerful spokesperson for the importance of language proficiency, both in one’s own native tongue as well as in other languages, and she has made a vital contribution to this field in her career as a teacher, as President of Iceland, and as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.

The institute organizes yearly a seminar to celebrate the international mother language day; this year (2018) the Vigdís World Language Centre took the lead in organizing the:

International Mother language day symposium 21. 2. 2018:

Dictionaries: Multilingualism, Translations and Terminology 2018

 

NordicSom brings new insights to bilingualism in Finland together with Svenska nu

Text: Ahmed Hassan and Konsta Savolainen
Translated from Finnish into English by Outi Korhonen

In the activities of NordicSom we focus on constructing issue-based Nordic collaboration in such a manner that ethnic background does not define the activities. Understanding the significance of multilingualism is one possible channel to influence. In this context our partner Svenska nu motivates and inspires Finnish youth to use Swedish language and to promote multilingualism and the visibility of bilingualism. The people behind Svenska nu want to contribute to the awareness about the ability to speak languages as a significant societal question. We want to include people with migrant background in this work.

Our work in promoting bilingualism or multilingualism from the point of view of immigrants has brought up many positive and inspiring experiences among the youth, when they hear about learning Swedish from a different angle.

Ahmed Hassan from NordicSom visits schools giving lectures about his own school years in a Swedish-speaking school and describes his efforts and successes in learning the language. He tells about amusing coincidences of his life and emphasizes that you must rely on yourself and use the opportunities that the Finnish society offers. We are all Finnish and Nordic, and it can be very important for a person with migrant background to be able to speak Swedish.

Multilingualism is part of today’s work life, as we live in a world influenced by globalization. Multilingualism is needed also in encountering people from different cultural backgrounds with their challenges and possibilities. It can open possibilities that otherwise remain unreachable. Discovering this is rewarding. Different visions offered by different languages support each other especially in team work.

Our work in promoting bilingualism or multilingualism from the point of view of immigrants has brought up many positive and inspiring experiences among the youth, when they hear about learning Swedish from a different angle. The successes in learning a language are important and they compensate the challenging side of learning. When a person with immigrant background that does not fit in the stereotypical image of a Swedish-speaker in Finland, succeeds in learning the language, it gives reasons for others, too, to rely on their ability to learn and develop their capacities. Our perception is that a positive change has occurred in the confidence among the youth in using Swedish and in their attitude towards learning it.

The official bilingualism of Finland is a richness. Apart from this, immigrants have good opportunities to develop their mother language at school, which is not evident in many other countries. We believe that by understanding the weight of multilingualism as part of the structures of the Finnish society, immigrants have more possibilities to use the opportunities given by our society and to contribute to the development of its future.

The writers of this text, Ahmed Hassan and Konsta Savolainen work for the employment of immigrants in a company founded by them. Through NordicSom they want to contribute to the development of the Nordic Somali community’s members as active participants in societal processes.

Translation from Finnish into English: Outi Korhonen

Less equal: Growing up Sámi in Helsinki

When I, a Finnish woman, became a mother to children from a cultural minority group, I was forced to come face-to-face with misconceptions of our well-meaning officials as well as structural racism of our society.

“It is against the constitution that your family should go out of their way to secure basic services. It is legislator’s intention that same services are equally available to all citizens regardless of ethnicity.“

-Legal advisor at The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland.

When our daughter reached her fifteenth month, she started part-time day-care in a small local public unit comprised of two loving teachers and up to twelve children. She was greeted every morning by a caring professional Sámi childminder in their mutual mother tongue, North Sámi. Day-care in her native language during those critical months of language development was essential in securing the healthy bilingual identity she holds today, as she is preparing for her new life as a pupil in the bilingual Sámi-Finnish class of a public primary school.

10 months prior, I first contacted our local chief of childcare to let her know, that my daughter would need day-care in her native language in the following year. The Sámi are entitled to day-care in their native language according to the Finnish legislation. The Helsinki childcare websites had informed me that indeed, public day-care in North Sámi is available in Helsinki. Little did I realize that I had started on a treacherous road to fight for the basic human rights of my children.

During the following six months I was repeatedly in touch with our local supervisor as well as the Helsinki regional supervisor, whose specialty is organizing services for minority groups. I was reduced to explaining and re-explaining why my children should be treated the same as other children in our region.

“No one is stopping you from being Sámi in the privacy of your own home. You and your husband may take a leave from your careers if you insist on bringing up children in the North Sámi language” they replied, when I suggested that we were not treated equally as is required by the Finnish constitution. I felt the wind being knocked out of my lungs.

I lectured to officials over and over again that my family was exactly the same as those of my friends with the exception that my children were fathered by an indigenous man, Finland’s non-Finnish tax payer. We, too, deserve the same career opportunities and public services according to the Finnish constitution. Furthermore, we were not to be equated with immigrant minorities, we were both born and raised as Finns by nationality, if not linguistically and ethnically.

“Do you suggest that my daughter is not qualified for the constitutional right to day-care in her native language which is spelled out in laws and recommendations alike?” I wondered.

“Absolutely your daughter does qualify for day-care” they replied. “No worries there, just not the extra bit.”

At the time, the city employed two native Sámi childminders in neighbouring units in the eastern suburbs. We were finally offered a place in one of these units with the subtle hint that this was a stretch and a special arrangement to be thankful for. This would have added at least two hours of commute to our daughter’s five-hour kindergarten day and would of course have required a part-time commitment from both or one of our employers, as our home and offices are in the western suburbs.

“Surely you would not complain about one-hour commute, you guys are Sámi and used to much longer distances than 15 kilometres” reasoned the regional chief. “I am not Sámi, my child is” I snapped. Thereafter I entered a ridiculous rant to justify, why 15 km in rural Lapland is not equivalent to 15 km across rush hour capital and how I do not understand why I have to explain elementary human rights to an official responsible for the execution of said rights with respect to underage citizens.

And that’s when I called the legal advisor at The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland.
“In the eyes of the legislator, your children are equal” she said.
“It is not just the law that binds the officials, it’s the intent of the legislation, which is unambiguously explained by our constitution.” she reassured.

I laughed and I cried. “I knew it!” I said. “My daughter is just as important as the next child.”

That autumn, my colleague got used to me taking a phone call in the corridor and returning to our office with tears still gleaming in my eyes. Securing Sámi day-care had become my personal odyssey by the outcome of which I measured the health of the surrounding society.

At the spring party at day-care, our now 20-month old daughter wearing her traditional solju brooch on her dress sat on cushions surrounded by her buddies. Her teacher beat the reindeer-skin drum and the group performed a yoik for us parents. Over coffee, the Finnish teachers and parents thanked the arrangement. Turned out that as our daughter was learning to speak Sámi, so were the other children at the day-care. They explained the particularities of Sámi culture and language at home to their parents, who embraced the cultural diversity without exception. We already knew then that trust between our family and the day-care officials of our hometown could not be repaired.

We wanted to upgrade to a day-care unit with linguistic isolation. Next autumn, the Máttabiegga language nest opened in Pasila. Our daughter was the first of 13 (to date) children to enroll.

Dr. Inkeri Lokki, PhD, is a Finnish mother of two Sámi children growing up in Helsinki. Her family has lived in Haaga, Helsinki since 2010 and she works as a researcher at the University of Helsinki. Her husband is a member of the Sámi parliament in Finland. Dr. Lokki embraces the Deatnu (Tana) Sámi culture of her husband and children. She considers being able to communicate to her Sámi family in their mother tongue, the North Sámi, one of her biggest accomplishments.

Photos:

  • Portrait of Inkeri Lokki: Mikko Mäntyniemi
  • Featured image:  Inkeri Lokki with her daughter at Paistunturi wilderness in Midsummer 2013.  Photo: Elina Lemmetty

Móðurmál – the Association on Bilingualism promotes identity of plurilingual children

Renata Emilsson Peskova, modurmal@modurmal.com

Móðurmál helps educate a new generation of plurilingual children who will be able to draw on their cultural and linguistic resources in the future in various positions, as future teachers, interpreters, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

Móðurmál – the Association on Bilingualism is an umbrella organisation whose main goal is to teach mother tongues, or heritage languages, to plurilingual children. Móðurmál is based in Reykjavík, Iceland and it has over twenty years of history in engaging parents and volunteers in mother tongue instruction.

Móðurmál´s motto is “diversity, identity, respect”. Mother tongue teachers agreed at the annual conference in 2014 that these words express best what the organisation stands for. It supports and celebrates the diversity in the Icelandic society, it strengthens and promotes identity of plurilingual children as well as their parents, and it highlights that mutual respect is alfa and omega of peaceful and constructive relationships.

Móðurmál is an umbrella organisation of more than twenty language groups and schools that work independently as they develop and implement their own teaching and programs. Most of the classes are held on Saturdays or Sundays and in the school year 2017-2018 about 750 children attend mother tongue classes. The groups also meet and collaborate within Móðurmál. Each community has different needs and various resources, but the desire of parents to teach their mother tongues to their children is so strong that they join forces and together overcome time, cost, and organisational barriers. Móðurmál assists the groups and group coordinators, the mother tongue teachers, and the parents in their endeavour to sustain mother tongue teaching. Móðurmál also collaborates with many local and international organisations towards its goals.

