A call for European action
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Transcript of A call for European action
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A call for European action
ARAGON’S ENDANGERED LANGUAGES
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A trilingual societyA trilingual society
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A trilingual societyA trilingual society
Two vernacular languages (since Two vernacular languages (since the 9th century)the 9th century) ARAGONESE ARAGONESE CATALANCATALAN
One “imported” language (since One “imported” language (since the 15th century)the 15th century) CASTILIANCASTILIAN
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A trilingual societyA trilingual society
Catalan Catalan was born was born also in also in territories territories that have that have always always belonged belonged to Aragonto Aragon
10th century
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A trilingual societyA trilingual society
Aragonese Aragonese and Catalan and Catalan expanded expanded Southwards Southwards with the with the Aragonese Aragonese “Reconquest“Reconquest” to drive de ” to drive de Moors from Moors from the Iberian the Iberian peninsula peninsula
13th century
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A trilingual societyA trilingual society
Aragonese Aragonese and Catalan and Catalan reached their reached their highest point highest point of of development development and prestige and prestige in Aragon as in Aragon as literary and literary and administrativadministrative languagese languages
14th century
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A trilingual societyA trilingual society
The new kings The new kings only spoke only spoke Castilian, Castilian, which which replaced the replaced the Aragonese Aragonese and Catalan and Catalan languages as languages as a vehicle of a vehicle of culture and culture and social social promotionpromotion
15th to 21st century
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Spoken only by 7% of the 1,300,000 total Aragonese
population
ARAGONESE CATALAN
TOTAL POPULATION OF THE AREAS WHERE EACH LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN
130,000 47,000
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SPEAK IT DAILY 14,000
(9 %)34,000(73 %)
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW IT BUT SCARCELY USE IT
24,000(18 %)
13,000(27 %)
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Generational transmissionGenerational transmission
AragoneseAragonese CatalanCatalan
1010
Use of CatalanUse of Catalan
7361
3158
10 20
514
15
15
38
22 2554
27
8772
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
HomeSho
pBan
k
Colleag
ues
Perso
nal n
otesOth
er
Catalan Catalan and Castilian Castilian
1111
Use of AragoneseUse of Aragonese
18 14 4 5 5 4
3630
20 21 21 20
46 5676 74 74 76
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
HomeSho
pBan
k
Colleag
ues
Perso
nal n
otesOth
er
Aragonese Aragonese and Castilian Castilian
Aragonese is one of the endangered languages of the world, according to UNESCO Atlas of the World’s
Languages in Danger
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A 40 year-long claim
Aragonese is re-discovered in the early 70’s and NGOs start working for it
Catalan speakers demand their recognition and dignification in Aragon
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Aragonese self-government to no or little avail
The Statute of Autonomy (1982) and its reforms (in 1996 and 2007) always recognized Aragon’s linguistic diversity and provided for its legal protection...
...but little or nothing was ever done in 27 years!
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Statute of Autonomy of Statute of Autonomy of Aragon (1982)Aragon (1982)
Article 7:Article 7: The different linguistic modalities The different linguistic modalities of Aragon will be protected as integral of Aragon will be protected as integral parts of its cultural and historical heritage.parts of its cultural and historical heritage.
Article 35:Article 35: 1. The Autonomous Community of 1. The Autonomous Community of Aragon has exclusive competence in […] Aragon has exclusive competence in […] Culture, particularly in its traditional Culture, particularly in its traditional manifestations and linguistic modalities, manifestations and linguistic modalities, taking care of their preservation and study.taking care of their preservation and study.
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Statute of Autonomy of Statute of Autonomy of Aragon (1996)Aragon (1996)
Article 7:Article 7: The languages and linguistic The languages and linguistic modalities of Aragon will be modalities of Aragon will be protected. Their teaching and the protected. Their teaching and the rights of their speakers will be rights of their speakers will be guaranteed in the manner guaranteed in the manner established by an Act of Parliament established by an Act of Parliament of Aragon in the areas where they of Aragon in the areas where they are predominantly spoken.are predominantly spoken.
