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Republic of Mali
Mali
Capital: Bamako
Population: 11.0 million (2001)
Official language: french
Majority group: none
Minority groups: thirty languages, including Bambara, bozo, bomu, Arabic hasanya, fulfude, Malinke, Senoufo, the Dogon, songaï, and so on.
Political System: Unitary Republic
Articles constitutional (language): Article 2 and 25 of the 1992 Constitution
Lois language: Decree 159 PG-RM of July 19, 1982, Law No. 86 AN-RAM establishing the National Directorate of functional literacy and applied linguistics (DNAFLA) on July 24, 1986, decree 93-107/P- RM of April 16, 1993.
1 Overview
The Republic of Mali is bounded on the north by Algeria, Niger and Burkina in the east, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea to the south, Senegal and Mauritania in the west (see map). Mali is a country relatively large, because its size (1.2 million km2) is roughly 30 times for Switzerland, is one of the reunited Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and of the Netherlands. The distance between the north and south of Mali is 1600 km. The country is divided into eight administrative regions (see map sheet): Timbuktu, Kidal, Gao, Mopti, Kayes, Koulikoro, Segou and Sikasso, plus the district of the capital, Bamako. Mali is a landlocked state in which 65% of the territory is occupied by the desert and remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
2 Data démolinguistiques
In 2001, Mali's population was estimated at 11.0 million. Nine-tenths of Malians live in the southern regions (Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso and Bamako). Only the capital, Bamako (840000 inhabitants in 1994), exceeds 100000. Other major cities are Mopti (78000 inhabitants), Ségou (99000 inhabitants), Gao (55000 inhabitants), Sikasso (73000 inhabitants) and Kayes (67000 inhabitants). In addition, Mali loses much of its citizens for the benefit of Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Central Africa and France.
Capital Region Surface/km2 Population 1995
Gao (north)
Gao 170572408, 0
Kayes (south)
Kayes 1197431 245.0
Kidal (north)
Kidal 15143077, 1
Koulikoro (south)
Koulikoro 958481 462.0
Mopti (south)
Mopti 790171 423.0
Ségou (south)
Ségou 648211 579.0
Sikasso (south)
Sikasso 702801 521.0
Timbuktu (north)
Timbuktu 496611462, 0
District
Bamako (south)
Bamako 252913, 0
TOTAL 12485749 013.0 Bamako
Ethnic 2.1
Nearly 40% of the population belongs to the Mandingo ethnic group, are mostly Bambara living mainly in the district of Bamako. They are followed by the Fulani (13.9%), Senoufo (9%), Soninke (8.8%), the Dogon (8%), Songhai (7.2%), Malinke (6, 6%), Dioula (2.9%), Bwaba (2.4%), the Tuareg (1.7%), or Berber Moors (1.2%). The Fulani live in the region Macina (Kayes), the Senoufo live around Sikasso in the border area with Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire, in Western Soninke (Kayes), the Dogon northwest on Bandiagara plateau, Songhai settled in the East, while the Sahara (in the Timbuktu region) is the area of Berbers and mainly nomadic Tuareg.
These ethnic divisions are reflected in the distribution of work. The Bambara, Dogon and the Senoufo are usually peasants, and Bozo, fishermen, and Marka and the Malinke, traditionally traders, make up the bulk of the urban population, the Tuareg, the Peul (Fulani) and the Moors ( Berbers), nomads are mostly farmers.
Islam, tinged with animism, is the religion of 90% of Malians. Some 9% of them have retained animist beliefs. Christianity affects only 1% of the population.
2.2 The local languages
The country has about thirty languages, but only a dozen are spoken by more than 100000 people. They are also equipped with an alphabetic writing since 1967. Of all the national language, Bambara (2.7 million people as their mother tongue), a language of the Niger-Congo family, the language is still the most important especially as it is understood by at least four million people.