Some of Móðurmál´s important connections are the International and Heritage Languages Association in Edmonton, Alberta, Modersmålscentrum in Lund, Sweden, the School and Leisure Department of the City of Reykjavík, the Alliance of Parent´s Associations and Parent´s Councils of Elementary Schools in Reykjavík, the City Library of Reykjavík, the Cultural Centre Gerðuberg, and the Art Gallery of Reykjavík. Individual mother tongue groups collaborate among themselves and oftentimes develop connections with embassies and consulates of their countries, as well as mother tongue schools in their respective languages around the world.

Móðurmál is important to many. It serves several functions, one of which is to help create a multicultural society, mutual understanding of various language groups who share the passion for maintaining and developing mother tongue skills of children. Móðurmál is a precious part of the Icelandic society, because it helps build bridges among languages and cultures. It creates and deepens mutual understanding of various groups and institutions. It gives power to immigrant parents. It enriches the Icelandic multicultural society and helps educate a new generation of plurilingual children who will be able to draw on their cultural and linguistic resources in the future in various positions, as future teachers, interpreters, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

Móðurmál is proud of national awards it has received in the past, namely, a certificate of recognition from the Intercultural Center in 2008, the Society Award of Fréttablaðið (newspaper) in 2014, the Parent Award of Home and School (National Parents Association in 2016) but at the same time, it is searching for more official recognition of its work. It appraises the models in Scandinavian countries and Canada as it continues to work towards sustainable, successful mother tongue education in Iceland.

Renata Emilsson Peskova is a PhD candidate at the School of Education at the University of Iceland. Her research interest lies with plurilingual children and heritage language education. She is the chair of Móðurmál – the Association on Bilingualism.

Maainâst muʹnne säämas, čâđđmam kâʹl fiʹttai

Text: Mari Korpimäki
Translation to Skólt Sámi: Anna-Katariina Feodoroff
[suomeksi]

Muʹst mõõni kuʹǩes äiʹǧǧ fiʹttjed, što päʹrnnpoodd taaurõõžži ääkkiʹʒʒe paaiʹǩi kõõskâst jie leämma dohat ǩilomettar, mâʹte meeʹst. Kuʹǩes äiʹǧǧ mõõni še fiʹttjed tõn, mõõn diõtt jiõm maainâst jiijjan jieʹnnǩiõl nuõrttsääʹmǩiõl.

Eččam šõddâmpäiʹǩǩ lij Savo čâđđmest Kaavi Rovevääʹrest da jeännam dommpäiʹǩǩ tââʹvv sääʹmsiidâst, Aanarjääuʹr saujjbeäʹlnn, Mustolasiidâst. Miʹjjid leäi luâđlaž, što kuäbba ääkk åʹrnn leʹjjiim, tõn mieʹldd mainstiim. Jõs leʹjjiim eeʹjj jieʹnn åʹrnn, toʹben mainstiim hääʹsǩes Savo-suõm di Mustolasiʹjdde go mõõniim di vaajtiim ǩiõl läullai teeʹmes sääʹmǩiõʹlle. Da nääiʹt juõʹǩǩ vuâra.

Kuhttu ääkk åʹrnn šiiʹliim kueʹl, hååidiim jieʹllʼjid, pooriim jiõčč rajjum veär, leiʹbbjiim, påǥstiim jiânnai da uus leʹjje pâi äävai kuõʹssid. Leʹjjiim kâskka ij ni mõõn – peʹce ââlda puuʹttes luâđ. Jiiʹjjesvääʹrrvuõtt leäi arggpeeiʹv da tuejj riʹjttji eeʹjj juõʹǩǩ peivva. Ǩieʹzz leʹjje paakkâs da peeivõõǥǥ, tääʹlv lääskav da muõtti.

Tõn leekk kopplõõzzâst leʹjjem päʹrnnpoddam nuõrrvuõđ äälǥ räjja.

Eman õõut peeiʹv jieʹllem moʹttji. Leʹjjem ååucad klaassâst Siilijääuʹr pââiškooulâst. Fiʹttjem, što vuäitčem leeʹd kueiʹtǩiõllsaž, mainsted kuhttu jieʹnnǩiõllam. Leša mainstem pâi nuuʹbb. Tõn nuuʹbb jiõm mainstam, leša fiʹttjem. Håʹt pâi čâđđminan.

Tän toʹlǩǩummuž leäi mâʹte pomm, kååʹtt vaaʹldi meädda vuâđ tõʹst, ǩii leʹjjem. Identiteeʹtt leäi kriisâst 15 – âkksiʹžžen tän tååʹsǩtaa še. Šõʹdde jiânnai kõõččmõõžž, snäätnteʹmvuõtt, õõmšummuš di vââʹjj še, go jie leämma vaʹsttõõzz. Jiõm fiʹttjam, mõõzz leäi nääiʹt, mõõn diõtt jiõm mainstam muu nuuʹbb jieʹnnǩiõl, sääʹmǩiõl. Mõʹnt muʹnne jie mättʼtam ǩiõl? Leäi-a vieʹrr muʹst? Jiõm-ǥo leämmaž nokk pueʹrr lebe jiõm-ǥo riʹjttjam?

Jiõm vuäǯǯam vaʹsttõõzzid kõõččmõõžžid.

Ääiʹj mieʹldd täi tobddmõõžži da kõõččmõõžži sâjja puäʹtte jeeʹres ravvšmummša kollʼjeei jurddi. Jiiʹjjes väjjaǥvuõtt kuuitâǥ tobddji mâʹte tollân vääimast. Leʹjjem seʹst pâi pieʹll ooumaž.

2010-lååǥǥ äälǥast leʹjjem vuõrâsooumaž, näittlõõttâm da vuäǯǯam pirrsam jiijjâd piârri. Jälstiim Heʹlssnest. Kuuitâǥ, pekkõʹttem õinn seämma aaʹššin go ääiʹjab. Ǩiõlteʹmvuõtt da pååđvuõtt väiʹvvee nuʹt čuuʹt, što äʹlǧǧem vueʹlljuurdeeʹl di mâŋŋa vuõssmõsân ooccõõttâd “muu jiiʹjjes oummi” årra – håʹt jiõm ni teâttam, što ǩeäk täk tuõđi leʹjje. Seʹlvvni, što Heʹlssnest leʹjje jeeʹres säʹmmla še, joba nuõrttsäʹmmla. Muu ooudâst aaʹlji leäʹđgtõõllâd ääiʹji mieʹlddsaž čuõvv.

Uus äʹlǧǧe ävvned õhttõstuejjummša City-Sámit rõ da Saaʹmi Nueʹtt rõ mieʹldd. Kauʹnnem jeärrsid muunallšem oummid da fiʹttješkueʹttem, što jiõm leäkku õhttu väjjaǥvuõđinam. Lie še jeärraz, ǩeäk lie mõõntam ǩiõllâz, da tõk oummu lie jiânnai. Fiʹttjem, što sij lie puk säʹmmla. Verddsažtuärjjõs vuäkka vuåǯǯum vuõssmõs vuâra vuõiggâdvuõđ tuužžâd oummuvuõđ, koon leʹjjem mõõntam. Jiijjâs vieʹrrdõõttmõõžž sâjja pueʹđi tieʹttemvuõtt, što vieʹrr ij ni leämma muu.

Kuuitaǥ ǩiõʹlle tillʼlõõvi ǩeeuʹsummuš tobddai. Mõõnni ǩieʹzz läʹddlaž koon juʹrddem čuõvtõssân, påǥsti muʹnne, što “Mii säʹmmlaid ton leäk, go ǩiõl jiõk maainâst.” Lij vaiggâd peälštõõttâd kõrmmlõõzzin koid ij vueiʹn pueʹttmen.

Nuõrttsääʹmǩiõll lij Unesco klasstõõllmõõžž mieʹldd tuõttsânji vaarrvuâlaž pâi nuʹtt 300 mainsteeʹjin. Jiõčč jiõm ni võl kullu tõõzz uʹcc ǩiõllmainsteeʹji jouʹǩǩe. Tän poodd muʹnne kuuitâǥ riʹjttai tõt, što mainstam, kulddlam da fiʹttjam sääʹmǩiõl čâđđminan. Âânam ǩiõl muu vääim jieʹnnǩiõllân.

Meeʹst säʹmmlain sätt leeʹd nårrjam šeämm da ouddkäddmõš väʹlddnarood juätkkjeei iʹlbbes kommeeʹnti vuâstta, leša dõõzz lij mäinn. Ij mij ǩiõl mõõntummuš leäkku mij jiijjâd vieʹrr, peʹce viõusâs assimilaatiopolitiikk, koon Lääʹddjânnmest vueʹǩǩâʹtte joba 1970-lååǥǥ räjja. Tuõđi päkksuddtummuš, assimilaatio, vaikkti sääʹmǩiõlid nuʹt, što sääʹmǩiõlid haaʹlee obbnes jaukkeed. Lekk lij, što tõʹst jie oʹnstam, håʹt jiânnai ǩeähn raʹjje. Ânnʼjõžääiʹj Lääʹddjânnam vuâđđlääʹjj 17 momeentteʹst lååkk paragraaff 3 momee’ntest, što säʹmmlain lij vuõiggâdvuõtt tuõʹllʼjed ja viikkâd ooudâs jiijjâd ǩiõl da kulttuur. Tõt lij šiõǥǥ vueʹlǧǧemsââʹjj, leša argg lij veâlâinn tuärrmõõžž.

