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 Zanzibar, (Tanzania), 15 – 16 December 2010: Workshop with Regional Language and Cultural Centres:
The African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), a specialized institution of the African Union mandated to develop and promote the use of African languages in all the domains of the society, in collaboration with the Regional Economic Communities, is organizing a workshop in Zanzibar, Tanzania, between December 15 and 16, 2010. The workshop will bring together ACALAN and the various Regional Centers and Organizations concerned with Culture and Languages, such as CELHTO, CERDOTOLA, CICBA, EACROTONAL, LASU and OCPA. The objective of the workshop is to harmonize the activities of these centres and organizations with that of ACALAN, identify common grounds, create synergies in their concerted effort and common task of developing and promoting the use of African cultures and languages. Download the Draft Programme / Terms of reference
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Abuja (Nigeria), 2 – 3 December 2010: Workshop on Capacity building for the Fulfulde, Hausa and Setswana Commissions:
ACALAN has decided to organize a capacity building workshop aiming at unifying and coordinating the activities of the Commissions in relation to the promotion and valorization of African languages in general and the Vehicular Cross-Border languages in particular. The workshop which equally aims at building the capacity of the Vehicular Cross-Border Language Commissions for optimal performance will fashion out strategies for monitoring and the evaluation of activities throughout their three year tenure. The workshop is gathering the members of the Setswana Commission in Southern Africa and the Fulfulde and Hausa Commissions in West Africa. It is also part of broader processes of achieving the Khartoum Decision regarding the African Renaissance. Click here to download the Programme.
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Tshwane, South Africa, 19 - 20 August 2010: Planning Workshop for the priority activities of the Setswana Vehicular Cross-Border Language Commission in Southern Africa
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Blantyre, Malawi, 12 - 13 August 2010: Planning Workshop for the priority activities of the Chichewa/Chinyanja Vehicular Cross-Border Language Commission in Southern Africa
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Bamako, Mali, 20-23 July 2010: Technical Committee Meeting of Culture Experts of the ECOWAS member States:
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 The Executive Secretary of ACALAN, Professor Sozinho Francisco Matsinhe, made two presentations at the Technical Committee Meeting of Culture Experts of the ECOWAS member States, held in Bamako, between the 20th and 23rd July 2010.
At the opening ceremony, he thanked ECOWAS for supporting ACALAN’s programme of activities “which has resulted in a fruitful partnership”. He emphasized the importance of culture and language vis-à-vis African integration and development in relation to ACALAN’s mandate – the development and promotion of the use of African languages in all socio-economic spheres Press release
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14-16 July 2010: Harmonization Workshop of Fulfulde, Hausa and Mandenkan in West Africa: |
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The Workshop on the Harmonisation of Fulfulde, Hausa and Mandenkan Vehicular Cross-border Languages was held in Bamako from the 14-16 July 2010 with the support of UNESCO, ADEA, SIL and other partners. This workshop benefited from the foundation laid by preceding workshops and work done on the harmonization of Fulfulde, Hausa and Mandenkan in terms of analysis of what have been done (achievements and domains which still need to be addressed), with a view to drawing the way forward.
The main objectives set for this harmonization workshop were:
- To invite each language commission to review the outcomes of earlier work done on the Harmonization of Fulfulde, Hausa and Mandenkan Vehicular Cross-Border languages,
- To identify harmonization areas which still need to be addressed,
- To draw and recommend way forward in terms of what need to be done.
Various recommendations were submitted to ACALAN and its partners and to the Member States with a view to implementing them
The harmonization of the Fulfulde, Hausa and Mandenkan Vehicular Cross-border Languages will enable the Member States which are sharing them to use the same orthographies and spelling rules etc. Press release
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3-4 June 2010: ACALAN's Capacity Building Workshop:
 
As part of fulfilling its mandate, ACALAN held from 3 to 4 June 2010, a capacity building workshop to increase the performance of staff and promote teamwork within the Executive Secretariat. This training was provided by Dr. Ojo Babajide Johnson, Senior Projects and Programs Officer. The training addressed, among other things, topics related to personality, behavior, effective communication in team building, cultural diversity and the team building, the role of the Leader in conflicts management and resolution etc. Following this training, the ACALAN staff members were happy and thanked the Executive Secretary, Professor Sozinho Francisco Matsinhe, PhD, for this excellent initiative taken in the context of capacity building within the Executive Secretariat.
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17-21 Mai 2010: IDLELO4 Conference organized by FOSSFA:
ACALAN attended the IDLELO4 Conference organized by FOSSFA and was called to make a presentation about its vision, missions and perspectives. The functions and the mandate of ACALAN as a specialized institution of AUC to promote and valorize African Languages were further explained. ACALAN also chaired the Communication, Education and Advocacy session. ACALAN was represented by Dr. Ojo Babajide Johnson, Senior Projects and Programmes Officer. |
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Planning workshops of the Vehicular Cross-border Language Commissions:
 
Three planning workshops have been held for the following Vehicular Cross-border Language Commissions: Fulfulde (Dakar, 11-12 March 2010), Hausa (Abuja, 15-16 March 2010) and Mandenkan (6-7 April 2010). Each Workshop developed a Plan of Action to be implemented within the three coming years. ACALAN is preparing the planning Workshops for Southern Africa.
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10-11 December 2009: Scientific and Technical Meeting on the "Interim Period of ACALAN (2006-2009): Assessment and Perspectives".
 
Under the Chairmanship of H.E. Mrs Bience Gawanas (right), Commissioner for Social Affairs of the African Union Commission, the former Executive Secretary M. Adama SAMASSEKOU (left) passes the torch to the new Executive Secretary, Pr. Sozinho Francisco Matshine, PhD (middle) in the presence of his team (Dr. Ojo Babadjide JOHNSON, Senior Programmes and Projects Officer and Dr. Lang Fafa DAMPHA, Senior Research and Programmes Officer).
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Regional operational Workshops to launch the first 12 Cross-border Language Commissions of ACALAN:
ACALAN has started since end 2009, the organization of regional operational Workshops for the establishment of the first 12 languages selected for the establishment of the Vehicular Cross-border Language Commissions (Working Structures of ACALAN). They are : Standard Modern Arabic and Berber for North Africa; Hausa, Mandenkan and Fulfulde for West Africa; Kiswahili, Somali and Malagasy for East Africa ; Chichewa/chinyanja and Setswana for Southern Africa and Lingala and Beti-fang for Central Africa.
ACALAN has organized two regional operational Workshops to launch the Vehicular Cross-border Language Commissions of Chichewa/chinyanja and Setswana in Southern Africa and Hausa, Mandenkan and Fulfulde in West Africa. ACALAN is currently preparing the regional operational Workshops to launch the seven remaining Vehicular Cross-border Language Commissions.
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Synthesis Meeting of the Regional Conferences on "National Policies on the role of cross-border languages and the place of less diffused languages in Africa":
The Synthesis Meeting validated the 41 vehicular cross-border languages which ACALAN will focus on during the 15-20 years to come. This Meeting selected, according to well defined criteria, 12 Vehicular Cross-border Language for the establishment the first Vehicular Cross-border Language Commissions. General Report of the Regional Conferences --- Report of the Synthesis Conference
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The Bamako International Forum on Multilingualism (BIFM):
The BIFM has held in Bamako, at Hôtel SALAM, from the 19th to the 21st of January 2009, in the context of the celebration of 2008 - International Year of Languages, proclaimed by the 61st UN Assembly. The BIFM is "A first step towards a World Summit on Multilingualism". To read more please follow the link.
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