20.10.2004

Language rights and wrongs, Common fight

Reports of ESF meetings

The seminar on ‘Identity and language rights in Europe’ brought together a number of representatives from countries such as the Basque country, Kurdistan and Catalonia. However, the speaker who injected the most reactionary perspective on language survival and promotion was from Cimuned - a pressure group from Wales, which campaigns for exclusive use of the Welsh language.

Having made references on several occasions to “English colonisation” of his (and this writer’s) home country, perhaps his trump card was his call for “some possible restrictions” of English people who had thoughts on property acquisition in “Cymru”. Such a measure would further the “non-dilution” of Welsh by preventing young Welsh-speaking individuals from being forced out of their respective communities through pressure on house prices.

Leaving aside the problem of how this would be enforced (passport control on both Severn Bridge crossings?) and what would happen if a non Welsh-speaking Welsh person wanted to buy property in a Welsh language area, such a perspective is entirely divisive and panders to nationalistic sentiment. Of course, when I raised these arguments from they floor they fell on deaf ears and the speaker from Cimuned failed to respond.
Bob Davies

Common fight

Recognising same-sex relationships across Europe and beyond’ largely lacked any clear suggestions on the way forward for lesbian and gay rights, although there were some positive contributions from a number of top-table speakers on the importance of linking the fight for equality to that of other oppressed sections of society. For example, Rowdy Boeyink (Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism) spoke of his experience in fighting for gay rights simultaneously with the fight for the eradication of racism.

Controversial points arose concerning the fight for homosexual rights in the armed forces and over the Civil Partnership Bill which, according to Stonewall’s Alan Wardle, now provides a “big step forward” for gays obtaining equal rights with their straight counterparts.

A woman from the floor spoke about how wrong it was to fight for gay rights in the armed forces - forgetting that the fight was for the right to join such bodies if an individual chose to do so. Communists would not encourage any individual to join the state’s ‘armed bodies of men’, but we would certainly fight for the rights of those who do - and combat the prejudice which discriminates against lesbians and gays in the forces as elsewhere.
Will Cane