Jiijjâd ǩiõl da kulttuur mõõntummuš lij nuʹt čiŋŋlõs da sokkpuõlvvõõǥǥâst nobba serddai trauma, što ni ǩeän ij õõlǥči tõn occnjõõššâd. Jõs äʹšš ij kuõskât tuu, ij-ǥa tuʹst leäkku tõõzz ni mii särnnamnalla, feʹrttai äšša kuuitâǥ siõhttlõõttâd ciʹsttjeeʹl – da kueʹđđed särnnmõõžžid jeärmmjab oummid.

Jåhtta maʹccem tââvvâst mååust Heʹlssna. Leʹjjem måttmid peeiʹvid muu jiiʹjjes oummivuiʹm sääʹmvuuʹdest, Čeʹvetjääuʹrest, Njeäʹllmest da Keväjääuʹrest. Ânnʼjõžääiʹj vuäǯǯam leeʹd muu tuej (http://www.kolttasaamelaiset.fi)  ooudâst  toʹben, koʹst čââʹđ njoikk seämma taaut mieʹldd muu meerain.

Meeʹst lij võl jiânnai tuejj tuejjeemnalla ǩiõl da kulttuur jeälltummuž ouʹdde. Resuursân lie kuuitâǥ raaj. Nuõrttsääʹmǩiõll lij Unesco klasstõõllmõõžž mieʹldd tuõttsânji vaarrvuâlaž pâi nuʹtt 300 mainsteeʹjin. Jiõčč jiõm ni võl kullu tõõzz uʹcc ǩiõllmainsteeʹji jouʹǩǩe. Tän poodd muʹnne kuuitâǥ riʹjttai tõt, što mainstam, kulddlam da fiʹttjam sääʹmǩiõl čâđđminan. Âânam ǩiõl muu vääim jieʹnnǩiõllân.

Leäm proʹsttjam jiõccsan da ouddam lååʹv leeʹd mieʹldd tõin ǩiõlin mii muu njääʹlmest piâzz, tääuʹjmõsân Savo-suõmin. Tän peeiʹv piʹrǧǧääm puârast, go muu jiõččtobdd ǩeâllai. Aʹlǩǩes čuâǥǥas tõt ij kuuitâǥ leäkku leämmaž.

Äʹjstam muu čâđđmest, što jiiʹjjes määʹtǩ âʹlnn jooʹtti ǩiõllmainsteei vuäǯǯče õõutstõõzzâs tuärjjõõzz, leʹjje sij håʹt koon pääiʹǩest sij määʹtǩest. Pâi mainsteeʹl da mieʹldd ååreeʹl mättai. Smeʹllkââttam pukid säʹmmlaid ââʹjjest huõlǩâni  mainstõõllâd kõskkneez toʹben koʹst teivva, viõʹttjed ääiʹj õhttsiʹžže da čeeʼestõõllâd seämma pååʹrdest. Da mainsted kõskkneez.

Sääʹmǩiõll jeällai kâʹl. Siõmmnai siõmmnai.

Mari Korpimäki, Gaurilooff sooǥǥâst, ǩii kåčč jiijjâs sääʹmsavoneʹǩǩen, alttii eeʹjj tuâǥårra Nuõrttsääʹmkulttuurfoond äʹššooumžen. Tuejj lij jäänmõsân ougglõstuejj Heʹlssnest, leša nuʹt õõut vuâra mannust Korpimäki jeäll foond konttrest Čeʹvetjääuʹr Sääʹmpõõrtâst. Graaflaž plaaneeʹjen tuåimmjam Korpimäki tåʹbdde še jeeʹresnallšem sääʹmkampanjain, koin vääžnʼjummuš meerlažliikkõssân tåʹbdde Lähetä postikortti Sevettijärvelle – kampanjast älggam 99930 Sevettijärvi -seiddõs Facebook-seeidast, koin pâʹrǧǧe stâânâd Koillis-Lappi aazzi vuõiggâdvuõđ jiijjâz pååʹštkääzzkõõzzid.

Photo of Mari Korpimäki: Mikko Mäntyniemi
Featured photo: Enrique Mendez
Translation to Skólt Sámi: Anna-Katariina Feodoroff

Puhu minulle koltansaamea, sydämeni ymmärtää kyllä

Mari Korpimäki

kolttasaameksi / in Skólt Sámi

Minulta meni pitkään ymmärtää, etteivät lapsuuden kavereiden mummolat olleet tuhannen kilometrin välimatkan päässä toisistaan, kuten meillä. Pitkään meni ymmärtää myös se, miksi en puhu omaa äidinkieltäni koltansaamea.

Isäni synnyinkoti on Savon sydämessä Kaavilla Rovevaarassa ja äitini kotipaikka pohjoisen kolttakylässä, Inarijärven eteläpuolella, Mustolassa. Meille oli luonnollista, että kieli vaihtui mummolan mukaan lennosta lupsakkaasta Savon murteesta pehmeästi soljuvaan koltansaameen ja takaisin.

Molemmissa mummoloissa kalastettiin, hoivattiin eläimiä, syötiin omatekoista ruokaa, leivottiin, naurettiin paljon ja pidettiin ovet auki kylästelijöille. Oltiin kaukana kaikesta, keskellä ei mitään – muuta kuin puhdasta luontoa. Omavaraisuus oli arkipäivää ja puuhaa riitti vuoden jokaiselle päivälle. Kesät olivat lämpimiä ja aurinkoisia, talvet lempeitä ja runsaslumisia.

Siinä onnen kuplassa vietin lapsuuteni teini-ikään saakka.

Kunnes eräänä päivänä elämä muuttui. Olin yhdeksännellä luokalla Siilinjärven yläasteella. Tajusin, että voisin olla kaksikielinen, puhua molempia äidinkieliäni. Mutta en puhunut kuin toista. Sitä toista en puhunut, mutta ymmärsin. Tosin vain sydämelläni.

Tämä oivallus oli kuin jysähdys, joka vei pohjan pois siltä, kuka olin. Identiteetti oli 15-vuotiaana kriisissä ilman tätäkin tuskaa. Heräsi paljon kysymyksiä, epävarmuutta, hämmennystä ja vastauksien puutteessa myös vihaa. En ymmärtänyt, miksi oli näin, miksi en puhunut toista äidinkieltäni koltansaamea. Miksi minulle ei opetettu kieltä? Oliko syy minussa? Enkö ollut tarpeeksi hyvä tai riittävä?

En saanut kysymyksiin vastauksia.

Aikaa myöten tilalle tuli muuta aikuistumiseen liittyvää pohdintaa. Oma vaillinaisuus poltti silti sielua syvältä. Olin henkisesti vain puolikas ihminen.

Kielettömyys ja juurettomuus vaivasivat niin paljon, että aloin alitajuisesti ja sittemmin tietoisesti hakeutumaan ”omieni” pariin – vaikken edes tiennyt, keitä nämä omani oikeastaan olivat.

2010-luvun alussa olin aikuinen, naimisissa ja saanut ympärilleni oman perheen. Asuimme Helsingin lähiössä. Silti kipuilin yhä samojen aiheiden kanssa kuin aiemminkin. Kielettömyys ja juurettomuus vaivasivat niin paljon, että aloin alitajuisesti ja sittemmin tietoisesti hakeutumaan ”omieni” pariin – vaikken edes tiennyt, keitä nämä omani oikeastaan olivat. Selvisi, että Helsingissä on muitakin saamelaisia, jopa kolttasaamelaisia. Tielleni alkoi välähdellä satunnaista valoa.

Ovia alkoi avautumaan yhdistystoimintaan City-Sámit ry:n ja Saa´mi Nue´tt ry:n kautta. Löysin muita kaltaisiani ja aloin ymmärtämään, etten ole vajavaisuuteni kanssa yksin. Muitakin kielensä menettäneitä on, ja heitä on paljon. Ymmärsin, että he ovat yhtä kaikki saamelaisia. Vertaistuen avulla sain ensimmäistä kertaa oikeuden surra menettämääni ihmisyyttä. Itsensä syyllistämisen tilalle tuli tietoisuus, ettei syy ollut sittenkään minun.

Silti kieleen kohdistuva kiusaaminen tuntuu. Viime kesänä sivistyneenä pitämäni suomalainen puolituttu nauroi minulle ronskisti päin naamaa, että: ”Mikäs koltta sitä sinä olet, kun et kieltä puhu.” Puun takaa tulevia iskuja vastaan on vaikea puolustautua.

Meissä saamelaisissa saattaa olla patoutunutta vihaa ja ennakkoluuloja valtaväestön jatkuvia tölväisyjä kohtaan, mutta syystäkin. Eihän kielenmenetyksemme ole omaa syytämme, vaan vallalla olleen vahvan assimilaatiopolitiikan, jota Suomessa harjoitettiin jopa 1970-luvulle saakka. Käytännössä pakkosulauttaminen, assimilaatio, vaikutti saamelaiskieliin siten, että saamen kielet haluttiin hävittää kokonaan pois. Onneksi siinä ei onnistuttu, vaikka laajaa tuhoa aiheutettiinkin. Nykyään Suomen perustuslain 17 pykälän 3 momentissa sanotaan, että saamelaisilla on oikeus ylläpitää ja kehittää omaan kieltään ja kulttuuriaan. Se on hyvä lähtökohta, mutta arki on edelleen yhtä kamppailua.

