These languages are astonishingly diverse, barely known to science, and face the threat of extinction without trace in the coming century unless concerted international efforts are made to meet the huge challenge of documenting them. This conference addresses the scientific issues raised by these languages. The scientific part of the program will cover the whole gamut of linguistic questions from phonology to syntax to typology to historical linguistics, as well as topics bordering musicology, anthropology and prehistory, plus papers on digital archiving, documentary linguistics, scientific infrastructure and the training of linguists from minority language groups.

Besides the scientific questions, the theoretical recognition of cultural and linguistic rights of minority groups in Indonesia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea faces enormous practical difficulties if it is to be realised, as national governments have indicated they wish, as education programs that allow children to receive part of their schooling in their mother-tongue.

Inquiries:
David Gil <gil AT eva.mpg.de>

Organisers:
Nick Evans (Australian National University)
David Gil (Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)
Marian Klamer (Leiden University)
Yusuf Sawaki (Australian National University / Universitas Negeri Papua)
Wayan Arka (Australian National University / Universitas Udayana)

Acknowledgments:
This conference is being organised with the generous support of funds from Australia-Netherlands Research Collaboration (ANRC) as well as the Australian National University; the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig; the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen; Leiden University; and the Pusat Dokumentasi Bahasa-Bahasa Hampir Punah di Papua, Universitas Negeri Papua, Manokwari, Indonesia

Center for Endangered Languages Documentation

The Australia-Netherlands Research Collaboration (ANRC)

The Australian National University	Universitas Negeri Papua	Leiden University
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology	Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya	Universitas Udayana