TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Education Ministry and the South Sulawesi administration are planning to hold a Local Languages International Congress in Makassar on October 1-4. This is linked to efforts on ensuring that even more local languages and dialects end up in extinction. “Already 700 Indonesian local dialects have vanished,” said the Language Institution Secretary, Yeyen Maryani, in Makassar on Tuesday. According to Yeyen, the role of educational institutions is really needed to conserve the local languages. Yeyen revealed that a region that lost its local language automatically lost its tribal identity. “The Bugis Makassar people are known as tough sailors. This identity has to be maintained,” said her. South Sulawesi Provincial Government Secretary, Andi Muallim, who becomes the chairman of local languages international congress in Makassar, said that the vanishing of local languages is because of their infrequency as introductory language. “Local languages have to be turned on by modifying it or without modification with the involvement of young generation because the tribe who has its own spoken and written language is a great tribe,” said Muallim. This congress will be attended by around 400 participants from within and outside the country. Around 60 papers will be presented in this congress. Yeyen Maryani hopes that this congress will not only be a language congress but also can be used by the South Sulawesi Provincial Government to introduce its culture. South Sulawesi classic stories can be lifted up during the congress. “During the congress, participants will be asked to wear their traditional dresses and local languages,” said Yeyen. MUHAMMAD YUNUS