The One Dish, One Wish event in the social center at Gerðuberg, Reykjavík, connected the 17 Sustainable Development Goals with the languages and cultures of the groups and school of Móðurmál. The event celebrated International Mother Language Day (21 February), as well as the collaboration of Móðurmál – the Association on Bilingualism, the cultural center Gerðuberg, compulsory schools Fellaskóli and Hólabrekkuskóli, and the City of Reykjavík, and their efforts to teach, use and promote all languages of our students.
After a warm welcome from the organizers of the event, Bibiam M Gonzalez Rodriguez, the advocate of the Global Schools Program in Iceland, presented the initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The mission of this program is to create a world where every primary and secondary school student is equipped with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for effectively responding to the greatest challenges of this century and shaping a sustainable and prosperous world. Móðurmál works specifically towards goal number 4, Education for all, on target 4.7 which focuses on education for sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, promotion of the culture of peace, global citizenship education, and appreciation of cultural diversity
The president of Móðurmál presented representatives of the schools Fellaskóli and Hólabrekkuskóli with posters that show their collaboration and highlight the importance of collaborative efforts to appreciate, recognize, and promote all children´s languages.
This was followed by music performances of Russian, Thai, Lithuanian, and Arabic groups. After that, children from Spanish, Russian, Thai, Lithuanian, and Arabic groups presented their posters in which they showed the connection between selected recipes from their countries, responsible consumption, and awareness of the importance of protecting the environment. For example, how far do foods need to travel so that we can make our favorite meal? Children presented their work in their languages and the Lithuanian poster was awarded a special prize. After this, everyone was invited to taste the foods that the children presented in their posters.
Móðurmál is proud to represent and support mother tongue groups and schools in Iceland whose work is entirely based on the volunteer work of parents and teachers. Their work is invaluable for children, families, and society at large.
