Compile a Digital Encyclopedia of Languages, create an online Language Television, and contribute to the vigor and development of communities whose language and culture are in danger: these three axes of the program “Sorosoro, so that the languages of the world may prosper!” cannot be undertaken without the expertise of men and women in the field. Over the past few weeks, Rozenn Milin, director of the Sorosoro program, has constituted a scientific committee that will meet for the first time on November 28, 2008.

An indispensable guide for Sorosoro’s activities, this Council is made up of seven linguists and ethnologists. Their different areas of research give Sorosoro expertise on the main regions involved: the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Its members are:

• Peter Austin, linguist (Australian and Indonesian languages), director of the Endangered Languages Project (ELAP) at SOAS, London
• Barbara Glowczewski, anthropologist (Aborigines of Australia), Social Anthropology Laboratory, EHESS
• Colette Grinevald, linguist (Amerindian languages), Dynamic Laboratory of Language (DDL), Lyon 2
• Michel Launey, linguist (languages of Guyana and Mayotte, education), CELIA/CNRS
• Cécile Leguy, ethno-linguist and africanist (Mali), Laboratory of Languages, Music, Societies (LMS/CNRS), and University of Paris Descartes, Paris 5
• Claire Moyse, linguist (language of New Caledonia and the Pacific), LACITO/CNRS
• Stéphane Robert, linguist (languages of Senegal), LLACAN/CNRS

The Council will meet three times a year to study and validate the program’s upcoming endeavours: examining projects, choosing populations to film, establishing film methodology, implementing partnerships…

We wish them a productive work session and we will relay the outcome in a few days on the site.

To learn more about “Sorosoro, so that languages of the world may prosper!” click here.