THE ASMARA DECLARATION ON AFRICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

At this historic conference, we writers and scholars from all regions of
Africa gathered in Asmara, Eritrea from January 11 to 17, 2000 in a
conference titled “Against All Odds: African Languages and Literatures into
the 21st Century”. This is the first conference on African languages and
literatures ever to be held on African soil, with participants from East,
West, North, Southern Africa and from the diaspora and by writers and
scholars from around the world. We examined the state of African languages
in literature, scholarship, publishing, education and administration in
Africa and throughout the world. We celebrated the vitality of African
languages and literatures and affirmed their potential. We noted with
pride that despite all the odds against them, African languages as vehicles
of communication and knowledge survive and have a written continuity of
thousands of years. Colonialism created some of the most serious obstacles
against African languages and literatures. We noted with concern the fact
that these colonial obstacles still haunt independent Africa and continue
to block the mind of the continent. We identified a profound incongruity
in colonial languages speaking for the continent. At the start of a new
century and millennium, Africa must firmly reject this incongruity and
affirm a new beginning by returning to its languages and heritage.

At this historic conference, we writers and scholars from all regions of
Africa gathered in Asmara, Eritrea declare that:

1. African languages must take on the duty, the responsibility and the
challenge of speaking for the continent.

2. The vitality and equality of African languages must be recognized as a
basis for the future empowerment of African peoples.

3. The diversity of African languages reflects the rich cultural heritage
of Africa and must be used as an instrument of African unity.

4. Dialogue among African languages is essential: African languages must
use the instrument of translation to advance communication among all
people, including the disabled.

5. All African children have the unalienable right to attend school and
learn in their mother tongues. Every effort should be made to develop
African languages at all levels of education.

6. Promoting research on African languages is vital for their development,
while the advancement of African research and documentation will be best
served by the use of African languages.

7. The effective and rapid development of science and technology in Africa
depends on the use of African languages and modern technology must be used
for the development of African languages.

8. Democracy is essential for the equal development of African languages
and African languages are vital for the development of democracy based on
equality and social justice.

9. African languages like all languages contain gender bias. The role of
African languages in development must overcome this gender bias and achieve
gender equality.

10. African languages are essential for the decolonization of African
minds and for the African Renaissance.

The initiative which has materialized in the Against All Odds conference
must be continued through biennial conferences in different parts of
Africa. In order to organize future conferences in different parts of
Africa, create a forum of dialogue and cooperation and advance the
principles of this declaration, a permanent Secretariat will be
established, which will be initially based in Asmara, Eritrea.

Translated into as many African languages as possible and based on these
principles, the Asmara Declaration is affirmed by all participants in
Against All Odds. We call upon all African states, the OAU, the UN and all
international organizations that serve Africa to join this effort of
recognition and support for African languages, with this declaration as a
basis for new policies.

While we acknowledge with pride the retention of African languages in some
parts of Africa and the diaspora and the role of African languages in the
formation of new languages, we urge all people in Africa and the diaspora
to join the in the spirit of this declaration and become part of the
efforts to realize its goals.

Asmara, 17th of January 2000