At the center is Mali, Lake Debo until Gao (and the Republic of Niger), we find the Songhai (6%), a language Nilo Saharan Africa. In the north (Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal), it speaks Tamasheq, the language of the Tuareg Berbers, as well as the Arabic hasanya (or Moorish), the two languages are spoken by 5% of the population of Mali. All other languages are spoken in the South, where many local idioms are more or less tangled. The Fulani or Fulfulde (Kayes, Segou and Mopti) is spoken by 17% of the population, the language is akin to the languages of Wolof and Toucouleurs. Others include the Dogon (Mopti), the Senoufo (Segou) and the samo (Mopti), spoken by 12% of the population. Most Malian languages belong to this great family Niger-Congo, which is divided into several subgroups, including gur, the Mandingo, the western Atlantic and the kwa.
Other languages are part of the family-Semitic chamito such as Arabic hasanya (or Moorish) group chamite and Tamasheq (Tuareg) Berber group, but some belong to the family Nilo-Saharan (and songaï daoussak) Among the Niger-Congo language with more than 100000 speakers include:
Mandingo group: Bambara, bozo sorogama, bozo tiéyaxo,
Gur group: bomu
West Atlantic group: Fulah or fulfude
Language Not classified: Dogon
Chamito-Semitic languages: Arabic hasanya
From the point of view of the statute, the Malian government has recognized 13 national languages. Article 1 of Decree 159 of RM PG-July 19, 1982 cites the following languages: Bambara (or bamanankan), Bobo (bomu), bozo, the Dogon (dogo-so), Fulani (Fulfulde); Soninke (soninke), the songoy (songaï), the Senoufo-minianka (syenara-mamara and Tamasheq (tamalayt). But other languages are also recognized: hasanya (Arabic), the kasonkan, madenkan and maninkakan. The french, it has the status of official language, but Bambara served in several regions of main lingua franca. It is not unusual that in the villages of the South, children are bilingual (local language + Bambara), or even trilingual. At school, the french is often taught as a fourth language.
3 Historical
Migration of the Saharan people to the valley of the Niger began in the third millennium, when the climate was drier. At the dawn of our era, the first cities developed. The trans-Saharan trade salt and gold assured prosperity of the empire of Ghana, built by the Soninke, around the fifth century AD, in this region of western Sudan, between the rivers Niger and Senegal. In 1076, the empire succumbed under the blows of Berber Almoravids, who had initiated the Islamization of West Africa. It was at this time that the Bambara settled in the region. In the thirteenth century, Ghana, again a kingdom was absorbed by the Mali Empire, which controlled the gold deposits of Upper Niger and Senegal, which at its peak during the reign of Kankan Moussa, spread its influence across the savanna West Africa, to the Atlantic. Djenne, Gao and Timbuktu began to become large shopping malls, artistic and intellectual of Islam Sudan. Their influence grew even after the empire of Mali will be erased, in the fifteenth century, for the benefit of the kingdom of Gao. The armies of Sonni Ali, then Askia Mohammed Islam spread through savannah and gave its reach Timbuktu. At most of its length, the Kingdom of Gao, became the Songhai Empire, covered the greater part of modern Mali, encompassing the western territories of the current Guinea and extending its influence to Kano, in northern Nigeria. The Empire was destroyed by a Moroccan expedition in 1591.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the territory of Mali was fragmented into several smaller states, including that of Ségou founded by the Bambara. The latter, as the Dogon, resisted for Islamisation, but they were the target of a holy war waged in the second half of the nineteenth century, by the chief Muslim El-Hadj Omar, the founder of an empire Toucouleur, if extending Timbuktu to sources Niger and Senegal. Slavery spread with the expansion of Islam.
3.1 French colonization
The conquest of the region was organized by Joseph Gallieni colonels (1849-1916) and Archinard (1850-1932), which from 1880, led the bloody fighting against the troops of Samory Toure (1830-1900), a conductor War Malinke and founder of an empire in the Upper Niger, and against the Tuaregs who resisted north. After years of struggles against fierce resistance from Mali, the French won the country's surrender in 1898.
From that point, the colonial history of Mali was marked by many changes of names. The Mali, a part of Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger were incorporated into current French West Africa. In 1904, these territories formed the colony of Upper Niger Senegal, whose capital was Bamako, and then the Western Provinces. It became, in 1920, the Sudan after the french Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) was separated into the following year.