Oman kielen ja kulttuurin menettäminen on niin syvä ja sukupolvelta toiselle siirtyvä trauma, ettei sitä ole syytä kenenkään vähätellä. Jos aihe ei kosketa itseä, eikä siihen ole mitään sanomista, on asiaan silti syytä suhtautua kunnioittavasti – ja jättää sanomiset itseään viisaammille.

Palasin eilen pohjoisesta takaisin Helsinkiin. Olin joitakin päiviä taas omieni parissa koltta-alueella, eli Sevettijärvellä, Nellimissä ja Keväjärvellä. Saan nykyään viettää aikaa työni puolesta siellä, missä sydän sykkii samaan tahtiin oman kansani kanssa.

Meillä on edelleen paljon työtä ja tekemistä kulttuurin ja kielen elvyttämisen eteen. Omat voimavaramme ovat kuitenkin rajalliset. Koltansaamen kieli on Unescon luokituksen mukaan vakavasti uhanalainen vain noin 300:lla kielenpuhujallaan. Itse en edelleenkään kuulu tuohon pieneen kielenpuhujien joukkoon. Tällä hetkellä minulle kuitenkin riittää se, että puhun, kuuntelen ja ymmärrän koltansaamea sydämelläni. Pidän kieltä henkisenä äidinkielenäni.

Olen antanut itselleni anteeksi ja luvan olla mukana sillä kielellä, jota suustani pääsee, eli useimmiten Savon murteella. Tänä päivänä pärjään hyvin, sillä itsetuntoni kestää. Helppo tie se ei kuitenkaan ole ollut.

Toivon sydämestäni, että omalla matkallaan olevat kielenpuhujat saisivat yhteisönsä tuen, olivat he sitten tiellään missä vaiheessa hyvänsä. Vain puhumalla ja mukana olemalla oppii. Rohkaisen kaikenikäisiä kolttasaamelaisia tarinoimaan keskenään siellä missä tavataan, viettämään aikaa yhdessä ja saikastelemaan (eli juomaan teetä) saman pöydän ääressä. Ja puhumaan toistensa kanssa.

Koltansaame elpyy kyllä. Pikkuhiljaa.

 

Gauriloffin sukuun kuuluva, kolttasavolaiseksi itsensä esittelevä Mari Korpimäki aloitti vuosi sitten Kolttakulttuurisäätiön asiamiehenä. Työ on pääosin etätyötä Helsingistä käsin, mutta vie Korpimäen noin kerran kuussa säätiön toimistolle Sevettijärven Kolttatalolle. Graafisena suunnittelijanakin toiminut Korpimäki tunnetaan myös oivaltavista saamelaiskampanjoista, joista merkittävimpänä kansalaisliikkeenä tunnetaan Lähetä postikortti Sevettijärvelle -kampanjasta virinnyt 99930 Sevettijärvi -sivusto Facebookissa, jolla pyritään turvaamaan Koillis-Lapin asukkaiden oikeus omiin postipalveluihinsa.

Kuva Mari Korpimäestä: Mikko Mäntyniemi
Artikkelikuva: Enrique Mendez

“A SÁMI-LANGUAGE POLITICAL ANALYSIS, I’m in Heaven!”

Pirita Näkkäläjärvi

“NRK Sápmi is taking part in undermining the value of the Sámi language because they don’t prioritise Sámi-language content more on their website. Internet plays a central role in most of our lives and it is an important domain, in which the Sámi language should be visible.”

I couldn’t agree more with Mr Mikkel Rasmus Logje, a young language connoisseur, who was interviewed by NRK Sápmi about a year ago.

I regularly complain on social media about the lack of Sámi-language internet news on the websites of NRK Sápmi and Sameradion & SVT Sápmi. Both of these Sámi arms of the national broadcasting companies in Norway and Sweden mostly write internet news in the majority languages, even when the topics would be of interest for the entire Sámi people across the borders.

I’m a Sámi politics buff.

I want to read in Sámi what is happening in the Sámi Parliaments in Norway and Sweden. I want information in Sámi on, for example, why Ms Marion Anne Knutsen was chosen as the Sámi of the Year 2016 – I know she dared to speak up about sexual abuse in the Tysfjord area in the Norwegian Sámiland, but it is hard for me to piece the story together based on Norwegian-language sources only.

Ironically, when a landmark Sámi court case concerning the right to reindeer-herding of a young Sámi reindeer-herder Mr Jovsset Ánte Sara ended up in the Norwegian Supreme court this winter, I was catered better by English-language news sources than our own Sámi-language broadcasters. I devoured the long stories put out by The New York Times, The Guardian and the Associated Press but was left hungry for more – especially in-depth stories written in Sámi and from our own, Sámi perspective.

Instead of getting analysis about the outcome on the state vs. Jovsset Ánte Sara, I heard Rihanna songs and light bantering about the upcoming visit of Father Christmas.

On the day of the verdict, knowing that the NRK Sámi website will not serve me in Sámi, I turned to the NRK Sámi Radio. After the verdict had come out, I waited one and a half hour by the radio, but instead of getting analysis about the outcome on the state vs. Jovsset Ánte Sara, I heard Rihanna songs and light bantering about the upcoming visit of Father Christmas. When the radio news finally started, the case was covered by 4–5 sentences.

In all of the cases above, luckily we have a small Sámi-language news paper Ávvir, which only publishes in Sámi. It has become practically the sole provider of Sámi-language news on the Norwegian side of Sámiland.

But why do I care so much about the news in Sámi, a marginal language on a global scale?

First, Sámi languages efficiently carry information across the borders. Building common Sámi politics to preserve the endangered indigenous Sámi culture and Sámi language becomes impossible, if for some reason information does not flow across the borders. Ironically, it is Sámi broadcasters, who now stand as an obstacle for the free flow of Sámi information in Sámi across the borders.

The Sámi languages are more international than commonly understood. Northern Sámi is a language shared by the Sámi living in three countries: Finland, Sweden and Norway. Information disseminated by Sámi-language internet news helps to build the Sámiland despite the national borders of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia, that have split the Sámiland in four.

Even the smaller Sámi languages are understood across the borders. For example, the only young adults’ radio show, Finland’s Yleisradio’s Sohkaršohkka (Sugar Shock), is co-hosted in the tiny Inari Sámi language of 300–400 speakers. However, due to the proximity of Inari Sámi to Northern Sámi, the Inari Sámi co-hostess can be understood also on the Norwegian and Swedish side of Sámiland, especially as her co-hostess speaks Northern Sámi.

News providers play an important role in establishing new words and expressions in the Sámi languages.

Second, the development of Sámi languages partly relies on news providers. News providers play an important role in establishing new words and expressions in the Sámi languages.

Officially it is the Nordic Sámi-language professional and resources center Sámi Giellagáldu, the Sámi Language Spring, that is responsible for coming up with new Sámi-language words and standardizing them across the borders in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. However, Sámi Giellagáldu needs the support of a media that regularly publishes Sámi-language news and makes the new terms visible especially online.

Without written news sources in Sámi, the development of the Sámi languages is undermined. If common terms for new phenomena (What is the tablet computer in Sámi?) are not rooted across the borders, for example the Northern Sámi language can become fragmented. Professor Jussi Ylikoski told Yle Sápmi in December 2017, that Northern Sámi may be split up into three different languages depending on the country. So heavy is the influence of the majority languages on Northern Sámi.

Finally, each language has its own way of telling things. A piece originated in a Sámi language keeps Sámi expressions, idioms and structures alive. In addition to linguistic considerations, a piece originated in Sámi also carries the Sámi worldview.

“A SÁMI-LANGUAGE POLITICAL ANALYSIS, I’m in Heaven!”, I cried on Facebook and Twitter, when NRK Sápmi published a Sámi-language commentary about the Jovsset Ánte Sara case at the beginning of year 2018.

Let’s hope for more reasons to react like this. More internet news in Sámi languages, please!

 

Ms Pirita Näkkäläjärvi is the Sámi of the Year 2017 and the former Head of Yle Sápmi in Finland. Currently she works as a strategy consultant. She holds an MSc Media and Communications from London School of Economics, UK and an MSc Economics from Helsinki School of Economics, Finland.

Photo:  Mikko Mäntyniemi

 

References

 

What Language do You Speak – documentary film and discussion

Film Screening at Stoa,
Turunlinnantie 1, Helsinki
6.3. 2018 at 18:00
short discussion after the film with the director and audience at 19:00

(In case you are interested in showing the film in another context, please ask for the director’s contact from Multilingual Month.)

The documentary film What Language Do You Speak? shows the universal nature of the identity defined by language.
The director of the film, Elisa Bracher from Brazil, will arrive to Finland to participate in the screening. After the film screening we’ll share experiences about multilingual contexts with Elisa, who also runs a children´s art education center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Welcome to contribute!

Description of the film:
Children and adults who have had to adapt to an environment where their own language is not understandable, tell about their experiences in e.g. Brazil, Britain and India. Each experience is unique, but learning the language appears to be the key to being treated as an equal.

