There are dozens of minority languages spoken in Tibet, but that number is currently collapsing under assimilatory state policies. An increasing number of families in these communities are now passing on Tibetan or Chinese, in the hope of accessing better opportunities in education and employment.

What are the systems at work that restrict and devalue minority languages in Tibet? How can global advocacy networks acknowledge the issue, and what radical changes are needed to address this crisis?

The launch of The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet by Gerald Roche, published by Cornell University Press.

Panel:

Associate Professor Gerald Roche (Department of Politics, Media, and Philosophy, La Trobe University)

Associate Professor Sonika Gupta (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras)

Dr Anna Belew (Executive Director, Endangered Languages Project, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)

Associate Professor Ruth Gamble (Deputy Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)(chair)

Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)(introduction)

Recorded on 15th November, 2024