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Palé
Kwéyòl exceeds all expectations
Thanks to the Youth of
Dominica, UNESCO and numerous other partners,
Dominicans can say today that the Kwéyòl culture,
particularly the language, is on the path to restoration.
The Palé Kwéyòl project, which was designed to
teach the Kwéyòl language and culture, has been
successfully implemented, exceeding the expectations
of many.
It was a
truly remarkable experience working with other
young people, facilitating the holistic development
of our younger peers, developing ideas, and witnessing
our vision become a reality.
Activities
such as the Kwéyòl March, Kwéyòl classes, Kwéyòl
radio program and the first ever Kwéyòl Spelling
Bee have left a permanent mark in the minds of
Dominicans who are expressing their desire for
the program to be repeated.
The outputs
of the project will prove that once given the
opportunity and resources, young people can make
a meaningful contribution to our culture and independence
celebrations.
Our report
and the data that corresponds to it will be tools
for this present generation to continue using
in the coming months as we continue the classes
in a different setting and new aspects of the
program take shape. In time it will become a template
for future generations to springboard into the
next phase of developing our culture and nation.
The report
is also intended to sensitize people in other
islands and regions about the work that the youth
are doing to save our heritage and by obtaining
feedback from them, we can establish linkages
and identify best practices so that we can act
globally in addressing the issue of the international
problem of the loss of culture.
Let all who
read this be inspired to join us and help take
our culture to a new plateau.
- Jahisiah.
J. Benoit, Director of the Palé Kwéyòl project
Latest update:
30 October 2006
Back in Dominica we commenced
the second cycle of the Palé Kwéyòl program
last week. So far we have had the opening ceremony/press
conference, a television program, and a radio
program, the intereviews for the youth who are
to take up office at the Kweyol desk are scheduled
for today and tommorow. We have six persons applying
for this job, ten who have applied for the training
as tutors. Soon their training will commence as
well as the spelling B.
- Jahisiah
12 September 2006
Last
week we had a very sucessful presentation at the
workshop which was organized by AREC-F (Atelier
de recherche sur l'enseignement du créole et du
français) in collaboration with the cultural division.
The representatives of AREC-F are very interested
in having two members from the Youth Culture and
Heritage Movement visit Martinique and Guadeloupe
to promote the project and outline strategies
for its implementation. Also one of the senior
personnel namely Dr. Paulette Jno-Baptiste Durizot
recommended that the project be implemented as
a caribbean project. Where as the latter is still
some time in the making we are working with them
to make the visit a reality.
- Jahisiah
8 September 2006
This afternoon the group is going to do a presentation
on the project at a linguisitc workshop organized
in collaboration with a foreign linguist named
Stella Cambrone. I will inform you of the outcome
of this two day workshop which seeks to advance
techniques for teacing Kweyol and strategies for
including Kweyol in the class room.
- Jahisiah
18 May 2006
The Cultural Division has agreed to fully
fund the project this September and ensure that
aspects such as the Spelling Bee and Kweyol March
become annual activities. In addition they have
agreed to reinstate a Kweyol Desk at the Divisions
headquarters; we are working on getting a member
of our group to be employed at this desk.
- Jahisiah
For more information:
Contact Jahisiah Jeremiah Benoit:
jahjben@hotmail.com
Background
information
Project proposal, workplan
Historical
background on the Kwéyòl language
Class
material [.pdf 175Kb]
Alphabet, Kwéyòl vocabulary
list, outline of lessons
Kwéyòl
Spelling Bee [.pdf 81Kb]
Competition rules, final list of words
Final
Report [.pdf 323Kb]
Outcomes of: Classes, March, Extravaganza, Spelling
B, Radio program
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