PRESERVING IGBO IDENTITY THROUGH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: COMMUNITY VALUES VS. INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Abstract

In the world of today, many native languages, traditions and cultures are at risk of being extinct. For the Igbo people, language and culture are the center of their identity and history. This paper examines how the Igbo language helps preserve cultural values such as communal living (Umunna), respect for elders, and traditional justice systems. It also examines practices certain gender practices and roles sometimes clash with international human rights standards. Using examples from language studies, cultural traditions, and human rights law, the paper further explores both the points where Igbo values and global rights agree, and the places where they conflict. This paper argues that the borderline should not be to abandon traditions or blindly follow international standards but to find ways of keeping the Igbo culture alive while also respecting human dignity and equality for all. This approach can help protect the Igbo identity while still allowing the igbo identity to thrive in a modernized and linked world.