Misneachd a’ toirt seachad mholaidhean gus Bile nan Cànanan Albannach a neartachadh
Tha a’ bhuidheann-iomairt Misneachd air freagairt mhionaideach a sgrìobhadh air Bile nan Cànanan Albannach a tha ro Chomataidh Foghlam, Cloinne agus Dhaoine Òga Pàrlamaid na h-Alba an-dràsta.
Tha a’ bhuidheann a’ fàilteachadh na bile san fharsaingeachd agus a’ creidsinn gur e ceum cudromach air adhart a th’ innte a thaobh stiùireadh nas làidire bhon riaghaltas air ro-innleachd poileasaidh nàiseanta na Gàidhlig, a’ neartachadh foghlam Gàidhlig, agus a’ cruthachadh chothroman ùra gus ceann a’ mhaide a chumail ris an riaghaltas, Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus buidhnean poblach eile.
Aig an aon àm dh’fhaodadh a’ bhile a bhith na bu làidire ann an cuid a dh’àiteachan. Bidh tòrr an crochadh air mar a bhios an riaghaltas a’ cleachdadh nan cumhachdan ùra a tha anns an lagh a thaobh fo-reachdas, riaghailtean agus ro-innleachdan reachdail, agus dè an ìre maoineachaidh a bhios ri fhaighinn airson diofar raointean san àm ri teachd. Tha Misneachd ag iarraidh air an Riaghaltas barrachd soilleireachd a thoirt seachad cho luath ’s a ghabhas air na gnothaichean seo.
’S e a’ phàirt as ùire den bhile Earrann 4 a tha a’ dèiligeadh ri ‘sgìrean cànain sònraichte’, a’ coileanadh gealladh an riaghaltais gus ‘Gàidhealtachdan’ oifigeil aithneachadh. B’ urrainn dha na sgìrean seo a bhith air an sònrachadh ann an sgìrean far a bheil sgilean Gàidhlig aig co-dhiù 20% den t-sluagh, far a bheil foghlam Gàidhlig no gnìomhachd Ghàidhlig eile stèidhichte, no far a bheil ceangal eachdraidheil no cultarail ris a’ Ghàidhlig. Tha e coltach, mar eisimpleir, gum b’ urrainn an dà chuid na h-Eileanan Siar agus Glaschu an inbhe seo fhaighinn.
Tha Misneachd a’ cur fàilte air an inbhe ùir seo a tha a’ daingneachadh a’ phrionnsabail gu bheil feumalachdan sònraichte aig diofar sgìrean, fhad ’s a thathar ag aithneachadh gur e cànan nàiseanta a th’ anns a’ Ghàidhlig aig an aon àm.
’S e an duilgheadas a th’ ann leis an earrainn seo, a rèir Misneachd, nach eil e soilleir dè bhios an inbhe seo a’ ciallachadh no dè seòrsa ghoireasan, structaran-taic agus guth coimhearsnachd a bhiodh ann, nam biodh sìon, aig ìre nas ionadail na ìre na sgìre chomhairle.
Tha Misneachd air dreachd leasachaidh a sgrìobhadh gu chur an àite Earrann 4 sa bhile, stèidhichte air siostam nan sgìrean planaidh cànain ann an Èirinn fo Achd na Gaeltacht 2012. Bhiodh seo a’ sònrachadh aonadan cruinn-eòlach ionadail, anns na h-Eileanan Siar co-dhiù, a bhiodh co-shìnte ri uàrdaichean taghaidh na comhairle, agus bhiodh plana cànain coimhearsnachd, co-dhiù aon oifigear leasachaidh làn-ùine, agus buidseat ionadail anns gach sgìre. Tha Misneachd a’ moladh buidseat de co-dhiù £150,000 sa bhliadhna do gach sgìre, no £2.7 millean sa bhliadhna do dh’Alba air fad.
“’S e suim mhòr a th’ ann an taca ri na tha ga chosg air leasachadh coimhearsnachd Gàidhlig an-dràsta, ach meadhanach beag an taca ri buidseat na Gàidhlig uile gu lèir, gun luaidh air an sporan phoblach san fharsaingeachd,” thuirt an Dr Christopher Lewin, ball de Mhisneachd agus neach-acadaimigeach a chuidich gus freagairt na buidhne a sgrìobhadh, agus a tha a’ fuireach ann an sgìre Gaeltacht ann an Èirinn an-dràsta.
“Tha sinn ag aithneachadh gu bheil staing eaconamach ann, ach tha cosg ann gun a bhith a’ toirt airgid a-steach dha na coimhearsnachdan seo, agus tha luchd na Gàidhlig airidh agus feumach air tòrr a bharrachd taic.”