The colony Mali was the subject of a policy of economic recovery, which accompanied the use of labour and forced conscription. All political activity was banned in the colonies until after World War II. Finally, the French colonial legacy bequeathed a fairly lean in Mali, leaving little or no infrastructure, few schools and health centres, and so on. In 1946, in Bamako, was formed the African Democratic Rally (NDR), which led the struggle for independence of West Africa. His Malian section, the Union of Sudan, was led by Modibo Keita.
In 1956, the Sudan french gained internal self-government and became, two years later, a republic within the French Community. On 17 January 1959, he joined the Senegal to form the federation of Mali, which was proclaimed independent on June 20, 1960. This federation broke out in September, in part because of the rivalry between Leopold Sedar Senghor and Modibo Keita, two figures African nationalism. The former Sudan french retained the name and prestige of Mali Modibo Keita remained president of the new republic of Mali, which was proclaimed on September 22, 1960. In the same month, the new State became a member of the United Nations (UN).
3.2 The dictatorship of Moussa Traoré
The Mali, led by Modibo Keita, which based its power on the Sudanese Union (US-RDA), the only party represented in the Assembly, pursued a policy of economic development guided by the principles of socialism, without breaking with France. The failure of that policy caused, November 19, 1968, a military coup which brought to power the lieutenant Moussa Traoré. Upon his arrival, the young Moussa Traoré promised the return to civilian rule, but he remained in power until 1991…, for twenty-three years. He also kept the french as an official language for Mali.
Moussa Traore ruled with authority, it prohibits any political grouping, created in 1979, then a single party: the Democratic Union of the Malian People (UDPM). The dictatorial regime of Moussa Traore proved incapable of advancing the economy, without that of 1968 1974 1983 1985, persistent droughts led to famines, while the State deplete its scarce resources in a border dispute with Burkina, which in 1985 turned into an armed confrontation. At the same time, major strikes and student union worse. Then democratic aspiration aroused even more discontent among the population. In the north, the Tuaregs rebelled, but the army brutally suppressed any opposition movement.
In March 1991, Moussa Traore had to go through a coup d'état. A transitional government was established with the chairman Lieutenant Colonel Amadou Toumany Toure.
3.3 The return to democracy
In 1992, the first free elections of independent Mali brought to power Alpha Oumar Konare, a history professor. In February 1993, Moussa Traore was sentenced to death in a trial, but President Konare, hostile to the death penalty, in 1997 gracia (in the name of "national reconciliation"), the former dictator who was sentenced to serve a sentence of ten years in prison for "political and economic crimes". Efforts to strengthen democracy were threatened by the continuing economic difficulties and a strong political corruption. In May 1997, Konare was re-elected with 80% of votes cast. During his presidency, Mali was often cited as a country of "good governance". According to the Constitution which limits to two the mandate of President Konare left the presidency in 2002.
The former General Amadou Toumany Toure, who had already directed the Mali during the transition from 1991-1992, won the 2002 presidential election. The new president does not belong to any political party (therefore no parliamentary majority) and his government brings together all parties in the country. Nicknamed ATT, Toure has work to do in a country where 64% of the population lives in poverty and 21% in extreme poverty, but it has a term of five years to translate into action its will to govern " otherwise ".
4 The language policy
Mali has developed a language policy in two parts: the first is the official language, the second national languages. Everything is summarized in Article 25 1992, which states:
Article 25
1) The french is the official language of expression.
2) The Act sets out the arrangements for the promotion and formalization of national languages.
4.1 The language of the State
It was from this simple statement that this is the language policy: "The french is the official language of expression." Is a somewhat ambiguous terminology to describe the official language. That's why the entire legislature of Mali french operates, which implies parliamentary debates, the drafting and promulgation of laws.
The situation is a little different in the courts. In principle, only the french is permitted, but the Malian languages (less than a dozen, but more importantly Bambara) are allowed in oral communications between the judge and the accused, including the appellate courts. However, the documents were written only in french and judges all their judgments in that language.
With regard to government services, they are in french, but, depending on the region, oral communications are usually held in one or more languages in Mali, including Bambara. Obviously, any written material seems especially french, bine that certain documents be published in Bambara, or in one or the other national languages. In addition, greater use of local languages in Mali that the french in patient care in hospitals, clinics and public clinics.