“At that time people didn’t understand us. Kids would laugh at you in class, if you said the wrong thing, or if you spoke differently. Because of that there was no other option than to stay quiet. And you had to try hard, try hard to be invisible”
(Girl from Somalia, migrated to Britain)

Brasil 2017, 65 min
Director Elisa Bracher
Main Language Portuguese, English texts. The film includes interviews or fragments also in English, Somali and many other languages.
Tue 6.3.2018 at 18.00
Stoa, Musiikkisali
Turunlinnantie 1, Itäkeskus , Helsinki
Free entry

Elisa Bracher will be interviewed by Outi Korhonen

A new dictionary series promotes integration and cultural exchange

Husein Muhammed

The Finnish Institute for the Languages of Finland (Kotus) is preparing a new dictionary series for speakers of mainly migrant languages.

The dictionary includes some 30 000 Finnish entries with their equivalents in other languages. In addition to the basic Finnish vocabulary, the dictionary includes words, phrases and institutions relevant to immigration and integration issues, for instance “Maahanmuuttovirasto” (Finnish Immigration Authority), “oleskelulupa” (residence permit) and “kotoutumiskoulutus” (integration training).

The dictionary goes well beyond only providing Finnish entries with their equivalents in each of the target languages. The dictionary provides information on which parts of speech the entry belongs to as well as on how the word is inflected. Vast majority of entries include also examples, often more than one.

The main targeted group of users of the dictionary series are migrants who have settled in Finland and want to learn the Finnish language and culture. Special attention has been paid to words and phrases essential in dealing with different authorities, be they from the Finnish Immigration Authority, social office, municipal health center or NewCo Helsinki advising new start-ups.

Aamu substantiivi KS
subax, aroor

aamu sarastaa
waagu wuu soo beryayaa
tänä aamuna paistoi aurinko
saaka qorrax baa jirtey
lähden aamulla
aroortii baan baxayaa
eilen aamulla satoi
shalay subax roob baa da’ay
hän ajaa parran joka aamu
subax walba garka wuu iska xiiraa
tavataanko heti aamusta?
isla subaxa horeba ma kulannaa?


But traditional Finnish culture has not been neglected either. The dictionary includes also entries like “sauna” (traditional Finnish bath) and other words related to sauna, for instance “kiuas” (sauna stove) and “löyly” (sauna steam or pressure).

The dictionary’s aimed groups include not only beginners of the Finnish language, but also, among others, interpreters and translators as well as second generation migrants who want to maintain their native language. The dictionary can also be helpful in culture exchange via, for example, helping to translate literature between Finnish and the other languages of the dictionary series.

The project began with translating the dictionary into the Somali language. The second language in the row is Kurdish, more specifically Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish. But translating the dictionary into other languages has also been planned. The main criteria for choosing target languages is that the language has a substantial amount of speakers, mainly migrants, in Finland but no good dictionaries are available in Finnish and the language in question.

The Finnish entries are usually simply provided with their equivalents in the target language, but not all entries have exact equivalents. Then the entries are given various definitions in the target language.

The dictionary series is theoretically one-sided, i.e. only Finnish words are provided as entries in an alphabetical order, but not the words of the other language of the dictionary. However, thanks to the new technology, one can also search words of the other language and find them if the word is given as an equivalent of one or more Finnish words in the dictionary. Thus, the dictionary is quite useful for searching both Finnish words and words of the other language of the dictionary.

Currently, Finnish-Somali dictionary is partly available with Finnish entries alphabetically from the beginning of the letter A until “röykkiö” (heap, huddle). The Kurdish dictionary, too, will soon be partly available on the Internet, in the first phase likely from the beginning of the A to “möyhentää” (to fluff).

Users can search for words not only beginning but also including or ending in a certain letter or syllable.

The dictionary can be used free of charge on: http://kaino.kotus.fi/somali/?p=main

Husein Muhammed is a lawyer, translator and journalist, who has worked in many institutions related to migration, refugees and human rights. Currently he also works as an editor of the Kurdish dictionary at The Finnish Institute for the Languages of Finland (Kotus) and with a report about Nordic-Kurdish literature for Culture for All / Norden2020. He has written a book Yhtä erilaiset – islam ja suomalainen kulttuuri (Teos 2011) about islam and Finnish culture and many articles and columns to different newspapers and magazines.

 

What happens in Multilingual Month 2018?

Happy mother language day 21.2! Multilingual Month is about to begin! This month will offer a lot to follow for people interested in increasing their skills and knowledge about multilingualism in the Nordic countries. Our blogs focus on the other hand on issues of the Sámi languages alterning with a blog series that moves in a widely multilingual context from poets, language learning and dictionaries to creative communities. Events organized in Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway give ideas of the multiple ways of approaching, sharing and celebrating the lingual diversity in our actual societies. Welcome to follow,  join and contribute!

Blog posts in 2018 offer multilingual visions from Sápmi, Iceland, Norway and Finland

Our blog of Multilingual Month 2018 includes two parts. Altering with the texts about the widely multilingual Nordic region, we have a blog series curated by Helga West, reporter of YLE Sápmi, focusing on current issues related to Sámi languages. In the first blog text in this series West presented shortly themes of the blog and her ideas behind the blog series.

The other blog articles come this year from Iceland, Finland and Norway.

From Iceland’s very active field of multilingualism we have two posts. Renata Peskova’s post talks about the Móðurmál association that has over twenty years of history in finding different ways to teach mother tongues to plurilingual children in Iceland. A different story is the one of ÓsPressan, a multilingual and inclusive writing community that promotes new authors and offers platforms for creative people in Reykjavik. Anna Valdís will tell us more in her post. In regards to Iceland´s multilingual fields, we also want to thank Kristin Vilhjalmsdóttir, who has contacted us with many of the Icelandic organizations.

From Norway, Giti Nassouri from Oslo’s multilingual library gives an insight to multilingual contents from the point of view of a librarian in charge of Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Dutch, Greek, Dari, Pashto, Persian and Urdu book collections. In her post she will write about Indian, Iranian and Pakistani poets.

The texts from Finland come from Husein Muhammed and Ahmed Hassan with Konsta Savolainen. Husein Muhammed’s blog post presents the case of constructing a Kurdish-Finnish dictionary at Kotus, Institute for the languages of Finland, as part of a dictionary series for speakers of migrant languages. Muhammed’s work with words will continue in a report about Nordic-Kurdish literature. Konsta Savolainen and Ahmed Hassan from NordicSom organization write about the work of motivating migrant youth to become plurilingual by encouraging them to learn Swedish in Finland as the Swedish skills often offer more opportunities in Finland. A video will illustrate their post.

Events related to multilingualism in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland

Every Nordic country has different creative ideas in the interdisciplinary fields of multilingualism. In Iceland several organizations including Reykjavik City LIbrary, Óspressan, Modurmal and Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding will host language related events during Multilingual Month. In Sweden, Litteraturcentrum Uppsala continues with their yearly tradition of Mother language poetry festival (Modersmålpoesifestival, Feb 28th). In Finland Helsinki cultural centres offer a series of events including a multimedia poetry night (March 17th), a fair of educational methods in multilingual contexts (Leikin sata kieltä ja tarinaa March 1st), film screening of a new documentary What language do you speak? with a discussion with the director of the film (March 6th) and a children´s exhibition about multilingual families with a rich side programme (Mennään jo naapuriin!). Libraries offer storytelling in different languages. In Norway, the multilingual library of Oslo has been active for years in creating materials for the celebration of Mother Language Day and thus contributed in making visible and easily organizable the celebration of languages.

In the context of Multilingual Month, our idea is to share different forms of working in multilingual contexts, seeing multilingualism as a richness. We will be happy to share language related events during Multilingual month as a form of making other people aware of the kind of work that is being done in other Nordic countries in this field. Feel free to post your event link to us or tell us about your ongoing projects!

During Multilingual Month 21.2.-21.3. we will share at www.multilingualmonth.org and in facebook information about different organizations that work with multilingualism. At the same time, the website will increase its link archive of Nordic organizations and projects that can offer new insights to linguistic diversity. Our aim is to contribute to the flourishing of our region as one where the freedom of expression includes also a wider choice of languages of expression. Multilingual Month is part of the project Multilingualism and Diversity as a Resource in the Cultural Field coordinated by Culture for All Service in the frame of  Norden2020.

Leikin sata kieltä ja tarinaa / The hundred languages of playing

Leikin sata kieltä ja tarinaa / The hundred languages of playing is a fare about children’s education in multilingual and intercultural contexts. In 2018 the event is organized for the third year as part of the programme of Satakielikuukausi / Multilingual Month. In the event, focused for professional educators and parents, various actors in the Helsinki metropolitan area present the latest materials, methods and projects.They will introduce activities promoting and supporting children’s play, play between children and adults, using stories as material for play, overcoming language barriers through play, and the accessibility of children’s literature in various languages.
In 2018 the event took place in:
Thu 1.3.2018 at 12.30 – 16.00
Stoa, Lobby
Turunlinnantie 1
Itäkeskus, Helsinki

Leikin sata kieltä ja tarinaa

Kasvatusalan ammattilaisille ja lasten vanhemmille suunnatussa tapahtumassa pääkaupunkiseudun eri toimijat esittelevät tuoreimpia materiaaleja, metodeja ja projekteja. 

Esillä on ajankohtaisia toimintoja, joilla edistetään ja tuetaan lasten omaa leikkiä, lasten ja aikuisten välistä leikkiä, tarinan käyttämistä leikin aineksena, kielirajojen ylittämistä leikissä sekä erikielisen lastenkirjallisuuden saavutettavuutta.

