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Parliamentary Motions and Questions from Sessions 1 and 2
Motions
S2M-4940 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): Congratulations to Eejits That the Parliament congratulates Itchy Coo publications on the success of its book, Eejits, a best selling Scots translation of Roald Dahl's children's classic, The Twits, and on the work of its develop... more
Oral Parliamentary Questions on Scots (Current Session)
30 October 2008
Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to support Scottish traditional arts and the Scots language. (S3O-4606)
The Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture (Linda Fabiani): Traditional arts and the Scots ... more
Activism & Politics links
Government and Parliament Documents and Web Pages:
Scottish Government's Audit of Scots Language Provision
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Top
The National Conversation in Scots
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Res
##Scottish Parliamen... more
Parliamentary Debates and Discussions Concerning Scots (Current Session)
18 June, Meeting of the Parliament:
In the stage 1 debate on the Creative Scotland Bill, several MSPs discuss funding for the Scots language, the SLC, Scots Language Dictionaries and traditional arts.
http://tinyurl.com/55qshr
3 June, Equal Opportunities Committee (in private):
The ... more
Parliamentary Motions on the National Languages Strategy
S3M-1768.1 Hugh O’Donnell: International Education— As an amendment to motion (S3M-1768) in the name of Maureen Watt, insert at end "and calls for the Scottish Government to bring forward a comprehensive national languages strategy including a rolling programme to introduce a second langu... more
European Charter
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a Council of Europe treaty. You can find out about it here and through the links below.
About the Charter
The Charter was drawn up in 1992 to protect and promote regional or minority languages in Europe and give speakers of these... more
Culture Bill
Lost Year for Scottish Arts
The Sunday Herald reports that there are fears of a "lost year" for Scottish arts after the Creative Scotland Bill was voted down at the Scottish Parliament this past Wednesday.
http://tinyurl.com/6hjudn
Stage 1 debate on the Creative Scotland Bill: http:/... more
Parliamentary Motions on Scots (Current Session)
You can find all Parliamentary motions and see which members have signed them in the daily Business Bulletin at http://tinyurl.com/59o5eb
S3M-2607 Aileen Campbell: European Day of Languages That the Parliament notes that 26 September 2008 is the European Day of Languages, promoted by the C... more
Freedom Come All Ye
Freedom Come All Ye is Scotland’s international anthem. Listen to Irish traditional music legend Luke Kelly’s version of the song on youtube
Read more about Luke Kelly on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L
For more information about the song visit Dick Gaughan’s web si... more
Parliamentary Questions about the National Language Strategy (Current Session)
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament
S3W-8784 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to develop the proposals in the na... more
Mony a Midder's Son
Fair Isle singer Lise Sinclar recorded the song Mony a Midder’s son for Shetland composition Ivver Entrancin Wis. The song combines Arabic and Shetland flavours and was written as a protest against the war in Iraq.
Read more about Lise and buy her CDs on her myspace site
http://profile.m... more
Written Parliamentary Questions on Scots (Current Session)
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament
S3W-13213 Malcolm Chisholm: To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will provide to Scottish L... more
Conversation Now Translated into Scots
The Scottish Government’s 'National Conversation' document, published in the autumn of 2007, has now been translated into the Scots language. Ministers Linda Fabiani and Maureen Watt are to be congratulated for taking the decision to include Scots. Both of the ministers, who are currently explo... more
Kay calls on SNP to support Scots culture
Scots broadcaster and writer, Billy Kay, has urged the Scottish government to find ways to support Scots culture. In a letter to Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, Kay, the author of Scots, the Mither Tongue describes his “shock” on hearing the news that the Scottish Arts Council is to cut fund... more
Israeli MPs to take Hebrew lessons
Members of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, have been told to improve their use of the Hebrew language. BBC Radio 4 has reported that MPs are speaking Hebrew badly and are using too many English and Arabic words in their speeches. Now MPs are to take courses to improve their knowledge of the... more
Scots campaigners blast 'nonsense'
Scots language campaigners have criticised recent comments by the TaxPayers’ Alliance as “ignorant nonsense”. Rod Lovie, convener of Strathisla Scots Spickers, condemned recent attacks on Scotland’s languages and cultures by the London based TaxPayers’ Alliance.
The Alliance has arg... more
Network for Multilingualism in Europe Established
The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) has decided to set up a network to promote European multilingualism, with a particular focus on Europe’s regional and minority languages. Many European regions are bilingual or multilingual, and the network’s main aim is to make better use of... more
Bill Wilson MSP Demands Support for Scots Language and Music
West of Scotland MSP Dr Bill Wilson has called for Scotland to follow Ireland in supporting indigenous culture.
