5,000 in Lorient for Breton immersion schools
Brussel - Bruxelles, Monday, 02 April 2007 by Davyth Hicks
Over 5,000 people gathered on Saturday in Lorient, Brittany to demonstrate over the lack of funding for the Diwan Breton immersion schools.
“Why must we ask for the permission so that our children can learn our language, Breton, at school ?” asked the singer Nolwenn Korbell to heavy applause. “Justis evit Diwan! Justis evit ar brezhoneg!” (Justice for Diwan! Justice for Breton!), shouted the demonstrators.
Supporters came from all over Brittany, parents and children from the Diwan schools, as well as many others such as an Occitan delegation from Béziers.
The chief demands, repeated by all the speakers, were that after 30 years of existence the Diwan schools are finally recognized by the authorities, that there is a transfer of competences and means to the Breton region in the field of culture and Breton language teaching, and that the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is finally ratified by France.
Despite the efforts of the former French Minister for Education Jack Lang in 2001 to have Diwan funded directly by the state, the legislation was blocked by the Conseil d'Etat following a move by several French teacher trade unions opposed to regional language teaching. Since then Diwan has had to depend on the financial support of parents, even though the taxes paid by these same parents already pays for French state education in Brittany.
Following Saturday’s demonstration, and because of parental demand, an online petition has been launched calling for a new Breton medium pre-school unit to be set up in Vannes, after funding was refused for it. The petition can be found at
http://ouiaubreton.com/spip.php?article549
Microsoft launches Breton versions of Vista and Office
Meanwhile, last Wednesday (28th March), Ofis ar Brezhoneg announced a “historic deal” with Microsoft that will make their most popular software, such as Office and Vista, available in Breton. French Microsoft boss Eric Boustoller, was joined by Breton Regional President Jean-Yves le Drian and Lena Louarn from Ofis ar Brezhoneg to launch the new package. Mr Boustuller also announced that he will be learning Breton. (Eurolang 2007)
Oui au Breton website
http://ouiaubreton.com/spip.php?article555
Ofis ar Brezhoneg, Breton Language Office
http://www.ofis-bzh.org/
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Betogen, actie voeren, opkomen voor culturele rechten, ..
Het gebeurt nog steeds in Europa! En wij maar lullig doen over meer of nog meer autonomie.. mensen, wees BLIJ dat we al zover staan! Er zijn talrijke bevolkingsgroepen die nog steeds 50 jaar achter zijn op onze ontvoogding. Laten we die oogkleppen afdoen en eens verder kijken dan ons klein Vlaanderen. De strijd is niet gestreden met een onafhankelijk Vlaanderen, heel Europa moet ontdaan worden van dat grootschalig centralisme van de machtsstaten. Wég met de EU! wég met het Europa van het grootkapitaal! Echte democratie kan maar bestaan als er sprake is van "downscaling", wanneer volk en staat in een 1:1 verhouding staan, en de staten ten op zichte van elkaar ook in een 1:1 verhouding staan. Samenwerking, geen opgedrongen overkoepeling; confederatie, geen opgedrongen federatie.