Tapahtuma on hyvä tilaisuus kuulla tämän hetken projekteista sekä verkostoitua alan ihmisiin ja toimijoihin. Tapahtuma on suunnattu pääkaupunkiseudun varhaiskasvatusalan, kulttuuritoimen ja kirjastojen ammattilaisille, alan järjestöille ja opiskelijoille sekä lasten vanhemmille.

Yhteistyössä mm. kulttuuri-, kirjasto- ja liikuntapalvelut sekä varhaiskasvatus ja esiopetus.

Leikin sata kieltä ja tarinaa on osa kielellistä moninaisuutta juhlivaa Satakielikuukautta, joka järjestetään 21.2.–21.3.2018.

Paikka: Stoan aula

Tema morsmål – support for multilingual education

Tema Morsmål is a website that offers resources to support different mother tongues and multilingual work in child care, mother tongue education and bilingual education in schools.

It offers learning resources in a wide variety of mother tongues for all employees in kindergartens and schools, focusing especially on multilingual staff in kindergartens, mother tongue teachers, bilingual teachers and teachers in special Norwegian schools and for minority language children and parents.

Tema Morsmål communicates current information about native language and multilingualism, both nationally and internationally, from research environments to educational practice and builds networks for the site’s current audiences.

The website’s main language is Norwegian but it has also versions in Arabic , in Dari, in Sorani Kurdish, in Lithuanian, in Pashto, in Persian, in Polish, in Russian, in Somali, in Spanish, in Tamil, in Thai, in Tigrinya, in Turkish and in Urdu.

Snaepmie – sámegielat lanjaš viiddes vierisgielat máilmmis

Briefly in English: Published On February 6, the Saami National Day, the essay by Ánne Márjá Guttorm Graven discusses the relationship of the Saami language to the dominant language as well as practical instruments for strengthening the profile of Saami languages. She is a professional of the Northern Saami language. Guttorm Graven appreciates all the small advances that raise the status of Saami languages and wants to actively contribute to this process. The text is in Northern Saami.

“Mii fertet geavahit giela vai dat eallá ja ovdána.” Dát lea diehttelas cealkka, man leat gullan juo máŋgii. Muhto leago nu, ahte mii duođas vuoruhit sámegiela árgabeaivvisteamet? Dat leat min – giellageavaheddjiid – árgabeaivválaš válljemat, mat láhčejit giellamet boahtteáiggi.

Jáhkán dávjá lea nu, ahte sis geain ii leat sámegielmáhttu, gáddet sámegielagiid oažžut buot nuvttá beare danin, go sis lea giellamáhttu. Sámegiela vuoruheapmi goit mearkkaša dávjjimusat liigenávccaid, návccaid, maid eanetlogugielahálli ii dárbbaš oba smiehtadit. Jus háliidat telefovnnain čállit sámegillii, fertet vuos viežžat liigeprográmma, sámegielat boallobeavddi, telefovdnii ovdal sáhtát čálligoahtit sámegielbustávaiguin. Sámegiella soaitá šaddat noađđin váhnemii, guhte rahčá oččodit sámegiela skuvlii dahje mánnái, guhte gártá leat áidna sámegielaoahppi olles skuvllas dahje geasa šaddet guhkit skuvlabeaivvit sámegiela dihte.

Ii leat sápmelaččaid sivva, ahte buohkat eai leat oahppan sámegiela, danin go oassi min árbbis lea hávkaduvvon. Gal mun dieđán, ahte sidjiide lea bahča, go eai ádde man birra lea sáhka, jus soapmásat sámástit ja de báifáhkka rešket. Mun ádden sii dovdet iežaset olgguštuvvon. Mii dovdat dan bákčasa ja morraša, mii máŋgasiin lea dáruiduhttima, ruoŧaiduhttima, suomaiduhttima ja ruoššaiduhttima dihtii.

Sámásteame oktavuođas dávjá gullo, ahte sámegielagat olgguštit sin, guđet eai máhte sámegiela. Jus juoga lea dušše sámegillii – de sii hilgut earáid. Giela seailluheame hárrái dákkár miellaguoddu šaddá hástaleaddjin.

Sámegielagat ánssášit birrasa, gos besset friddja sámástit.

Mun in háliit hilgut gean ge. Mus lea baicce justa nuppelágan oaidnu: háliidan sin, guđet eai vel máhte sámegiela, áddet sámegiela riggodaga. Háliidan olbmuid oaidnit, ahte lea ovdamunni máhttit sámegiela, ja dainna lágiin ražastit oahppat ja vuoruhit sámegiela.

Lea dehálaš ásahit positiiva ja eahpeformála giellaarenaid, gos beassá stoahkat gielain, leikošit ja gos riektačállin ii leat deháleamos. Jus ferte diibmobeali rahčat gávdnan dihte rivttes gehčosa sátnái, leago imaš, jus giellamokta nohká. Lea áibbas OK, ahte muhtumin šaddá boasttogeažus sátnái, go háhppilit čálista juoga. Muhtuminhan mii meaddit, go čállit maid eanetlogu giela. Mannebat ii leat lohpi meaddit sámegillii?

Jurdagiin stoahkat gielain lean ásahan sámegielat johtti snapchat-kontu Snaepmie. Gii beare sáhttá snáppet, muhto áidna eaktun lea, ahte ferte snáppet man nu sámegillii. Ii dárbbaš máhttit riektačállima, ii dárbbaš leat eatnigielat, lea doarvái, ahte lea juoga man háliida čájehit ja muitalit – sámegillii. Okta olmmoš snáppe ain hávil vuossárggas gitta sotnabeaivái, ja de sáddejuvvo snáppa viidásat, ja muhtun eará sámegielat joatká snáppema.

Dassážii eanaš snáppejeaddjit leamašan Norgga bealde eret, muhto gal snáppen lea beroštahttán maid Ruoŧa-, Suoma- ja Ruoššabealde. Eanetlohku snáppejeddjiin leamaš davvisámegielagat, muhto maiddái julev- ja lullisámegiella lea gullon. Sámegiella ii leat dušše davvisámegiella, ja livččiige riggodat gullat eanet iešguđet sámegielaid.

Dál Snaepmies leat badjel 600 geahčči.

Snaepmiein suohttaseamos lea, go olmmoš ii goassige dieđe, gii doppe ihtá ja maid mii beassat vásihit suinna. Ovdamearkka dihte Isák-artista, Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, čájehii vahku iežas artistaeallima árgabeaivvi. Beasaimet láhka geahččat, go son ráhkkanii konsertii, go almmuhii ođđa lávlaga ja beasaimet juoba čuovvut su ilu, go lávlla viimmat ilmmai. Oinniimet, mo son lei lávddi duohken gealdagasas ovdal loaiddasteame. Son válddii min vel mielde lávddi ala, go lávllui!

Snaepmie bokte oaččut binnánaš sámegiela njuolga njeazzái juohke beaivve. Beasat oahpásmuvvat ođđa olbmuide, gullat sin árgabeaifearániid ja sáhtát ieš válljet, goas don lávkestat dan latnjii. Sis, geat leat oahpahallamin giela, eai álo leat liigenávccat, mat dárbbašuvvojit giela oahpahaladettiin, muhto Snaepmie-máilbmái juohkehaš sáhttá lávkestit, go orru rivttes bottoš.

Snáppedettiin šaddá dihtomielalažžan iežas gielas: lea bággu smiehttat sámegillii vaikko maid de leaš bargamin. Sámegiella ii galgga leat giella, mii dušše gullo, go leat bigálusat, muhto maiddái dalle, go leat hommámin feara maid árgabeaivválaš gulaš dat sámevuhtii dahje ii. Dušše nu sáhttá sámegiella gávdnat ođđa vugiid, sániid ja dadjanvugiid dán áiggis.

Luđe snapchat-áppa telefovdnii, ja čuovvugoađe Snaepmie. Ávžžuhan váldit oktavuođa muinna, jus háliidat videoid ja govaid bokte čájehit iežat árgabeaivvi eará sápmelaččaide ja searvat rájáid rasttildeapmái.

Sámiid álbmotbeaivve ávžžuhan snáppet lihkkodearvvuođaid, mat almmuhuvvojit Snaepmies. Dalle mii muittuhuvvot, man girjái lea Sápmi. Muittuhuvvot, ahte Sápmi lea doppe, gos gullojit sámegielat.

Ánne Márjá Guttorm Graven lea lohkan sámegiela Romssa universitehtas, ja bargá jorgaleaddjin, logaldallin ja giellabargin. Son lea ásahan johtti sámegielat snapchatkontu Snaepmie, ja sámegielat podkástta Sis-Finnmárkku syndroma. Dál sáhttá su gullat maid podkásttas Manin ja danin, man NRK Sápmi buvttada.

”Dat ii leat vejolaš” – Vihtta muitalusa rájáid rasttildeames

[in English]
[suomeksi]

HELGA WEST

Olbmot, geat álget ovddidit sámegielaid sajádaga servvodagaineamet, dávjá ožžot vástádussan: ”Ášši lea dehálaš, muhto dan ii leat vejolaš čađahit.”

