FINNO-UGRIC VIDEO started in the International Mother Language Day

21.02.2012, 20:46 — editor Nadezhda Volokitina

The 21th of February is the International Mother Language Day. The theme for this year – The information and communication technologies for the safeguarding and promotion of languages and linguistic diversity – highlights the new technologies’ enormous potential for safeguarding, documenting and promoting the use of mother languages.

As UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova underlines in her message, each language “is a unique source of meaning for understanding, writing and expressing reality. …We must harness the power of progress to protect diverse visions of the world and to promote all sources of knowledge and forms of expression”.

This year UNESCO will be launching a campaign via the social media Twitter and Facebook to encourage users to share stories, photos and videos illustrating the potential of new technologies for the promotion of linguistic diversity.

RODO Public Foundation, the International Youth Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples (MAFUN), NGO U-Pööre / U-Turn (Estonia), portal URALISTICA, “Mari Youth of Moscow” and "Mari El Association in Moscow" decided to open common video-channel of kindred Finno-Ugric and Samoyed peoples FINNO-UGRIC VIDEO on the global Internet-resource YouTube and the same name groups/communities on Facebook and other social networks. The decision was taken on 20.11.2011 yet, but for some reasons the project FINNO-UGRIC VIDEO started only 21.02.2012.

This perspective and long-term project opens new possibilities:
• for visual representation of the bright original many-sided and polychromatic world of Finno-Ugric and Samoyed peoples and ethnic groups to the international community;
• for keeping of cultural heritage of ancestors, languages and dialects, traditions of kindred ethnoses, and also for their further developing with the use of new art means and technologies, including informational ones;
• for popularization of the native language, traditions and culture among all layers of population, for the expansion of the spheres of their application in various areas of life;
• for strengthening and expansion of connections both between the representatives of the ethnos who live in different parts of the country or the Earth and kindred peoples and ethnic groups;
• for promoting and branding of Finno-Ugric movement, native languages, cultures, regions, places, organizations, firms, creative collectives and separate persons for their worthy position in global virtual and real space.

In the future the project of FINNO-UGRIC VIDEO can develop to a global TV-channel of kindred peoples and ethnic groups.
Materials on the video-channel and in the Internet-communities of FINNO-UGRIC VIDEO are represented in native languages and dialects and also in English and Russian.

FINNO-UGRIC VIDEO follows ethical norms, principles of Internet-democracy, freedom of speech and creativity.

We invite all caring, socially active and creative people, enthusiasts and professionals, tele- and video studios, the state, public and private organizations of Estonia, Hungary, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and other countries to participate in the joint completion of this global video-treasury of Finno-Ugric and Samoyed peoples and ethnic groups, in the joint creation of video-mosaic of the ancient but the young Finno-Ugric world.