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UNESCO celebrates the heritage of Arabic language and highlights its role in shaping new knowledge
A main pillar of any society, language is a driving force for connecting societies and communities together. As one of the six official languages in the United Nations, and one of the most spoken languages globally, Arabic is an incubator of culture, science and knowledge. For centuries Arabic played a major role as a source of knowledge and values.
In recognition of Arabic’s legacy, present and future, UNESCO organized a regional meeting entitled “Arabic language, beyond the legacy” from 24 to 25 October 2022 in Rabat, Morocco. The event emphasized the important place of Arabic language in shaping new knowledge across the world and promoting dialogue and mutual understanding.
In her welcoming speech, Ms. Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences in UNESCO, underlined that Arabic is a gateway to better understanding.
It is not enough to simply preserve the legacy of Arabic […] this legacy must be an inspiration for us to build a better future.
The event was hosted by the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Mohammed V University and was organized in partnership with the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Sciences and Culture.
It is through languages, literature and arts that we reinforce the ties between cultures.
This special event was an occasion to promote initiatives implemented by UNESCO within the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Programme to strengthen the use of Arabic language at UNESCO and gave the floor to experts, academics, artists and youth to reflect and debate on the main findings and achievements.
It is an opportunity to stress on the importance of such gatherings, where experts and interested individuals share their thoughts and ideas, enhancing the discussions on developing tools for cultural and intellectual dialogue and creating a beautiful image of diversity and multilingualism.
The two-day event, which coincided with the United Nations Day (24 October) and the preparations for 10th anniversary of the World Arabic Language Day celebration (18 December), covered debates on the following UNESCO initiatives:
UNESCO report “Building Knowledge Societies in the Arab Region: Arabic Language as a Gateway to Knowledge”
UNESCO report “Linguistic diversity and Multilingualism in Arab States and Arabic version of UNESCO World Atlas of Languages”
Arabic documentary heritage and its contributions to the “Memory of the World”
Progress of Disabilities Inclusive Education in the Arab Region: Where Do We Go From Here?
The event was also attended by Mr Majdi Haji Ibrahim, Head of ICESCO Center for Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers, who pointed out to the role of the Arabic language in encouraging cultural exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding.
In addition to the round-table discussions, UNESCO inaugurated the exhibition “Arabic language, a bridge between civilizations” in the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Mohammed V University of Rabat. The exhibition will last for two weeks.
