Celebration of International Mother Language Day and IYL in Cambodia

• Thematic framework: Education
• Geographical outreach: National
• Types of project: Awareness-raising
  
  
• Beneficiary country: Cambodia
  
  
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Sun Lei
  UNESCO Phnom Penh Office
  Phnom Penh
  Cambodia

Summary of the activities
Taking the opportunity of the International Mother Language Day and the International Year of Languages in 2008, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Education Unit of UNESCO Office Phnom Penh jointly organized, for the first time in Cambodia, a half- day celebration to celebrate the linguistic and culture diversity, as well as advocate mother-tongue based bilingual/multilingual
education. The main purposes of this event were to promote multilingualism, linguistic and cultural diversity, and to share information and innovative practices of mother tongue based bilingual education among the participants.

Around 100 participants attended the event, including national government officials from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and other related ministries; officials from the remote provinces of Ratanakiri, Mundulkiri, Preah Vihear; practitioner who are in the areas of mother tongue, bilingual and multi-lingual education; researchers from institutes, academies and universities; NGOs conducting language related activities; and international agencies based in Cambodia.

Main partners
Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports