SIL International is one of the organisations that Wycliffe works with around the world. A recent edition of the prestigious linguistics journal Language took a hard look at the way in which SIL as a faith based NGO relates to the secular world of academic linguistics. One of the papers was by Ken Olson, who took a robust look at some of the criticisms which have been raised about SIL. His conclusion makes encouraging reading.
Finally, I take issue with the charge that we are promoting something Western. Christianity did not start in the West and today, the majority of Christians are not Western (Jenkins 2002). Gambian-born Yale Divinity School professor Lamin Sanneh (1989, 2003) has written extensively on how Bible translation into indigenous languages frees the Christian message of colonial trappings and leads specifically to an indigenous Christianity expressive of the local character rather than a Western Christianity. Neither is literacy, nor its benefits uniquely Western. SIL’s literacy programs promote reading and writing equally, and they are tailored to each specific local sociolinguistic solution.
The major criticism of SIL is the claim that SIL’s work damages indigenous cultures. On this question, SIL has been judged and vindicated. Critics have tried to make this case against SIL for decades. It has never been substantiated. And the motive behind the criticism is ideological.
On the contrary, SIL works for the benefit of indigenous peoples in tangible ways. It has a corporate ethos of service to all, and it shares other linguists’ embrace of the scientific approach. Hence SIL is happy to work with other linguists, to help document the world’s endangered languages and to work in practical ways toward strengthening these languages as well as their related cultures.
The stakes are high. Languages are dying out at an alarming rated, and we need to work together for the benefit of indigenous cultures around the world.
Ken’s vindication of the work of SIL, certainly fits in with my experience of working with that organisation in Africa.
A note to commentors. If you disagree with what Ken Olson says in his article, please do feel free to comment. However, I will equally feel free to delete comments which just recycle old complaints and which don’t interact with the full text (not my quote of the summary) of Ken’s article. Olson, Kenneth S. 2009. SIL International: An emic view. Language 85(3). 646–652.
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3 replies on “Destroying Cultures?”
I could not find the full text of the article. What’s the link?
The article isn’t online, sorry. You’ll need to dig it out of an academic library somewhere. Unless you are a student and have online library access (in which case, I’m very jealous)!
Bible translation is a ministry that is beyond what I can express as wonderful and blessed of God. I encourage your ministry in this area because not only does it help further the gospel but it actually strengthens the culture and language.
Those who criticize bible translators and ministries from the west are total ideologues who can’t stand the gospel being preached in other lands. I wouldn’t give their criticisms the time of day. GO therefore…