Fo mholaidhean na buidhne, bhiodh e cuideachd mar dhleastanas air comhairlean sgìrean a shònrachadh far a bheil 20% den t-sluagh a’ bruidhinn na cànain, seach a bhith roghainneil, mar a tha e sa bhile an-dràsta.
Tha freagairt iomlan Misneachd ri leughadh an seo, agus tha a’ bhuidheann a’ brosnachadh an t-sluaigh gus an uiread freagairtean a chur a-steach ron cheann-latha, 8mh Màrt.
Tha pàipear rannsachaidh leis an Dr Lewin mu leasachadh cànain sa choimhearsnachd ann an Èirinn agus ann an Alba ri leughadh anns an iris Scottish Affairs. Tha tionndadh saor an asgaidh ri leughadh an seo.
“Cha bhi cothrom mar seo ann a-rithist fad ùine mhòir, ma bhios gu bràth,” a thuirt an Dr Lewin. “Feumar a’ bhile seo a neartachadh uiread ’s a ghabhas, agus ìmpidh a chur air an riaghaltas maoineachadh iomchaidh a chur seachad.”
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The campaign group Misneachd has written a detailed response to the Scottish Languages Bill which is currently before the Education, Children and Young People Committee of the Scottish Parliament.
The group welcomes the bill in general and believes that it is an important step forward in terms of stronger leadership from the government on the national Gaelic policy strategy, strengthening Gaelic education, and creating new opportunities to scrutinise the government, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and other public bodies.
At the same time the bill could be strengthened in some areas. Much will depend on how the government uses the new powers contained in the act in terms of secondary legislation, regulations and statutory strategies, and how much funding will be available for various areas in the future. Misneachd is calling on the Government to provide more clarity as soon as possible on these matters.
The newest part of the bill is Section 4 which deals with ‘areas of linguistic significance’, fulfilling the government’s promise to recognise official ‘Gàidhealtachd’ areas. These areas could be designated in areas where at least 20% of the population have Gaelic skills, where Gaelic education or other Gaelic activities are established, or where there is a historical or cultural connection to Gaelic. It seems, for example, that both the Western Isles and Glasgow could be rewarded this status.
Misneachd welcomes this new structure which reinforces the principle that different areas have specific needs, while at the same time recognising that Gaelic is a national language.
The main weakness with this section, according to Misneachd, is that it is not clear what this status will mean in practice or what kind of resources, support structures and community voice there would be, if any, at a level more local than the council area.
Misneachd has written a draft amendment to Section 4 in the bill, based on the system of language planning areas in Ireland under the Gaeltacht Act 2012. This would specify local geographical units, which in the Western Isles, at least, would correspond to the council’s electoral wards. Each area would have a community language plan, at least one full-time development officer, and a local budget in each area. Misneachd recommends a budget of at least £150,000 a year for each area, or £2.7 million a year for the whole of Scotland.
“It is a large amount compared to what is being spent on the development of the Gaelic community at the moment, but relatively small compared to the Gaelic budget as a whole, not to mention the public purse in general,” said the Dr Christopher Lewin, a member of Misneachd and an academic who helped write the group’s response, and who currently lives in a Gaeltacht region of Ireland.
“We recognize that there is an economic crisis, but there is a cost to not investing in these communities, and Gaelic speakers deserve and need a lot more support.”
Under the group’s recommendations, it would also be an obligation of councils to designate areas where 20% of the population speak the language, rather than being optional, as it is currently in the bill.
Misneachd’s full response can be read here, and the group is encouraging the public to submit as many responses as possible before the deadline, March 8.
A research paper by Dr Lewin about language development in the community in Ireland and Scotland can be read in the journal Scottish Affairs. A free version can be read here.
“There won’t be an opportunity like this again for a long time, if ever,” said Dr Lewin. “This bill must be strengthened as much as possible, and the government must be persuaded to provide funding.”
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Interesting. I wonder how many speakers you’d find in Glasgow, or even Edinburgh. Or even how many would want to.
Scotland will end up like Wales. You’ll have only people in rural backwaters and middle class narcissists who’ll speak it, and a new sharp division in the country will be emphasised.
I remember being in Amsterdam talking to a Dutch guy who spoke 11 languages fluently. I confessed I spoke only two other non-English languages, and badly at that. He said “you speak English as your first language. What else do you need? No body speaks Dutch!”
You don’t know anything about Wales do you?
