I’ve been campaigning to obtain rights for the Welsh language in Europe for almost ten years. At last, things are looking up. I’m very pleased that the ‘One Wales’ government has committed to this too. People in the Basque Country, Catalunya and Galicia already have the right to communicate with the European institutions in their mother tongue. Why then don’t we as Welsh people have the same right? The Welsh Assembly Government is currently holding talks with the European institutions to ensure an agreement that would allow this. This isn’t just a matter of principle, it would also create jobs and boost the Welsh economy as the translation industry would be based in Wales.
Despite the fact that “co-official” status wouldn’t put Welsh on a par with other European languages, it would act as a facility through which Welsh speakers could communicate with the institutions in Welsh. As an MEP, I would of course like to have the ability to use the Welsh language in Parliament, as other institutions would allow.
I have written to organisations, institutions, schools and colleges to ask them to write to the President of the European Parliament, Hans Gert Poettering, to state their support for “co-official” status for the Welsh language, saying that they would take advantage of the provision if it were adopted in Parliament. This would be a great help not only to the campaign, but also to Wales’ profile within Europe. If you would like to take part in the campaign, please go to www.jillevans.net, where I’ll be publishing how you can take part soon.
June 8, 2008 at 5:38 pm |
Da iawn Jill fach…..;-)
June 17, 2008 at 5:27 pm |
Well done, Jill. If it wasn’t for you, no one else would be moving things along at all, least of all the Labour MEPs, who seem to want to stymy progress at every turn.
June 17, 2008 at 9:46 pm |
Good job, Jill. I remember when you spoke in parliament to Blair in Welsh. Even though he was the BRITISH prime minister, he couldn’t handle that. I see that Eluned Morgan is against what you’ve done now. And she made up the cost of it to make it look bad. So much for being concerned about jobs in Wales. What does Glenys say? Does she even live in Wales now?
June 22, 2008 at 10:42 am |
I moved to Wales a few years ago now, but it didn’t take me long to realise that I had moved to a different country. It grieves me when people fail to acknowledge and celebrate the differnces, but what grieves me most is the attitude of people like these Labour MEPs – Welsh speakers who do nothing to further the cause of the language, even though they have every opportunity. ‘The enemy within’ is not too strong a phrase for these people.
July 8, 2009 at 4:24 pm |
Excellent news… btw you can read about the hisory of the Welsh language here > http://www.k-international.com/history_of_the_welsh_language