Demonstrations in Breizh/Brittany and the USA will take place today calling for the French presidential candidates in the forthcoming elections to state their position on how they support Breton language rights and if they support an amendment to the French constitution in favour of the Breton language. The demonstrations are being coordinated by EBLUL - France, the Association des Rencontres inter-regionales des langues et cultures regionales and the new European Language Equality Network and form part of a multitude of other demonstrations that will take place across the state of France today. A press conference setting out what was hoped to be achieved by the demonstrations was held on 23 March 2012 in Paris and called on the candidates to agree to: 1) Recognise diversity and the rights of citizens to their regional or territorial language;
2) Ensure French ratification of the Council of Europe?s Charter for Regional or Minority Languages;
3) Pass a new law which allows for the co-officiality of regional languages in their territories. A full list of the planned demonstrations can be found below: Toulouse for Occitan, Quimper for Breton and Gallo, and New-York for Breton, plus concert. Strasbourg for Alsacian Bayonne for Basque Perpignan for Catalan Ajaccio for Corsican Metz for Lotharingian and Hochdeutsch, Luxemburgish and Lorrain Roman Lille for Flemish Saint Quentin and Ons-en-Bray for Picard Poitiers for Poitevin-Saintongeais Annecy for Savoyard Outre Mer territories: Martinique, Guyane, and Réunion for Creole and the indigenous languages. Links:
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(voir le site) For comment or clarification on this news item in the first instance contact: Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, General Secretary, Celtic League Tel: 0044 (0)1209 319912
M: 0044 (0)7787318666 gensec [at] celticleague.net The General Secretary will determine the appropriate branch or General Council Officer to respond to your query. ISSUED BY THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE 31/03/12