Like in many parts of the world, Mali celebrated the annual International Mother Language Day [1] on February 21 in Bamako. The event organized by the Ministry of Education brought together educators, students, and others interested in promoting the use of the 13 native languages [2] across Mali. While this year's theme focused on the production of printed learning materials and books in these languages, there still remains a strong interest in how technology can play a role in revitalizing these languages.
International Mother Language Day in Bamako, Mali
Boukary Konaté, a blogger [3] that writes and tweets (@fasokan [4]) in French, English, and his native Bambara, spoke about the day's events and his hopes for the role of technology in promoting the use of these languages online.