WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Exotic and cheerful community gathered at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C. for the 10th annual celebration of the International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21. Bangladeshi saris, Ukrainian embroidered clothing, African golden dresses, and Russian red sarafans represented the diversity.

The holiday declared by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is designed to celebrate the ethno-linguistic rights of people around the globe. But its start was tragic, not euphoric. On this day in 1952, several students of Dhaka University were killed by Pakistani police during the procession demanding that Bengali (Bangla) must be recognized as one of the state languages of Pakistan. The government’s bloody actions to establish Urdu as the sole national language for all Pakistan triggered the creation of the language movement, which ushered in the struggle for independence. In 1971, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh.

The Ukrainian community actively participated in the event. The multicultural audience applauded Solomia Dutkewych, singing the songs Rodymyi Krayu (My Beloved Homeland) and U Sadu Vyshnevomu (In the Cherry Orchard).

The audience also enjoyed a Nigerian song about mothers performed by Abiodun Koya, Russian songs and dances shown by the students of the local Russian school “Metaphor,” the song of the World War II Katyusha performed by Larissa Trelina, patriotic songs in Hindi and other performances. The traditional Paraguayan “dance with a bottle” was executed by Elena Cuizoni. In this dance, five bottles are put on the head of a dancer one on the top of the other and the dancer continues to move with other dancers on the stage.

Before the performances the audience was greeted by the representatives of the diverse diplomatic community of Washington and reputable linguists. The presenters spoke about endangered languages and the multilingual education. The example of Yiddish, the language of Eastern European Jews which disappeared in Eastern Europe as a result of Holocaust, will always remind mankind how rich and developed cultures can be destroyed.

Michael Chyet, a U.S. linguist who specialized in the Kurdish language and was born in a Jewish-American family, reminded the audience about the importance of teaching children their heritage languages. “My father answered in English to his grandmother, who was speaking Yiddish, he could understand but the spoken skills were lost,” the speaker described his family’s experience. According to UNESCO, about half of 7,000 languages which exist in the world are in danger of extinction.

Because of the global economic crisis, many countries are now trying to tighten and regulate their job markets. While different governments are speaking less about the value of globalization and are expressing more concerns about migrants, the diplomatic community in Washington, DC understands that crises come and go; it is necessary to build relationships, find mutual understanding and respect differences.

The International Mother Language Day is one of the initiatives to remind that diversity is an important source of strength - economic, cultural and spiritual. “We should honor all languages,” Anis Ahmed concluded the event in his presentation about Bengali (Bangla) Language Movement under loud applause of the attendees.