Doaimmaheaddjin gulan fearána dávjá. Eadnái, guhte geavaha čuđiid diimmuid ovddidettiin sámegielat árrabajásgeassima ja skuvlabálga, vástiduvvo, ahte dan ordnen ii leat vejolaš, danin go sámemánát eai gávdno doarvái. Hovdii muitaluvvo, ahte sámegielaide eai gávdno bustávat ja danin neahttaođđasiid buvttadeapmi ii lihkostuva. Rávvehagas leat fuolas, oahppágo mánná ollenge suomagiela, jus ruovttus gullo dušše sámegiella. Almmái, gii gillá alkoholismmas, muitáša ásodatskuvlaáiggi, go iežas eatnigillii ii ožžon hállat, danin go stáhta vehádatpolitihka geažil sámegillii gulahallan lei gildon skuvlaásahusain.

Oahpis lea maiddái árgabeaivválaš dovdámuš das, go ii jolge sámástit oahppásiin, jus láhkosis lea oktage, geas váilu giellamáhttu. Eanetlogu giela vuoruheapmi dáhpáhuvvá gažadatkeahttá. Multilingual Month – ja Satakieli-teemamánu áigge vihkkehallat earet eará dan, mo lea rasttildit gielaid gaskkas. Máŋgasat dain, geat leat searvan teemamánnui iežas čállosiiddisetguin, čalmmustahttet, ahte sámegielaid sajádaga ovddideapmi gáibida rájáid fanaheame, juoba daid cuvkema. Muhtumin lávki ain ovddosguvlui manná álket, muhtumin das boahtá veaddjemeahttun.

Eastagat sámegielaid nanosmahttimii leat máŋggat. Váddáseamosat dain leat struktuvrralaččat, oassin historjjálaš joatkaga, árgabeaivvi dásis fas ovttaskas olbmo miellaguoddu soaitá šaddat hehtehussan.

Go mun bivdojuvvon mielde kurateret Multilingual Month -teemamánnui vihtta sámefáddásaš čállosa, in eahpidan searvat mielde. Nu máŋgii sámejietna jávohuvvo ja navden dán buorrin dilálašvuohtan loktet bajás moadde dáin jienain.

Fáttáid válljemiidda eanemus lea váikkuhan áigeguovdilisvuohta: Maid geavatlaččat oaivvilda ”vuoigatvuohta iežas eatnigillii?” Mii lea sámegielat mediaid davviriikalaš geatnegasvuohta? Naba sáhttágo eatnigiellan navdit giela, man ii máhte aktiivvalaččat? Dáid gažaldagaid lassin čállosiin čalmmustahttojuvvojit rasismma sierra hámit, fáddá, mii dávjit ah dávjit ihtá sámegažaldagaid oktavuođas.

6.2., sámiid álbmotbeaivve, almmustahttojuvvo vuosttas čálusin Ánne Márjá Guttorm Gravena vihkkehallan sámegiela gaskavuođas eanetlohkugillii ja árgabeaivvi vugiin nannet sámegielaid profiilla. Son lea máŋggabealát giellabargi. Guttorm Graven illuda buot dain smávva lávkkážiin, mat nannejit sámegielaid árvvu ja dán proseassas son iešge háliida leat mielde.

26.2. almmustahttojuvvo Pirita Näkkäläjärvi čálus sámegielat neahttaođasdoaimma mearkkašumis sámegielaid sátnevuorkái, giela struktuvrii, dadjanvugiide – daidda giela iešvuođaide, mat dollet giela eallin. Näkkäläjärvis, ovddeš Yle Sámi hoavdan, lea persovnnalaš vásáhus fáttás sihke čavga višuvdna áššis.

5.3. almmustahttojuvvo čálus, mas Mari Korpimäki smiehtada giela mearkkašumi iežas identitehttii dakkár dilis, go giellamáhttu ii leat aktiivvalaš. Liikká oktavuohta gillii sáhttá leat lágaš ja ráhkis. Korpimäki lea šaddan dovddusin hutkás sámekampaniijain, main dovdduseamosin lea Lähetä postikortti Sevettijärvelle (sám. Sádde poastakoartta Čeavetjávrái), mii bohciidahtii 99930 Sevettijärvi -siidduid Facebookas.

12.3. almmustahttojuvvo Inkeri Lokki čálus bálgás oažžut sámemánáidasas sámegielat árrabajásgeassima sihke skuvlabálga oaivegávpotguovllus. Lokki čalmmustahttá eahpedoaivvu dovdámušaid ovttasbarggus eiseválddiiguin ovddidettiin Helssega sámemánáid vuoigatvuođa eatnigielat giellabálgái. Lokki oaččui fámu iežas riekteáddejumis, man mielde su sámemánáin galggašii leat dat seamma vuoigatvuohta, man son suopmelažžan lei ožžon: vuoigatvuođa gazzat oahpu iežas eatnigillii.

19.3. almmustahttojuvvo maŋimuš sámečálus, guokte beaivve ovdal riikkaidgaskasaš rasismmavuostásaš beaivvi. Čállosiinnis Petra Laiti vihkkehallá máŋggagielatvuođa ja rasismma oktavuođa, fáttá, masa son speadjalastá iežas vásáhusaid. Njuovžilis Laiti ii jaskkot, go son fáhtte birrasisttis miellaguottuid, mat dulbmet sámiid.

”Dat ii leat vejolaš” -vástádus lea oahpis dáidda čálliide. Sii eai leat dasa duhtan. Máŋggat sis leat hástalan eiseválddiid ja ovttaskas olbmuid nearvvaid, go leat ovddidan áššiid, mat eai galgan leat vejolaččat. Muhtumat sávve sin oalát jaskkodit ja heaitit. Dávjá dákkár reakšuvnnat baicce deattuhit, ahte soames lea mearkkašahtti ulbmiliin jođus.

Čállingiellan leat davvisáme-, nuortalaš-, suoma- dahje eaŋgalasgiella. Sávan dát čállosat čájehit binnáš dan máŋggagielat árgaeallima, man siste sámit ellet beroškeahttá das, gos sii orrot.

Sávan dát čállosat čalmmustahttet čihkosis leahkki miellaguottuid, mat doibmet hehtehussan sámegielaid friddja ja rabas geavaheapmái.

 

***

 

Biennáš-Jon Jovnna Piera Helga lea freelance-doaimmaheaddji, guhte lea eret Ohcejoga Deanuleagis, Savvonis. Son orru bearrašiinnis Helssegis, gos eallá njealjegielat árgaeallima. Gielaid máilbmi, olbmot sihke čállin geasuhit su. West lea teologa. Su davvisámegielat diktačoakkáldat Gádden muohttaga vielgadin almmustahttojuvvo giđđat 2018.

*Govvideaddji Mikko Mäntyniemi lea govven West, Näkkäläjärvi, Korpimäki, Lokki sihke Laiti dáid čállosiid várás.

“This Can’t Be Done” – Five Stories Of Breaking the Saami Ceiling

[sámegillii]
[suomeksi]

HELGA WEST

People who embark on advancing the position of Saami languages in our society often face a reaction along the lines of  ”what you propose is important, but it can’t be done”.

As a journalist, I hear this story often. A mother who spends countless hours to secure Saami-language pre-school and elementary education for her Saami kids in the capital city area is told that it is impossible to organise this due to the small number of Saami kids. A head of news is told that there are no fonts available for Saami languages and that online news cannot be produced in these languages. In a maternity clinic a mother is asked, worryingly, how the child will learn Finnish if the only language that he hears at home is Saami. An alcoholic recalls his days at the residential school where one could not speak the mother tongue, because speaking in Saami was prohibited due to the state’s policies towards its minorities.

We also know about the everyday feeling that it is not polite to speak Saami with a Saami-language acquaintance if there is even a single person around who does not know the language. The fallback to the dominant language in such situations often goes without any questioning. During the Multilingual Month and Satakieli theme month we explore, among else, the experience of operating between different languages. Many authors of Saami-themed texts highlight how an unusually big leap has been taken to improve the position of Saami languages. Sometimes this step is easy to take, at other times insurmountable.

Can one consider a language a mother tongue when one speaks it only with one’s heart?

There are many obstacles to the blossoming of Saami languages. The hardest obstacles are structural, some have historical roots and are often related to the attitudes of individuals.

When I was asked to curate the five Saami-themed essays for the Multilingual Month, I did not hesitate for a moment. So many Saami stories have been untold and I saw this as an excellent opportunity to draw attention to some of them.

My choice of topics has been guided by their topicality. What does ”the right to mother tongue” mean in practice? What is the responsibility of Saami-language media towards Saami languages? Can one consider a language a mother tongue when one does speak it only with one’s heart? In addition to these issues the essays discuss expressions of racism, a subject that is increasingly often raised in the Saami context.

Content of the blog series

On February 6, the Saami National Day, the first essay by Ánne Márjá Guttorm Graven will be published, discussing the relationship of the Saami language to the dominant language as well as practical instruments for strengthening the profile of Saami languages. She is a professional of the Northern Saami language. Guttorm Graven appreciates all the small advances that raise the status of Saami languages and wants to actively contribute to this process.

On February 26 we will publish the essay by Pirita Näkkäläjärvi about the significance of Saami-language online news and its impact on Saami vocabulary, structure and expressions – i.e., everything that keeps the language vibrant. As a former chief of Yle Sápmi, Näkkäläjärvi has personal experiences and a precise vision on this subject.