4.2 The national languages and education
Education reform started in 1962 in the enthusiasm of the newly acquired independence was intended to be a break with the colonial education system. She had given the goal of achieving universal education while preserving and perpetuating a culture of Mali cleanly. Primary education has risen from a six-year cycle, under the colonial system, a cycle of nine years. The review marking the end of primary school, famous for its selection, has been cancelled. But this reform has not achieved the desired results, especially regarding the program which focused on controlling the french. Not only the share of the state budget devoted to education has not arrived to cover urgent needs, but access to primary and secondary education has remained limited and unfair for the rural and peri. Thus, the access rate remained at 53.9% in general, which means 63.6% for boys and 44.4% for girls. In some regions, these rates do not exceed 25% for boys and 19% for girls. Another shortcoming of the educational system of Mali on low yields because of the repetition and drop-out (a waste amounting to 25% of the budget) and the insufficient number of teachers and infrastructure.
After years of experimentation with the mother tongue as the language of instruction in education, the Ministry of Basic Education has developed in 1993 a new programme. 93-107/P-RM Decree of 16 April 1993 the Ministry has assigned the use of national languages in education and, from the 1994-1995 school year, a generalized learning both languages national and french raising the number of languages taught at six: Bambara, Tamasheq, songaï, Soninke (Fulani) and the Dogon. This generalization now affects more than 300 schools. The principle is what has been called the "New school" (NEF) is to use the mother tongue of the student as the language of instruction in the first three years of primary education, the french being considered as a subject from the second year. The problem is that, for now, the NEF has not yet been implemented, except in experimental schools, because of the opposition of key stakeholders (teachers, students, political parties, and so on. ). Moreover, tests conducted in the 5th year in Ségou show that in 1997, after four years of instruction in Bambara, the children are far from mastering their mother tongue in writing. The french remains the preferred language of instruction for the sake of social mobility, while the Bambara remained the lingua favorite. However, the Ministry of Basic Education has created organisms that can ensure the execution if the implementation of educational policies and documentation language is quite abundant, there are also newspapers and magazines in several languages.
It can be said that the entire educational system continues to be done in french, from primary school to university. However, students from kindergarten use their native language to learn and local french spoken. At early primary school are taught in french, but some Malian languages, including Arabic Koran, are also taught in many schools. In the second round, only the french and, in some cases, Arabic is taught. In all primary schools in the country, the teaching of English as a second language is compulsory, while secondary students will have a choice of English, German, Arabic and Chinese. In fact, after several ministerial orders, the political will of the authorities is to allow free use of the various national languages in teaching. Depending on the region, Bambara and french vehicles are teaching in the first two years of primary school. As is known, experiments have been tried with the Bambara, Tamasheq, songaï, Fulah Soninke and Dogon. The avowed aim of the Malian government is using the language of the student to give him the knowledge base and better prepare for the passage of the language in the foreign language, with the ultimate aim that the french and languages Malian must maintain relations is complementarity, not competition. This is the program called "convergence" pedagogy, which is part of the fight against school and the continuing decline in the level of student achievement in french. The guiding principle is to arrange the transfer in french skills acquired in the national languages, ie "to optimize the benefits of incorporation in the school of language skills specific to the culture of Students learning by integrating these languages in the classical curriculum. "
For several years, we note that there is a significant effort to promote literacy in the national languages. On July 24, 1986, Act No. 86 AN-RAM created the National Directorate of functional literacy and applied linguistics (DNAFLA). Regarding schooling in Mali, there are a number of "community schools" in which instruction is in the national language for the first three years. Finally, there is a movement in Mali to encourage the use of a script called "N'Ko", a system of phonetic script (written from right to left) able to transcribe all languages in Mali, in particular languages tons. Today, Mali has over 8000 literacy centers distributed among 6132 villages. The number of literate, out of these centres is officially estimated at 1.2 million people. To ensure the promotion of languages and improve the literacy rate of the population of Mali, which hovered around 30%, the government has established the National Directorate of functional literacy and applied linguistics (DNAFLA). The mission of this institution is to promote language deductions and make them development tools. The program has resulted in the production of syllabaries, dictionaries, lexicons, brochures and training manuals in the different languages used.
