April 2006

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GALICIAN LANGUAGE RIGHTS WATCH SET UP

April 2006 – The Galician Language Rights Watch has been presented in Santiago on April 1. This new institution has been promoted by judges, lawyers, sociolinguists, university professors and law professionals in view of “the dramatic situation the Galician language goes through and the abuses and the violation of rights its speakers undergo on a daily bases”.

In the presentation ceremony a founding manifesto and a warning document addressed to the administrations and society in general containing urgent measures for 2006 were read. Among other targets, the manifesto proposes to issue and disseminate a yearly report examining the sociolinguistic situation in Galicia in which discrimination and infringements suffered by Galician-speakers are reported; to verify and demand the public administrations to observe the law on language issues and to study the public funding policies and its results. The Galician Language Rights Watch warned about the loss of Galician-speakers amongst the youngest generations, a situation considered reversible in spite of everything. For 2006 it proposes to urgently implement some of the measures established in the General Plan of Galician Language Normalization approved in 2004 such as those aiming at ensuring 33% of use of Galician in pre-school education and 50% in primary, secondary and high school education.

The Galician Language Rights Watch also considers that public funding of projects, institutions and companies should effectively increase and boost the visibility of the language, so it would be recommendable to carry out all necessary follow-up and control of the recipient’s progresses. As regards the field of justice, the founders ask to translate all computer management programs and the application forms of everyday use. They also stated their opinion on mass media by demanding TV and radio stations to carry out the commitment of increasing the broadcasting in Galician as established in the General Plan of Galician Language Normalization.

Last but not least, the Galician Language Rights Watch will monitor the application of the international treaties related to the rights of Galician-speakers such as the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights.