Language mapping in a conflict-affected multilingual environment: Afghanistan

• In Event: Using Data for Language in Education Decisions: Part 1: Understanding the Multilingual Context

Proposal

In conflict-affected environments the relationships between identities, institutions, social cohesion, and state legitimacy are highly sensitive. Better understanding of the role language, as a factor of identity, plays in exasperating or mitigating the conflict is key to successful development of education projects. Specifically looking at the role of dominant language(s) vs. sub-dominant languages in fragile states is the first step in upholding the standards of do no harm. This panel will explore the link between the language mapping exercise and its interaction with conflict in conflict affected environments. Despite the normative belief that access to education in mother tongue legitimizes the group’s identity and supports the concept of participation in democratic society, does it lead to further conflict because it disrupts the established social contract? Afghanistan is a multilingual country with more than 30 indigenous languages. Considering this linguistic diversity, the language mapping research in Afghanistan was carried out to document the linguistic landscape in and around the schools. Through this Panel ACR panellists will look at the tool, the methodology and the lessons learned (both procedural and contextual) from a language mapping exercise in the fluid and security challenged environment of Afghanistan.

Authors

• Agatha van Ginkel, SIL-LEAD

• Susan Ayari, Creative Associates International