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Page 1of 1 <br />Lynne Pease <br />From: <br />Sent:Tuesday, August 21, 2012 2:04 PM <br />To:selectmen's <br />Subject:International Mother Language Day- Attn: Lynne <br />Hi Lynne, <br /> I stopped by your office a couple months ago with my mother, Nila Karim, regarding a proposal to formally <br />recognize International Mother Language Day in the Town of Lexington. The following is the proposal me and my <br />brother have written up. Please let me know if you have any comments or amendments you would recommend to <br />make before presenting the proposal to the Board of Selectmen. Thank you so much and hope to hear from you <br />soon. <br />To Whom It May Concern: <br /> The first official recognition of February 21st as International Mother Language Day was proclaimed in <br />November of 1999 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in order to <br />Ðpromote the preservation and protection of all languages used by people of the worldÑ(1). This day has been <br />observed in remembrance of the Bangladesh Language Movement of 1952 and pay tribute to those Bangladeshi <br />students who gave their lives in order to gain the right to speak their native tongue. <br /> On a global scale, the recognition of International Mother Language Day sheds light on the importance of <br />cultural preservation and acceptance in the world, fostering both peace and freedom of speech. In a town where the <br />value of diversity is prominent and of utmost importance, the formal recognition of 21st of February as International <br />Mother Language Day would be befitting for our town. According to the US census released in 2011, the general <br />population of Lexington has increased 3.4 percent while the percentage of minorities has risen to 26.3 percent within <br />the last decade. The growth of culture and diversity within the Lexington population demonstrates how relevant and <br />important the acknowledgement of Mother Language Day would be in our community. <br /> My younger brother, Zahin, and I are both first generation Americans born to Bangladeshi parents and are <br />multilingual, speaking three languages each, including Bangla, mother tongue of Bangladesh with fluency. <br /> We believe the preservation of language is an important aspect in society today. Acknowledging the value <br />st <br />and celebrating culture through formal recognition of February 21 as International Mother Language day will be a <br />historic event in a town as culturally enlightened as Lexington. <br />st <br /> We hope you consider this proposal and formally recognize 21 of February as International Mother <br />Language Day in Lexington. We will appreciate your kind consideration. Thank you. <br />Regards, <br />Zahin and Noha Ahmed <br />1.United Nations. ÐInternational Mother Language Day.Ñ2012. http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/ <br />2.Kocian, Lisa. Boston.com. ÐLexington Grows More Diverse, Census Shows.ÑApril 7,2011. <br />http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/lexington/2011/04/lexington_grows_more_diverse_c.html <br />1/31/2014 <br /> <br />