UMthethosisekelo wasePhilippines uqinisekisa inkululeko yokukhuluma, umcabango, nokubamba iqhaza kwabantu. Lezi ziqinisekiswa futhi ngokwamukela kwelizwe i-International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, efuna ukuvikela amalungelo ezomphakathi nezepolitiki kuhlanganise nenkululeko yokukhuluma nolwazi.
Singaveza imibono yethu nemicabango yethu ngokukhuluma, ngokubhala, noma ngobugebengu, phakathi kwezinye. Nokho, siyakhipha le ndawo uma singasekeli ukusetshenziswa okuqhubekayo nentuthuko yezilimi zomdabu.
I-United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples igcizelele ukuthi: "Ukukwazi ukuxhumana ngolimi lwakho kubalulekile kumdlandla wobuntu nenkululeko yokukhuluma."
Ngaphandle kwamandla okukhuluma, noma uma ukusetshenziswa kolimi lwakho kuhamba phansi, ilungelo lokucela amalungelo abantu ayisisekelo—njengokudla, amanzi, indawo yokuhlala, imvelo enempilo, imfundo, umsebenzi—lupheliswa futhi.
Kubantu bethu bendabuko, lokhu kuba kubaluleke kakhulu njengoba kuqhathaniswa nezinye amalungelo abalwa ngawo, njengenkululeko yokungaphathwa kabi, ilungelo lokuhlinzekwa ithuba elilinganayo nokwelashwa, ilungelo lokuzikhethela, phakathi kwezinye.
Mayelana nalokhu, i-UN General Assembly yakhipha isinqumo sokuthi u-2022-2032 kube yi-International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL). Inhloso yayo uku “ukuze kungabi nabantu abashiywe emuva nabanqandwa” futhi ihambisana ne-2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ekufakazeni i-Global Action Plan ye-IDIL, i-UNESCO igcizelele ukuthi, "Ilungelo lokukhetha ukusetshenziswa kolimi, ukukhuluma, nemibono ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka, kanye nokuzikhethela nokubamba iqhaza emphakathini ngaphandle kokwesaba ukuhlukunyezwa kubalulekile ekufakazeni ubumbano nokulingana njengemigomo eyinhloko yokwakha umphakathi ovulekile nonobumbano."
I-Global Action Plan ifuna ukukhulisa isikhala sokusebenza kwezilimi zomdabu emphakathini. Iphakamisa izihloko eziyishumi ezihlobene ezingasiza ukuvikela, ukuvuselela nokuqhakambisa izilimi zomdabu: (1) imfundo yekhwalithi nokuqhubeka nemfundo; (2) ukusetshenziswa kolimi lwemvelo nolwazi ukuze kuhlakazwe ubuhlanga; (3) ukusungula izimo ezinhle zokukhuthaza ukudlondlobala kwedijithali nelungelo lokukhuluma; (4) izikhungo ezifanele zolimi lwemvelo eziklanyelwe ukuhlinzeka ngempilo engcono; (5) ukufinyelela emacaleni nokuvelelayo kwezinsizakalo zomphakathi; (6) ukuqinisekisa izilimi zomdabu njengezithuthi zomlando kanye nesiko; (7) ukulondolozwa kwe-biodiversity; (8) ukukhula komnotho ngokuqiniswa kwemisebenzi efanelekile; (9) ukulingana kwabobulili nokuqiniswa kwabesifazane; nokuthi, (10) ubudlelwano obuphakade phakathi komphakathi nezikampani ezizimele ukuze kuhlale izilimi zomdabu.
Umqondo oyinhloko ukuhlanganisa nokuphumelela izilimi zomdabu kuzo zonke izigaba zomphakathi, ezamasiko, ezomnotho, ezemvelo, ezomthetho nezepolitiki nemigomo ebalulekile. Ngokwenza kanjalo, sithuthukisa ukukhula kolimi, ukuphila nokuqhubeka kwabafundi bezilimi ezintsha.
Ekugcineni, kumele sizame ukudala izindawo eziphephile lapho abantu bendabuko bengakwazi ukuveza imicabango yabo besebenzisa ulimi abakuthandayo, ngaphandle kokwesaba ukuhlulelwa, ukuhlukunyezwa, noma ukuqondwa kabi. Kumele sithathe izilimi zomdabu njengengxenye ebalulekile yokuthuthukiswa okuphelele nokubandakanya kwemiphakathi yethu.