February 21 is International Mother Language Day. This year, I joined many others to celebrate in Winnipeg on February 20. I joined many in our community who have roots in Bangladesh as well as other from other countries who also joined the celebration. The origin of International Mother Language Day is in Bangladesh. When a decision was made in the early 1950s that the Bengali language would not be an official language of Pakistan (Bangladesh was then East Pakistan), there were many protests, with one particularly notable one on February 21, 1952. In time, by 1956, Bengali was accepted as an official language of Pakistan. However the differences between East and West Pakistan were large and in 1971 Bangladesh became independent. The importance of a person's mother language was recognized first as Mother Language Day in Bangladesh. By 1999, February 21 was recognized as International Mother Language Day by the United Nations. Today, it is celebrated around the world. The importance of a person's mother language is increasingly recognized. It is important for a child to have roots in the child's mother language and culture. Language and culture are closely tied together. A grounding in a person's mother language and culture is important to be able to reach out with strength to others around the world and to part of the diversity that is the increasingly recognized as a strength of human organizations and human societies. During the celebration many young people were recognized for their drawings and paintings and their dancing. One is below. And further below is a photo of the International Mother Language Plaza in Winnipeg with councillors Janice Lukes and Markus Chambers were able to help achieve.
Dougald Lamont speaks at Meth Forum last night to present positive ideas to address the epidemic, while exposing the lack of action by the Pallister Conservatives
Last night at the Notre Dame Recreation Centre in St. Boniface, at an Election Forum on the Meth Crisis in Manitoba, Dougald Lamont spoke eloquently about the severity of the meth epidemic and described the Liberal plan to address it. The Liberal Plan will make sure that there is a single province-wide phone number for people, or friends of people, who need help dealing with meth to call (as there is in Alberta) and that there will be rapid access to a seamless series of steps - stabilization, detoxification, treatment, extended supportive housing etc so that people with meth addiction can be helped well and effectively and so that they can rebuild their lives. The Liberal meth plan will be helped by our approach to mental health (putting psychological therapies under medicare), and to poverty (providing better support). It will also be helped by our vigorous efforts to help young people understand the problems with meth in our education system and to provide alternative positive
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