Dr Wilson is a longstanding critic of the Scottish Arts Council’s cuts in funding for the Scottish Language Dictionaries and the Scots Language Centre. Speaking on 4th September a... more
Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity launched in Brussels
On 11th June, the new Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD) was launched in Brussels. The NPLD has been established to work for the promotion and development of Europe’s less widely used languages.
The new network comprises the language departments of member states and autonomous g... more
MSP Asks About the Use of Scots Language in Scottish Schools
Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has written to the education directors of all of Scotland’s cooncils to ask whether in-service days for teachers cover discrimination against Scots speakers, and/or the benefits of including the Scots language within the curriculum.
More info... more
Lib Dem Leader Calls for More Funding for Scots
Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MSP for Shetland Tavish Scott MSP has lodged a motion demanding the Government supports the Scots language.
Shetland ForWirds raised concerns with Mr Scott that Scottish Arts Council funding cuts could be catastrophic for the Scottish Language Centre and the... more
Allocate funding for Scots say academics
A group of academics have told the Scottish government that they need to do more to support the Scots language. In a letter to Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, members of the Forum for Research on the Languages of Scotland and Ulster say they are “astonished” that the Arts Council has decided... more
Purves outlines the Way Forward for Scots
In the following article, veteran Scots campaigner, David Purves, outlines his views on the ways in which Scots could be encouarged and supported. The article first appeared in the Scots Independent. Thanks to the SI for allowing it to be reproduced here.
The Way Forward for Scots
By D... more
Euro Charter information added
Information on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the ways in which it effects Scots is now available in the politics and activism section of the site. Click here to read more:
http://www.scotslanguage.com/b
more
Homecoming Scotland Shames Scottish Arts Council, Says MSP
Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, says that the Homecoming Scotland Events Guide shows that EventScotland and VisitScotland "value indigenous Scottish culture and language, but the same cannot be said for the Scottish Arts Council". Read more at http://tinyurl.com/5t2quu more
Places still available at Scots debate
Places are still available at a debate to be held this evening (23 September) at the National Library of Scotland. A panel including Professor John Corbett, poet Rab Wilson, and Scots and Gaelic language activist, Gillian Munro, will discuss a range of questions connected with the language. SLC d... more
Scots activists celebrate
Scots activists are celebrating after nearly one third of the Scottish parliament’s members signed a motion from Liberal Democrat leader, Tavish Scott, calling on the Scottish Arts Council to continue funding the Scots Language Centre and Scottish Language Dictionaries.
Support for Mr Scott... more
MSP Marks the Contribution of Scots to Europe's Culture
South of Scotland MSP Aileen Campbell has lodged a motion that describes Scots and Gaelic as “distinctive contributions to the cultural and linguistic life of Europe”. Her motion, lodged in English with translations into Scots and Gaelic, calls on the Parliament to note the European Day of La... more
NLS debate report
A debate about Scots held last month at the National Library of Scotland brought in an audience of over 100 people. Here David Purves gives his impression of the evening's events.
At the moment the report is only available in English.
This event was essentially a panel discussion, chaired... more
Obama wins
Scots cultural activist, Billy Kay, has reminded us about the diverse nature of the culture of the US South. In this extract from his book, the Scottish World, Kay reproduces a poem that has special signifcance in light of today's historic events.
From the chapter The Scotch South in Billy ... more
SNP Conference Calls for "fair treatment" for Scots
On 16 October the SNP conference voted unanimously for a motion that calls on the Scottish Government to "guarantee fair treatment for Scotland’s unique cultural inheritance".
The motion welcomes the Government’s audit of Scots language provision and calls it "a key area very badly affecte... more
MSP Writes on Wedding Row
Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has written to Linda Fabiani, the Scottish Government Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, asking her to inform all Scotland’s registrars that they must conduct wedding ceremonies in Scots, if couples request it.
Dr Wilson’s l... more
"Encourage children to speak Scots" says MSP
Rob Gibson MSP, convener of the Cross-Party Group on Scots, called on Scotland's schools to encourage children's use of Scots. Speaking in a debate on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, he said:
"we have to allow children to express their views in their own languages an... more
Aboot the Ainu
Whit d'ye mak o this?
- http://www.iht.com/articles/20
Thir's ae braw line, juist at the end, that gar me lauch out loud: "It's not healthy to keep blaming discrimination or history, and not work and pay taxes..." more
