Tuesday 3 February 2009

Welsh language legislation- where should it be decided?


The bid for the Welsh language LCO has gone public. It's an historic occasion which I am hoping will is the start of the process of bringing powers over the language home to Wales. The simple point is that legislation to protect the future of the Welsh language should be made in Wales. This is the most democratic and practical way of making laws which will enhance our status as a bilingual nation, and which will establish linguistic rights for Welsh speakers, placing both of our national languages on an equal footing.

If all goes well, the actual detail of the legislation will be debated in our National Assembly once we get the powers transferred. I am looking forward to that moment.

I've just been informed that I'll be on the Assembly legislation committee responsible for scrutinising the LCO, so watch this space!

1 comment:

Brian Barker said...

As native-born English speaker, living in London, I am so glad that, at least potentially, the Welsh language will gain equal status with English, in Wales.

As the "International Year of Languages" comes to an end on 21st February, you may be interested in the contribution, made by the World Esperanto Association, to UNESCO's campaign for the protection of endangered languages.

The following declaration was made in favour of Esperanto, by UNESCO at its Paris HQ in December 2008. http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38420&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.html

The commitment to the campaign to save endangered languages was made, by the World Esperanto Association at the United Nations' Geneva HQ in September.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eR7vD9kChBA&feature=related or http://www.lernu.net