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Statute of Autonomy of Statute of Autonomy of Aragon (2007)Aragon (2007)
Article 7.-Article 7.- Own languages and linguistic modalitiesOwn languages and linguistic modalities
1. Aragon’s own languages and linguistic modalities are one of the 1. Aragon’s own languages and linguistic modalities are one of the most outstanding manifestations of the historical and cultural most outstanding manifestations of the historical and cultural Aragonese heritage and a social asset for respect, coexistence and Aragonese heritage and a social asset for respect, coexistence and understanding.understanding.
2. A Law of the Aragonese Parliament will define the areas of 2. A Law of the Aragonese Parliament will define the areas of predominant use of the Aragonese languages and linguistic predominant use of the Aragonese languages and linguistic modalities, regulate their status and the using rights of the modalities, regulate their status and the using rights of the speakers of these territores, promote their protection, restitution, speakers of these territores, promote their protection, restitution, teaching, development and the dissemination of the Aragonese teaching, development and the dissemination of the Aragonese linguistic heritage, and will foster –in the areas of predominant linguistic heritage, and will foster –in the areas of predominant use- the employment of our own languages in relations between use- the employment of our own languages in relations between citizens and the Aragonese public administrations.citizens and the Aragonese public administrations.
3. No one shall be discriminated on grounds of language.3. No one shall be discriminated on grounds of language.
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Law of Languages of Aragon (2009)
Passed in Dec. 2009, after two evaluation reports by the Council of Europe (2005 and 2008) calling for its adoption and campaigns by NGOs
Amended by CHA during its discussion to make it abide by the provisions of the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages
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A fairly good first step... They are recognized by their names as original and historical languages of Aragon No official status, but the Law recognizes important rights to speakers (with no obligations to the rest) Public administrations must guarantee these rights:
a. To be known and used in both private and public life
b. To be taught in the education system
c. To be published and broadcasted by the media
d. To be used in social and economic life
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...and NO MORE
TWO YEARS AND A HALF LOST The previous Aragonese government did not
apply it (with the sole exception of the setting up of the Aragonese Languages Council) during the year and a half left of the past legislature
The new government that took office in June 2011 declared its intention of “cutting” the law to wipe out its obligations (?) on the population and the “imposition” of the Catalan language
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The Law is not enforced
Linguistic territories still remain officially undefined
(articles 7 to 9)
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The Law is not enforced
No adequate administrative unit has been created for its implementation (articles 16 & 17, Second Additional Provision)
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The Law is not enforced
The official academies of the Aragonese and Catalan languages have not been created(arts. 15 & 16, Second Additional Provision)
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The Law is not enforced
Written and spoken use with public administrations is recognized, but nothing has been done to make it feasible(arts. 27 to 32)
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The Law is not enforced
Teaching in all educational levels as a curricular subject has not been introduced(arts. 22 to 26, Third Additional Provision)
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The Law is not enforced
NOTHING DONE ON... Dignifying measures Heritage
preservation Cultural promotion Social use Use by the media
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Only an Aragonese Languages Council was set up...
...but its President resigned two weeks ago because of the neglecting attitude of the
Government of Aragon
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The new government’s agenda
Non-recognition of the two languages -only “linguistic modalities” (of what?)
No Aragonese and Catalan language academies
No right to use them for administrative purposes
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We call for European action in favour of our threatened
languages To raise public awareness about the plight the
Aragonese and Catalan languages undergo in Aragon and the gloomy prospects for their future
To intercede before both the Aragonese and Spanish governments to ensure compliance with the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages in Aragon
To include the Aragonese and Catalan languages among the matters of concern for the European institutions when considering the degree of respect and protection granted to Europe’s linguistic minorities
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Thank you very muchThank you very muchMuitas graziasMuitas graziasMoltes gràciesMoltes gràcies
Chunta AragonesistaChunta [email protected]
www.chunta.org