Every year International Mother Language Day is celebrated on February 21, a reason to promote cultural linguistic diversity and multilingualism, present in different regions of the planet. The existence of more than six thousand languages evidences the interest of different organizations to promote their conservation, among them the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) plays a fundamental role.
In 2018, the central theme is related to the preservation of linguistic diversity and the promotion of multilingualism in support of the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals: "To ensure that all young people and a considerable part of adults, both men and women, are literate and have basic knowledge of arithmetic."
The mastery of the mother tongue allows students to acquire the basic skills for reading, writing and arithmetic. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous languages, transmit cultures and values due to their tradition, playing an important role in the promotion of a sustainable future. The use of plurilinguism is essential in issues related to growth, employment, health, sustainable production and climate change.
With regard to World Mother Language Day, several actions have been carried out to raise awareness among all peoples about the importance of language, as a common heritage of humanity. Serve these efforts to safeguard and share indigenous cultures and knowledge -great wisdom mines- and build a just and sustainable future for all.