Kiswahili might soon become a working language of the United Nations,
joining the league of six prominent languages in the world if a proposal by
Swahili scholars goes through.The scholars met in Nairobi in December 2009 under the Afro-Arab Cultural Institute (AACI), from Bamako, Mali in collaboration with the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture of Kenya in a symposium aimed at charting the future of the language.
Among the aims of the conference was to fight for the recognition of the
language by the UN."It is only a matter of time and East Africa will have found a bigger export to the world than tea and coffee and that is Kiswahili," said Prof. Kimani Njogu who chaired the conference.
Prof Njogu who heads a national Kiswahili association, Chama cha Kiswahili
cha Taifa-CHAKITA expressed optimism that the language stands a high chance
of being considered.The language that made history by becoming the first African language to be recognized as an official African Union language would give Africans and more so East Africans reason to be proud of their region.Spoken by close to 120 million people worldwide, Swahili is both a nationaland official language in Tanzania.In Kenya, the Committee of Experts, led by Nzamba Kitonga has proposed the elevation of the language that is currently a national language to official language status in their draft."If this proposal passes, it will be a step ahead of time in the century for the language," said Information and Communication Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo who closed the conference.He said if the new constitution is passed the way it is the government would have 2-3 years to put every documents and its transactions in the internet and later all governments documents in Kiswahili.He promised to give two of the proposed Kiswahili-only digital channels to the scholars to advance the language. The official languages of UN are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish and presentations to the body are made through the said languages.If a participant doesn’t understand any of them, he carries with him a translator who translates his statement to any of the six languages. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Heritage and Culture Dr Jacob Ole
Miaron who opened the conference appreciated the proposed Draft Protocol for the establishment of the East African Kiswahili Council, saying it would assist in the growth of the language.“This would play a major role in enhancing political, economic, social,cultural, education, scientific and technological development in the region,” he said.Efforts to have Swahili as an AU and UN language began in 2005, when a proposal was made by the scholars to AU ministers of culture, who met in Nairobi.
The ministers accepted the proposal and forwarded it to the Heads of States who adopted it in a summit held in Khartoum Sudan, under the chairmanship of President Mwai Kibaki."It was welcomed passionately by former Mali President Alpha Oumar Konare,who served as Chairperson of the African Union Commission from 2003 to 2008," recalls former Director of Culture, Anami Silverse.Other institutions represented in the two-day conference included Academy of African Languages (ACALAN), African Union, and the League of Arab States.Apart from taking Kiswahili to UN working language status, the conference that brought together scholars from 14 African countries and several Arab states, also sought to document the history of the Afro-Arab relations in the development of Kiswahili language."We also want to enhance the existing cultural relations and cooperation between the Arabs and Africans in this century and beyond," said Prof Njogu.Giving his presentation in Arabic, Prof Ayman Ibrahim Al A’sar of Al-Azhar University in Oman, currently a Lecturer in Arab studies in the University of Nairobi said the relationship between Arabic and Kiswahili, which has lasted more than 2,000 years, have immense benefits to both people.Prof Ibrahim Noor Sharif a Kiswahili Scholar from Oman recommended theenhancement of institutional linkages by establishing exchange programmes between Kenyan institutions and those in the Arab world."Cooperation can also be enhanced through visits, workshops and regionaldiscussions on cultural and education matters," he said.Arab is to Kiswahili what Latin is to English, a major source of ‘loan’words and original donor of its earliest alphabet.Kiswahili being a Bantu language and more so, the most Arabicized Bantu language contains a great diversity of expressions.“This would rekindle the significance of cultural diversity amongst the African and Arab communities, " said Prof Alamin Mazrui, a Kenyan scholar.“This will further cement the relationship and make the African continent first and foremost to own up the language,” he added.
The University of Nairobi came under attack from Tanzanian Scholars for
lacking an independent Kiswahili department while universities in Japan,
Germany and other foreign countries have fully fledged Swahili departments.
Prof Njogu challenged local leaders to improve on their masterly of the
language and use it often so as to give it an international appeal.
Kiswahili is the most popular African language taught alongside African
studies in over 150 universities in the USA only.Mr Malonga Pacifique a Kiswahili lecturer at a University in Kigali, Rwanda,underscored the growing need to embrace Kiswahili as an international medium of communication.
*The writer is the Education Features Editor, *
*with **Taifa Leo, a Kiswahili publication *
*of the Nation Media Group- Nairobi Kenya.*
By HEZEKIEL GIKAMBI
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