The text to be published on March 5 by Mari Korpimäki, who identifies herself as a Skolt Savonian, discusses the meaning of language for one’s identity in a situation where the language is not actively practiced. Despite this, the relationship to the language can be affectionate and close. Korpimäki is known for her insightful Saami campaigns, of which the most significant is the civic campaign “Send a postcard to Sevettijärvi” which has led to the 99930 Sevettijärvi website.

On March 12 we will publish the essay by Inkeri Lokki about the struggle to secure Saami-language pre-school education as well as schooling for her kids in the capital city area. Lokki describes the baffling moments when interacting with officials, while promoting the rights of Helsinki’s Saami to education in mother tongue. Lokki has been guided by a sense of justice to ensure that her Saami children would have the same right that she has been able to enjoy as a Finn – the right to study in one’s mother tongue.

On March 19, two days before the international day against racism, the last essay in this series will be published. In it, Petra Laiti talks about the relationship between multilingualism and racism – a topic about which she has many personal insights. The articulate Laiti who is also known as the Chair of the Finnish Saami Youth Organization, does not remain silent when facing discriminating situations towards the Saami.

The response ”This can’t be done” is familiar to all of these authors. They have not accepted this answer. Some of them have tested the nerves of officials and fellow citizens while advancing something that was supposed to be impossible. In the process, some of them have been asked to fall silent or have faced wishes that they would stop their pursuits. Often precisely such reactions reveal the necessity of their work.

These essays will be published in Northern Saami, Skolt Saami, Finnish or English. I hope that they will shed light on the multilingual reality that the Saami experience irrespectively of where they live.

I hope that the essays will reveal hidden attitudes and stories that prevent a full blossoming of Saami languages.

 

Helga West, originally from the Teno river valley of Utsjoki, is a freelance journalist. She lives with her family in Helsinki, in a daily quatrilingual environment. She is fascinated by language phenomena, stories of people and writing. She is a theologian by training. Her Northern Saami debut poetry book Gádden muohttaga vielgadin (“I Thought Snow Being White”) will be published in spring 2018.

 

* Mikko Mäntyniemi has taken photos of West, Näkkäläjärvi, Korpimäki, Lokki and Laiti for this series.

Translation from Finnish to English: Oliver Loode

 

 

Somali Nordic Culture promotes reading and writing in Somali

Somali Nordic Culture is an association located in Sweden. It works to increase interest towards Somali Culture organizing events and festivals, activities for children, film and theater presentations and promotes reading and writing in Somali language. Nordic Somali Culture publishes a children’s magazine Carruurterna (Our children) in Somali language that is distributed to more than 100 libraries in Sweden.

The members are reading promoters, students, writers, storytellers, librarians, journalists and artists.

 

In Swedish

Somali Nordic Culture är en kulturell  och ideell förening som är partipolitiskt och religiöst obunden. Föreningen består av läsfrämjare, studenter, författare, sagoberättare, bibliotekarier, journalister och konstnärer. Somali Nordic Culture grundades 2011 och föreningens verksamhet riktar sig till barn, ungdomar och vuxna och till både kvinnor och män.

Somali Nordic Culture har som syfte:

  • Att öka intresset för den Somaliska kulturen genom att hålla kulturföreställningar, barn aktiviteter, kulturfestivaler och film och teateruppvisningar.
  • Att väcka intresse för det skrivna ordet. Att hålla seminarier om ny utgivna litteratur där man träffar och diskuterar med författarna. Målet är att öka intresset för läsning av böcker på olika språk samt re-censera och diskutera kring dem.
  •  Att utveckla elevers kunskap och förståelse av utbildningen. Vi ordnar läxhjälp för grundskola och gymnasieskola elever. Målet är Att den svensk-somaliska gruppens utbildningsnivå höjs avsevärt för att förbättra förutsättningarna för dem att lyckas i  samhället.
  • Att integrera nyanlända somalier genom samhällsinformation och stöd i tidigt skede för att motverka utanförskap.

Nypon förlag – lättläst också på andra språk

Nypon förlag is a publishing house located in Helsingborg, Sweden, specialized in books that are easy to read (lättläst/ selkokieli). It publishes books mainly in Swedish but also in other languages, either as bilingual or monolingual publications. The languages of the collection  include Arabic, Dari, English, French, German,  Meänkieli, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Somali, Spanish, Swedish and Tigrinya.   

The mission of Nypon förlaget is that all the children have an opportunity to become great readers, develope their language(s), imagination, the pleasure of reading and thus their learning skills.

Café Lingua – Living Languages – Lifandi tungumál

A worldful of languages!

Café Lingua is a platform for those who want to enhance their language skills, Icelandic or other languages, a place to communicate in and about various languages as well as a gateway into different cultures. The goal is to “unveil” the linguistic treasures that have found their way to Iceland, enriching life and culture, as well as giving world citizens the option to express themselves in Icelandic and to introduce their mother tongues to others. The Café Lingua events are held in the culture houses of Reykjavik City Library, “Veröld” – the Vigdís World Language Centre and in “Stúdentakjallarinn” at the University of Iceland.

Everybody interested in languages and in contributing to the linguistic landscape of Reykjavik is welcome. Free admission.

The project is run by the to Reykjavik City Library and the Vigdís World Language Centre.

Photo: Kristinn Ingvarsson

Follow Café Lingua on Facebook.​

Reykjavik City Library runs several  intercultural projects where the goal is to promote awareness of the positive values of cultural diversity in our society. The library puts an emphasis on co-operating with social service centres, schools, organizations and individuals from all over the world living in Reykjavík. The IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto is used as a guideline in this work.

Kristín R. Vilhjálmsdóttir is the manager of multicultural projects at Reykjavík City Library. She is a language teacher and intercultural project manager, who has coordinated several award-winning projects related to interculturalism and multilingualism.

 

 

 

Photo: Pálína Magnúsdóttir

The Flying Carpet – Fljúgandi teppi

The Flying Carpet – intercultural encounters 

The Flying Carpet is a method of facilitated intercultural encounters created by Kristin R. Vilhjálmsdóttir. By implementing the The Flying Carpet in the teaching, students, parents and staff members get an opportunity to introduce their culture, languages and interests in a fun and lively way within an encouraging environment.

The emphasis is to not only work with aspects of national culture or backgrounds, but also individual interests and those things that matter the most in each and every person’s life.

The project should promote mutual respect and understanding between people in a concrete way and through different means of expressions. Everyone involved is received with acknowledgement. Through the cultural interaction that takes place the goal is to help developing life-skills that foster the view that diversity makes us richer, rather than seeing it as a cause for conflict.

Each individual is a participant and a spectator at the same time.

Awards

2010 and 2015: Nominated to the society price of “Fréttablaðið”, an Icelandic news paper, in the category “actions against prejudice”.

2017: The Icelandic contribution to The Nordic Language Festival in Aarhus.

2017: The Flying Carpet received The European Language Label.

Information about the Flying carpet in English

Video about the Flying Carpet in English

 

Reykjavik City Library runs several  intercultural projects where the goal is to promote awareness of the positive values of cultural diversity in our society. The library puts an emphasis on co-operating with social service centres, schools, organizations and individuals from all over the world living in Reykjavík. The IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto is used as a guideline in this work.

Kristín R. Vilhjálmsdóttir is the manager of multicultural projects at Reykjavík City Library. She is a language teacher and intercultural project manager, who has coordinated several award-winning projects related to interculturalism and multilingualism.

 

 

The Women’s Story Circle (Söguhringur kvenna) in Reykjavik City Library

Image: a visual art piece, a new map of Reykjavík, created by The Women´s Story Circle under the guidance of Lilianne Vorstenbosch

A worldful of stories

The Women’s Story Circle is a co-operation between Reykjavik City Library and W.O.M.E.N. in Iceland. A forum where women exchange stories, experiences and cultural backgrounds and take part in creative activities. It is open to women who are interested in meeting other women, sharing stories and ideas and having a nice time in good and relaxed company. The Women’s Story Circle also gives women who want to practice the Icelandic language the perfect opportunity to express themselves in Icelandic and enhance their language skills.

All women are welcome! Here is a short video about the project.

You can follow the activities on Facebook, we have a group and a page.

Reykjavik City Library runs several  intercultural projects where the goal is to promote awareness of the positive values of cultural diversity in our society. The library puts an emphasis on co-operating with social service centres, schools, organizations and individuals from all over the world living in Reykjavík. The IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto is used as a guideline in this work.

Kristín R. Vilhjálmsdóttir is the manager of multicultural projects at Reykjavík City Library. She is a language teacher and intercultural project manager, who has coordinated several award-winning projects related to interculturalism and multilingualism.

 

 

 

Learning for Integration: multilingual language cafés, language-specific playgroups for kids, language expert services etc.

Learning for Integration ry promotes the learning of languages and cultural sensitivity of migrant, immigrant and refugee children and youth in Finland and other Nordic countries. It aims to facilitate the new members’ integration into the new culture and the development of a multicultural society. It also supports Swedish learning in Finland.

Learning for integration organizes activities such as the popular language cafés in more than 10 languages, Story time circles, playgroups for kids in different languages and craft and theatre groups. It also offers expert services including workshops for teachers, specific learning materials and affordable but high quality editing, proofreading and translations to NGOs and other organizations working mainly for public good in Finnish, English, French, Russian, Swedish and other languages according to demand.

The multilingual work team of Learning for integration is presented at their website.