4.3 The media and economic life
Among the electronic media, radio programs are broadcast in many languages in Mali, but the french remains the language of prestige. THE ORTM (Office of television broadcasting Mali) broadcasts its french information in a proportion of 80%, the remaining 20% are devoted to a few magazines, some skits and micro-awareness programs. The shortfall in production in several national languages is due to the lack of budget and lack of professional training of stakeholders. There are at Mali some 17 radio stations which broadcast daily, of which 14 are private radio stations, and the list is growing. Different radios almost completely cover the entire territory, only the north was not staffed stations (Timbuktu, Gao, Kidal).
Among the 17 stations in office, five have a vocation predominantly rural. They produce almost all the national languages in addition to the french. The National Rural Radio was launched in Mali in 1967 and, early on, it has gained a wide audience among the populations concerned. A programme to relaunch the radio is currently under way, funded by FAO (training) and UNICEF (equipment). Some local rural radios operate in Kayes since August 1988 and Douentza since July 1993. Others will be installed at Kadiolo, Bandiagara, Nioro and Kidal. Unfortunately, these regional stations remain without status, without a budget, with an understaffed. The national languages are broadcast over the Bambara, the Arabic hasanya, ségou, Dogon, kinbakka,
Almost all the newspapers in the country is in french, but publishing in national languages is becoming increasingly important. The written press in french is changing rapidly. There is also a community press - the "local" newspapers - relatively large, which broadcasts usually in the national language. Thus, the Kabaaru is published in Fulah, Xibare in sononké, Jekabaara, Kote and Nieta in Bambara. But the transcript in other national languages poses technical problems. These newspapers have an average of fewer than 20 pages and are broadcast between 2000 and 20000 copies. They often serve as support for literacy in some communities.
In economic life, the two languages are taking greater prominence: the french first, and then the Bambara. In any information or transaction in writing, only the french is used, but in oral the Bambara exerts a strong competition in french. In sum, we can say that the Mali comply with the requirements of Article 2 of the Constitution:
Article 2
All Malians are born and remain free and equal in rights and duties. Any discrimination based on social origin, colour, language, race, sex, religion and political opinion is prohibited.
In Mali, where the french took place in all official functions of the state, it does still no conflict nor any frustration of a linguistic nature. Yet, in this country, the inter-mixing are very old and very developed. For most Malians, the situation appeared to be normal, and this, especially since all national languages are equal in relation to the french, the official language. Anyway, if harmony is an asset in a multilingual country, and Mali have done. It should be noted also the opening of Malians against languages other than french. Indeed, Mali, Bambara not only is there the first national language of important, but the state seems to have taken care not to neglect the Arabic and English. Let us not forget that Africa three languages provide almost all the official functions of interethnic communication: the french, English and Arabic. As can be seen, Mali has positioned itself well!
Last update:
Bibliography
IDRC. "Language Education / Languages of Instruction in" Policy Implications for Education in Africa / Policy Implications for Education in Arica, Working Group on Education Research and Policy Analysis, Association for the Development of the Education in Africa, International Institute for Educational Planning, 1997, [http://www.idrc.ca/books/focus/829/chp01_f.html].
DANIOKO, Charles Abdoulaye. "" Survey language in Mali, Bamako, unpublished study.
ENCYCLOPAEDIA MICROSOFT ENCARTA, 2004, Art. "Mali", to the historical part.
GAUTHIER, François, and Jacques Jacques LECLERC MAURAIS. Languages and constitutions, Montreal / Paris, Office of the French Language / International Council of the French Language, 1993, p 131
SANGARE, Mahamadou. "The local languages and African identity, Sikasso, undated,
[Http://www.kanjamadi.com/MahamadSangare.html].
