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Ethical Perspective of Sumer Institute of Linguistics

Ethical Perspective of Summer Institute of Linguistics
The Summer Institute if Linguistics (SIL) is a global organization that studies, develops, and documents languages from all over the world. The organization is a non-profit US based. This Christian organization promotes literacy in countries around the world focusing on the lesser and minority areas.
SIL started out as a small summer program. Students would go around the world to assist missionaries. Missionaries travel to indigenous tribes and poor areas to teach the natives of that land about Jesus. Because the people they were ministering to were uneducated, usually they were unable to read and in many cases had no form of written languages. Because the need was so great, SIL became a year round organization and partnered with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
SIL and Wycliffe members and missionaries are trained to live in areas of the world with limited resources. Basic living necessities are limited. The members and missionaries, after their training is complete moves to unknown parts of the world, with their family, and live amongst the very people they are trying to minister to. Without a doubt, this is no east task. In the United States, basic living requirements are taken for granted. Americans live in a land of abundance. When these members and missionaries move into their appointed lands, they are no longer afforded the same amenities they had while in the United Stated.
Members and missionaries emerge themselves into the culture of the people. In order to gain their trust, they live as the natives of the land they are in. They leave everything they know behind when they are called to this life. They learn the languages of the people. They learn to read and write the languages. They also record the languages and writings and translate it into English and many more of the more widely used languages. The record of the languages is then stored for future member and missionaries that are assigned to their lands. Over the years, member and missionaries have been persecuted by the government of these countries, because some of their heritage and cultures are being disturbed. Not only are the governments in fear of the loss and possible extinction of the original cultures, they fear the uneducated and indigenous may rise against them. If they are left ignorant and unknowing, they will not know any better. I have witnessed this in South America. In the Amazon jungle, there are more than six thousand undocumented languages. The main language is Portuguese. Very few of the six thousand different tribes are aware of this language. The members and missionaries not on learn, teach and document each specific tribes language but they also teach them Portuguese. This know allows the tribes to trade with the main land and once again, is a treat to the government. The government of the United States promotes and encourages education. Education of their countries heritages, not just their own but as many as possible. Other countries, not just South America, do not encourage education. This is a way of controlling them. If they do not know a different culture or language they usually avoid interaction with the other groups. Ethically, is SIL pushing our culture and way of life on these people. SIL and Wycliffe send members and missionaries into these remote areas and change their way of living. There is nothing that should hinder or keep people from hearing the word of God. But are their boundaries crossed when their taught a new way of living. Will the people of the tribes be able to keep up the newly learned culture once SIL and Wycliffe moves on to another area? SIL and Wycliffe also provide medical missions. American medications are dispensed to patients for illness like hypertension, diabetes, thyroid problems, stomach problems and infections. Is this ethically right? Yes, people are being helped, how temporary, is a mystery. Would the ethical dilemma be solved by only teaching learning, documenting and translating their languages? Would it be better if medical mission treated illnesses with remedies from their own environment? Would it resolve ethical dilemmas if the people of the tribes were taught the skills of the SIL and Wycliffe members? Teach them to care for their own in the future. Teach them to translate and read the word of God and teach future generations on their own. SIL and Wycliffe provide a service that is definitely needed. However, I can see were governments are concerned for the tribes life-life.

References Soren Hvalkof, Current Anthropology , Vol. 25, No. 1 (Feb., 1984), pp. 124-126

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2742955 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIL_International

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