Celtic League: AGM 2008 – General secretary reports on a busy year

As part of a comprehensive dossier on the work of the Celtic League over the past twelve months League General secretary Rhisiart Tal-e-bot presented a 37 page report outlining his own programme.

A brief summary of his report (outlining the work in each National Section) is set out below:

“This camapign work does not necessarily include news items and articles written for the Celtic League News site or those campaign items pursued by the DoI. Also the campaign work has only been updated to the time of writing on 30/06/08.

Some of these campaigns touch directly or indirectly on previous AGM resolutions.

ALBA

Call for tighter restrictions to be introduced for the issuing of firearms certificates to children under the age of eighteen years. The return of Berwick to Alba Electoral Reform Society and donations to Wendy Alexander Safety issues involved with use of MoD Nimrod planes - RAF Kinloss Bilingual road signs in Caithness area Media broadcasting in Alba Representation of Scottish youth groups at a European level Congratulations to Salmond for media award Developing contacts between MK's youth group and Young Scots for Independence. Been invited to SNP Spring Conference for first time this year. Police constabularies in Alba regarding language and cultural commitment

BREIZH

Continuing campaign for France to ratify European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages Lobbying for recognition by French state of the Breton people Fuel costs and catch quotas for fishermen Developing links between UDB and MK and their youth groups. Trying to organise an exchange for this year. Organising trip for UDB youth to the SNP Party Conference this October Some campaign work undertaken regarding the reunification of Breizh Protest about the proposed relocation of Diwan school pupils from their school in Morlaix to make way for French state school pupils

CYMRU

Congratulations to Jones for top award by media National Trust plans to build 223 houses on its land in Rhostyllen, Wrecsam. Comments made by Wrecsam Councillor that the people of Rhostyllen do not have a Welsh identity. Apology sought. Lobbying against regional spatial strategy for North East Wales and West Cheshire Various regarding the Welsh language e.g. increase rights of Welsh speaking muniversity students, New Welsh language Act, EU status for Welsh rural Housing in Wales Representation of Welsh youth at an EU level Working with 'Cymuned' to strengthen their European links, by putting them in touch with some groups who are interested in working with them on joint projects E.g. JEN in Mallorca, Jeunes of UDB in Breizh Police constabularies in Cymru regarding language and cultural commitment

ÉIRE

Lobbying MEP's to use Irish Gaelic in the European Parliament or learn it for International year for Languages Following up complaints made by Irish arrestees/prisoners of ill treatment to European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) e.g. Eddie McGarrigle, John McCrossan and Neil Myles Various about the 'Shell to Sea' Corrib Gas Project in County Mayo e.g. exploratory boreholes in Sruwaddaccon Bay, new pipeline route by Shell and Statoil Building M3 Motorway and desecration of archaeological sites Urging Minister to keep their promises to the Irish public about the Irish no vote and to ask that they look to reform EU/Treaty Continuing campaign against CIA rendition flights landing at Irish airports Letters to Chinese Embassy in Dublin about situation in Tibet Congratulations to new Taoiseach Cowen and asking him political position

KERNOW

Set up and developing website for a bilingual Cornish/English language preschool in Cornwall with other interested parties. Making links with key individuals/organisations to promote/organise the school in Cornwall and Man. Registering the company. General campaign work in support of Tony Leamon, including creating campaign videos and an unofficial Cornwall police Watch blog Set up a dotKER internet site, petition and registered domain name. Support for gay rights movement in Cornwall Continued campaign for a Saint Piran's Day Holiday, focusing on town and city Councils Took part in the consultation process of a 'Better Place to Be' document (Culture in the South West) Lobbying Council and police in Cornwall to raise awareness of racism Devon and Cornwall Police – Language and cultural commitment Letters of complaint to Council about Unitary Authority application and status Promotion of Cornwall by the BBC as a county of England Continuing of campaign for affordable housing e.g. publicising news in Cymru (mainly through Cymuned links and writing of news items for their newsletter) Complaints to the Press Complaints Commission about a prejudiced article about the Cornish in a west of England newspaper Sending press releases to Cornish press (only little publicity from the mews items I sent) Complaint to West Britton newspaper about portrayal and inaccurate information about League Complaints to Cornwall 24 news site about libel remarks about the Celtic League and the Kernow Branch, including references to individual members. Urging Cornwall County Council, Devon and Cornwall Police and British Muslim Council to do more to improve relations between ethnic minorities in Cornwall and the general population, following racist attacks on Asian centre Support of EU Protected Geographical Status for Cornish pasty

MANNIN

Promoting and raising awareness of Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity. Asking for Mannin's participation IoM Police Constabulary – Language and cultural commitment Return of Chronicles of Man and call for cooperation between Alba (Lewis Chessmen) and Mannin on their joint campaigns

England and International

Letter to Paul Murphy (Welsh Office Minister) asking about the Government's position is on the status of the Welsh language at an EU level. Letters to various Chinese Embassies (Paris, Dublin, London, Madrid) about the situation in Tibet on the treatment of rioters, their trials and their various rights. Letter to European Commission's Agricultural Commissioner, Jo Borg, about rising fuel costs and fishing quotas for fishing communities in rural areas. Lobbying people behind Universal Declation for Linguistic Rights to do something after 10 years. UN NGO Consultative status for League Concerns expressed about the treatment of the Aotearoa community, New Zealand Concerns expressed to President of International Olympic Committee about China's human rights abuse and their hosting of Olympics 2008. Asked for venue of event to be changed.

OTHER

Basque Country

Lobbying political leaders to condemn arrests of Basque political activists and banning of political parties, including attending a demonstration Support for Basque political prisoners, including attending two marches and creating a video Protest regarding the extradition of 2 ETA members from UK to Spain.”

In his concluding remarks the GS said we need to focus on membership during the year ahead and stimulate a greater involvement of young people across the Celtic countries. He said:

“This last year has been a busy one for the League. We have taken up new campaigns and vigorously pursued existing ones. We have also broadened our international ties and further developed and created new links with groups and individuals in Nova Scotia, USA, Australia, Galicia and Catalonia.

However, the Celtic League is its branches and these continue to remain stable. We do need to draw in more members and the way that this can be done is to increase activity in our respective nations and also cross nationally between the Celtic nations. Links between the Celtic nations are important to the future work of the League and I firmly believe more can and should be done to strengthen these bonds. Also links should be developed with the peoples of other stateless nations throughout Europe and the world in an attempt to promote the work of our organisation, cultures and languages and also to learn from each others struggles. We all have much in common in today's Europe especially. The Kernow Branch showed this year, with only a little effort how international links can be to our advantage as an organisation.

We also need to encourage younger members into the League. Young people are politically motivated, but they need to be shown the relevance activities and campaigns have to their own lives and how they can work to make a positive difference. The political youth groups in the state of Spain are extremely successful, because their organisers ensure (campaigning, demonstrations, social) activities take place regularly. They are also very vocal, organised, have high internet presence and good media relations, all of which are essential elements. The aims of the League would appeal to many young people I believe and the way that we can attract them as members is to show them their opinions are valued and that they will be listened to. First though the League needs to show young people that it exists and this can be done most easily by us through 'on street' activities, press relations or the internet.”

A further detailed report on the AGM will be published in the next issue of Carn.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

21/08/08