. 2) The Act sets out the arrangements for the promotion and formalization of national languages. 4.1 The language of the State It was from this simple statement that this is the language policy: "The french is the official language of expression." Is a somewhat ambiguous terminology to describe the official language. That's why the entire legislature of Mali french operates, which implies parliamentary debates, the drafting and promulgation of laws. The situation is a little different in the courts. In principle, only the french is permitted, but the Malian languages (less than a dozen, but more importantly Bambara) are allowed in oral communications between the judge and the accused, including the appellate courts. However, the documents were written only in french and judges all their judgments in that language. With regard to government services, they are in french, but, depending on the region, oral communications are usually held in one or more languages in Mali, including Bambara. Obviously, any written material seems especially french, bine that certain documents be published in Bambara, or in one or the other national languages. In addition, greater use of local languages in Mali that the french in patient care in hospitals, clinics and public clinics. 4.2 The national languages and education Education reform started in 1962 in the enthusiasm of the newly acquired independence was intended to be a break with the colonial education system. She had given the goal of achieving universal education while preserving and perpetuating a culture of Mali cleanly. Primary education has risen from a six-year cycle, under the colonial system, a cycle of nine years. The review marking the end of primary school, famous for its selection, has been cancelled. But this reform has not achieved the desired results, especially regarding the program which focused on controlling the french. Not only the share of the state budget devoted to education has not arrived to cover urgent needs, but access to primary and secondary education has remained limited and unfair for the rural and peri. Thus, the access rate remained at 53.9% in general, which means 63.6% for boys and 44.4% for girls. In some regions, these rates do not exceed 25% for boys and 19% for girls. Another shortcoming of the educational system of Mali on low yields because of the repetition and drop-out (a waste amounting to 25% of the budget) and the insufficient number of teachers and infrastructure. After years of experimentation with the mother tongue as the language of instruction in education, the Ministry of Basic Education has developed in 1993 a new programme. 93-107/P-RM Decree of 16 April 1993 the Ministry has assigned the use of national languages in education and, from the 1994-1995 school year, a generalized learning both languages national and french raising the number of languages taught at six: Bambara, Tamasheq, songaï, Soninke (Fulani) and the Dogon. This generalization now affects more than 300 schools. The principle is what has been called the "New school" (NEF) is to use the mother tongue of the student as the language of instruction in the first three years of primary education, the french being considered as a subject from the second year. The problem is that, for now, the NEF has not yet been implemented, except in experimental schools, because of the opposition of key stakeholders (teachers, students, political parties, and so on. ). Moreover, tests conducted in the 5th year in Ségou show that in 1997, after four years of instruction in Bambara, the children are far from mastering their mother tongue in writing. The french remains the preferred language of instruction for the sake of social mobility, while the Bambara remained the lingua favorite. However, the Ministry of Basic Education has created organisms that can ensure the execution if the implementation of educational policies and documentation language is quite abundant, there are also newspapers and magazines in several languages. It can be said that the entire educational system continues to be done in french, from primary school to university. However, students from kindergarten use their native language to learn and local french spoken. At early primary school are taught in french, but some Malian languages, including Arabic Koran, are also taught in many schools. In the second round, only the french and, in some cases, Arabic is taught. In all primary schools in the country, the teaching of English as a second language is compulsory, while secondary students will have a choice of English, German, Arabic and Chinese. In fact, after several ministerial orders, the political will of the authorities is to allow free use of the various national languages in teaching. Depending on the region, Bambara and french vehicles are teaching in the first two years of primary school. As is known, experiments have been tried with the Bambara, Tamasheq, songaï, Fulah Soninke and Dogon. The avowed aim of the Malian government is using the language of the student to give him the knowledge base and better prepare for the passage of the language in the foreign language, with the ultimate aim that the french and languages Malian must maintain relations is complementarity, not competition. This is the program called "convergence" pedagogy, which is part of the fight against school and the continuing decline in the level of student achievement in french. The guiding principle is to arrange the transfer in french skills acquired in the national languages, ie "to optimize the benefits of incorporation in the school of language skills specific to the culture of Students learning by integrating these languages in the classical curriculum. " For