Deidre Brock MP welcomed the official launch of the 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages, which is taking place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris yesterday.
Deidre tabled an Early Day motion at Westminster to support the year’s events, which seek to raise awareness of the issues for indigenous languages around the globe, 40 per cent of which are in danger of disappearing.
The North & Leith MP said: “I’m glad the UN recognises the importance of protecting and nurturing indigenous languages, without which we’d all be poorer.
“Language is about more than communication, it’s part of the rich diversity of human life, reflecting people’s social histories, cultures and knowledge which has passed down through the centuries.
“Despite the dominance of English we are lucky to have such a mix of tongues still spoken across the UK, including Gaelic, Cornish, Scots, Doric, Romany, Irish and Welsh. They have persevered despite the neglect and sometimes downright antagonism speakers have faced over the years. They carry on because language is part of who we are.
“It’s good to see the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament put more support and recognition into our indigenous languages to help safeguard them for future generations.
“After so many years being dismissed as dying, it’s exciting to see the interest in Gaelic grow, particularly amongst young people. This is reflected in an energetic contemporary Gaelic cultural scene, as we see at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow right now. Gaelic Medium Education is also thriving at schools like Bun-Sgoil Taobh na Pàirce, Edinburgh’s Gaelic primary school in my own constituency.
“An understanding of our indigenous languages brings people closer and also brings the educational benefits of bilingualism or multilingualism to a new generation.
“A lot more could be done to nurture this, and I’m writing to the BBC today to see what plans they have to recognise the year of indigenous languages in their programming schedule. It could be a good time to refresh the twenty year old Gaelic educational programmes, for example, to make them more relevant to modern life.
“Supporting indigenous languages is not just an important minority concern. Celebrating diversity, respecting different cultures and learning from each other benefits everyone and ultimately is the path to peace and reconciliation across the globe.”
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