Pan Celtic Solidarity to Protect the Celtic Tongue - Proclamation Supports the Cornish Language

Multiple media outlets are reporting that the Cornwall Council has welcomed a Pan Celtic Proclamation (full text below) from the Welsh National Eisteddfod which condemns London’s decision to cut funding for the Cornish language.  This is an encouraging development of Pan Celtic cooperation in support of the Celtic tongue. The Proclamation is the outcome of discussions held by representatives of Language Activists from Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, the North of Ireland and Scotland during last week’s National Eisteddfod held in Abergavenny.  The following leaders of Celtic Language organizations signed the proclamation: Jori Ansell (Kaderyer Akademi Kernewek), Jamie Bevan (Cadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg), Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin (Bainisteoir Abhcóideachta, Conradh na Gaeilge), Dòmhnall Mac Nèill (Ceannard, Comunn na Gàidhlig) and Graham Sandercock (Kesva an Taves Kernewek).

News From The Welsh Language Society - Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg

The following was posted to the Website of the Welsh Language Society which is linked below:

Having discussed lang­uage issues in the is­lands of Britain and ­Ireland in the Nation­al Eisteddfod in Aber­gavenny last week, in­digenous language gro­ups from Wales, Cornw­all, the Isle of Man,­ the North of Ireland­ and Scotland have pu­blished a joint procl­amation today (Monday­, 15th August).

The proclamation decl­ares that these langu­age communities will ­work together to ensu­re a fair future for ­their languages under­ the new regime that ­will follow the ‘Brex­it’ result of the ref­erendum. 

The language groups t­hat have co-signed th­e proclamation declar­e,
“­We shall use all peac­eful means within our­ capacity to withstan­d... injustice and to­ secure financial, po­litical and cultural ­fairness for our lang­uage communities.”

Accordingly, all the ­groups condemn the re­cent decision to comp­letely cut financial ­support for the Corni­sh language.

Proclamation of Minority Language Communities Representatives in the Aftermath of Brexit

Whatever our individual political beliefs, as representatives of minority language communities of these islands (and whatever the individual beliefs of those whom we represent), there is no doubt that our communities face a highly complex period in the aftermath of the decision made by the majority of the United Kingdom’s citizens to leave the European Union. We fear that Brexit will lead to an insecure future for our communities, as the UK Government’s recent abolition of funding for the Cornish language demonstrates. We are once again at the mercy of the Westminster Government. That government is a body that has shown no desire to protect and promote the rights of speakers of our nations’ languages, and have throughout much of our shared history conducted aggressive language policies designed to eradicate our languages.

Since we are henceforth unlikely to receive European funding for language projects, cultural and economic investment from the EU’s funds, we shall have to campaign harder than ever before to secure fair treatment for our language communities at the levels of regions, countries and the UK State as a whole. We stand together here now and together shall we stand in the future in a spirit of brotherhood and common destiny and we insist that the Westminster Government fulfill their duty to our communities by sustaining the funds that have been provided to them by the EU.

Furthermore, we consider the Government’s decision to abolish funding for the Cornish language an indubitable sign of ill will and a violation of agreement under Europe’s Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (Article 7, Part II). We insist that the funding be reinstalled in accordance with the petition that is put forward to the Westminster Parliament. As well as that, we support the Cornish people’s appeal calling on the Government to provide the financial funding that is likely to be forfeited in the wake of Brexit. We, as representatives of minority language communities of these islands, declare that we shall not tolerate such treatment by the central Government nor by any other political authority and that we shall use all peaceful means within our capacity to withstand such injustice and to secure financial, political and cultural fairness for our language communities.

http://cymdeithas.cymru/news/brexit-proclamation-indig-enous-languages-b...