several years, we note that there is a significant effort to promote literacy in the national languages. On July 24, 1986, Act No. 86 AN-RAM created the National Directorate of functional literacy and applied linguistics (DNAFLA). Regarding schooling in Mali, there are a number of "community schools" in which instruction is in the national language for the first three years. Finally, there is a movement in Mali to encourage the use of a script called "N'Ko", a system of phonetic script (written from right to left) able to transcribe all languages in Mali, in particular languages tons. Today, Mali has over 8000 literacy centers distributed among 6132 villages. The number of literate, out of these centres is officially estimated at 1.2 million people. To ensure the promotion of languages and improve the literacy rate of the population of Mali, which hovered around 30%, the government has established the National Directorate of functional literacy and applied linguistics (DNAFLA). The mission of this institution is to promote language deductions and make them development tools. The program has resulted in the production of syllabaries, dictionaries, lexicons, brochures and training manuals in the different languages used. 4.3 The media and economic life Among the electronic media, radio programs are broadcast in many languages in Mali, but the french remains the language of prestige. THE ORTM (Office of television broadcasting Mali) broadcasts its french information in a proportion of 80%, the remaining 20% are devoted to a few magazines, some skits and micro-awareness programs. The shortfall in production in several national languages is due to the lack of budget and lack of professional training of stakeholders. There are at Mali some 17 radio stations which broadcast daily, of which 14 are private radio stations, and the list is growing. Different radios almost completely cover the entire territory, only the north was not staffed stations (Timbuktu, Gao, Kidal). Among the 17 stations in office, five have a vocation predominantly rural. They produce almost all the national languages in addition to the french. The National Rural Radio was launched in Mali in 1967 and, early on, it has gained a wide audience among the populations concerned. A programme to relaunch the radio is currently under way, funded by FAO (training) and UNICEF (equipment). Some local rural radios operate in Kayes since August 1988 and Douentza since July 1993. Others will be installed at Kadiolo, Bandiagara, Nioro and Kidal. Unfortunately, these regional stations remain without status, without a budget, with an understaffed. The national languages are broadcast over the Bambara, the Arabic hasanya, ségou, Dogon, kinbakka, Almost all the newspapers in the country is in french, but publishing in national languages is becoming increasingly important. The written press in french is changing rapidly. There is also a community press - the "local" newspapers - relatively large, which broadcasts usually in the national language. Thus, the Kabaaru is published in Fulah, Xibare in sononké, Jekabaara, Kote and Nieta in Bambara. But the transcript in other national languages poses technical problems. These newspapers have an average of fewer than 20 pages and are broadcast between 2000 and 20000 copies. They often serve as support for literacy in some communities. In economic life, the two languages are taking greater prominence: the french first, and then the Bambara. In any information or transaction in writing, only the french is used, but in oral the Bambara exerts a strong competition in french. In sum, we can say that the Mali comply with the requirements of Article 2 of the Constitution: Article 2 All Malians are born and remain free and equal in rights and duties. Any discrimination based on social origin, colour, language, race, sex, religion and political opinion is prohibited. In Mali, where the french took place in all official functions of the state, it does still no conflict nor any frustration of a linguistic nature. Yet, in this country, the inter-mixing are very old and very developed. For most Malians, the situation appeared to be normal, and this, especially since all national languages are equal in relation to the french, the official language. Anyway, if harmony is an asset in a multilingual country, and Mali have done. It should be noted also the opening of Malians against languages other than french. Indeed, Mali, Bambara not only is there the first national language of important, but the state seems to have taken care not to neglect the Arabic and English. Let us not forget that Africa three languages provide almost all the official functions of interethnic communication: the french, English and Arabic. As can be seen, Mali has positioned itself well! Last update: Bibliography IDRC. "Language Education / Languages of Instruction in" Policy Implications for Education in Africa / Policy Implications for Education in Arica, Working Group on Education Research and Policy Analysis, Association for the Development of the Education in Africa, International Institute for Educational Planning, 1997, [http://www.idrc.ca/books/focus/829/chp01_f.html]. DANIOKO, Charles Abdoulaye. "" Survey language in Mali, Bamako, unpublished study. ENCYCLOPAEDIA MICROSOFT ENCARTA, 2004, Art. "Mali", to the historical part. GAUTHIER, François, and Jacques Jacques LECLERC MAURAIS. Languages and constitutions, Montreal / Paris, Office of the French Language / International Council of the French Language, 1993, p 131 SANGARE, Mahamadou. "The local languages and African identity, Sikasso, undated, [Http://www.kanjamadi.com/MahamadSangare.html].
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