Though one should take stats with care, the latest (Sep, 23) suggest 29% or people speak Welsh in Wales.
Have you ever considered that language can be important for reasons other than functional transactions. Different languages have different ways of seeing the world. This is in itself important. It’s a shame some turn their faces away from how other cultures and peoples might interpret the world around them. Concepts and ideas exist in languages other than English that English doesn’t have. I find these ideas and concepts fascinating and am grateful we are able to study and learn them. Not narcissistic at all in
my opinion.
It’s true, there are lots of interesting differences between languages that reflect different ideas. Whatever floats your boat is generally OK with me.
What I find fascinating is that the middle class proponents of “local” languages and independence seem to be the same people who promote identity politics. Where classifying and treating us by our differences is key, so long, that is, the minorities are favoured and the majority despised. Especially so when they put themselves forward as a minority when discussing national identity.
What do you do then When in a future where the majority speaks Gaelic as their first language. Do the English-only speakers become second-class citizens?
Of course, I’ve no doubt that immigrants from exotic linguistic origins will always be exalted. Although, when the ratio of say South Asian speakers become a very large part of Scottish population, and favour their first language and International English over Gaelic, then you’ll have a real challenge.
BTW I had to smile when I heard Humza doing his racist-sounding “White” speech in that broad performative Scottish accent. I’m not sure if its his speech that grates or his political style and mad ideas.
Interesting times ahead.
Why is there some battle between English only speakers and those who also speak Gaelic? Identity politics? Narcissists? Who cares about all of that? It seems quite simple, surely – Gaelic is one of Scotland’s languages, part of our rich cultural heritage (with its music and poetry in particular), and regardless of any politics whatsoever (some unionists speak Gaelic; some nationalists speak it; people who have no clue their position on the subject speak it) it should be treasured and encouraged. That’s it. Highly uncontroversial.
Exactly.
SteveH seems supremely unaware of how much he has bought into identity politics himself. The right use it all the time but never acknowledge it – ‘the middle classes’, ‘English-only speakers’, the ‘despised majority’ (not despised at all of course) and elsewhere the endlessly panned, ‘graduates’. For the record I also dislike the politics of identity but I dislike it just as much when coming from those attacking it then espousing an identity they are happy with like ‘white working class’. The Identitarian movement is a far right European grouping and the clue is in the name. it is all divisive and prevents any overarching political worldview that can address the problems we all face.
Niemand – I agree with the principal of what you have written and I too am wary of identity politics.
The only thing I would raise is the difference between minority groups indulging in identity politics who may be raising issues that the majority are unaware of. This does not always mean these issues are justified but it is a way of raising the profile of the issue.
Majority groups who indulge in identity politics, such as Stevie H etc, tend to deny they are even doing it as you have so rightly pointed out. They tend to do this IMO for two reasons, as a diversion from other issues they do not want to address or to reinforce their majority supremacy position in society.
John, I would make a distinction between minority groups highlighting disadvantage and discrimination (a good thing) and turning it into a political philosophy. Once you have done that, not only can you end up with competing and sometimes mutually exclusive minority groups (not solved by intersectionality which is often more wishful thinking than an answer), but there is no rational reason why all identity groups (minority and majority) cannot claim their identity matters and needs protecting and listened to just as much as any other.
Isn’t it interesing that whenever an article on Scotland’s languages appears there is someone with no interest in or particular knowledge of them who is able to take the time to tell us that they are of no value.
Its absolutely certain Graeme. I wonder what’s going on here? Why is it so threatening? I mean if you have no interest or knowledge in the matter why not shrug and click elsewhere?
Just so.
I lived and worked in Wales for more than 10 years Stevie H and I can assure you that on the subject of the relevance of the Welsh language to the Welsh people you are talking out of your backside.
I didn’t learn to speak Welsh, apart from a few words, but I understood that it was of enormous importance to many Welsh people culturally and I respected that.
Tapadh leat gu Mor! I live in Dumfries and Galloway. I have the Gaelic and I know a few people in the area who also have it. My children, four of whom live in the US have it. Gaelic is not a dying language.
How and who will decide on which places are ‘areas of linguistic significance’? Based on the criterion ‘where there is a historical or cultural connection to Gaelic’ there would be a strong case for Dumfries and Galloway, Carrick and Kyle areas of Ayrshire at the very least. Would it be down to the local cooncil to decide on the strength or otherwise of these historic and linguistic connections? What sort of evaluation and adjudication process is involved? If left to the cooncils, we may find their enthusiasm to be less than overwhelming if it entails extra costs.