MINELRES: Mercator Network - Newsletter n.23, April 2006

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Original sender: Mercator <secretaria@ciemen.org>


Mercator Newsletter - n.23, April 2006 

Mercator-Education (ME)
http://www.mercator-education.org/sjablonen/3/default.asp?objectID=791
Mercator-Legislation (ML)
http://www.mercator-education.org/sjablonen/3/default.asp?objectID=791
Mercator-Media (MM)
http://www.aber.ac.uk/~merwww/

>From January 2005 the Mercator Common Newsletter is a monthly
newsletter. This way you will be kept informed with more recent and
updated information.


News
- Legislation News 
- Media News 

Commission signals support for a new network to promote lesser-used
languages
EUROLANG / MERCATOR LEGISLATION

Projects 
Mercator Education - ME
Database of Experts

Miscellany 
- Welsh National Data Base of Terms launched - MM 
- Seminar to be held in Helsinki on best practices in bilingual
environments and Bilingual Solutions in Public Service � MM 
- New titles Library - ME 
 

Commission signals support for a new network to promote lesser-used
languages 
EUROLANG / MERCATOR LEGISLATION
 
The European Commission DG Education and Culture hosted a well attended
conference in Brussels on Thursday and Friday last week gathering many
of Europe�s lesser used language experts. The theme focused on education
in lesser used languages with the commissioner Jan Figel indicating that
in 2007 the Commission may support a new network to promote regional and
minority languages in Europe. 

Jan Figel explained that �the Commission is committed to maintaining
linguistic diversity� and how the regional and minority languages of
Europe are a great wealth. He outlined that specific aims would be to
raise awareness and actual language learning and that NGOs and
governmental organisations alike should �get ready to take advantage of
the opportunities coming up�. 

Mr Figel praised the success of the network of language boards, EBLUL
and the Mercator Centres, highlighting EBLUL�s successful expansion
eastwards into the new member states. He indicated that these
organisations could together become �an enlarged network at the EU
level�. 

The conference continued on Friday with EBLUL President Neasa Ni
Chinneide discussing EBLUL�s expansion eastwards and the success of PfD
and Eurolang, and with the Mercator Network informing on its activities
and its work done by almost 20 years. 

The conference closed with Head of the Commission�s Multilingualism Unit
Jacques Delmoly suggesting that �perhaps what we should do is give a
particularly favourable look at RML projects� when they are applying for
funding. 

Related links: 

Conference on Regional and Minority Languages in Education Systems
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/lang/languages/langmin/conference_e
n.html

Commission communication "A New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism�
http://europa.eu.int/languages/en/document/74

Study Eurobarometer 2006
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/lang/languages/eurobarometer06_en.h
tml 


News April 2006 (links to the Mercator websites) 

Legislation news - ML
 
Council of Europe FCNM Secretariat launches a new online bibliography on
national minorities 
http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=884&lg=gb

The Committee of Ministers recommends Germany to improve education in
minority languages 
http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=883&lg=gb

The European Parliament votes against using Galician, Basque and Catalan
languages
http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=882&lg=gb

Galician language rights watch set up 
http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=881&lg=gb

The government of Andorra takes measures against declining use of
Catalan 
http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=880&lg=gb


Media news - MM
 
The BBC Charter: Irish Language Body Make a Submission
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#1

Call for Articles for �Cyfrwng: Media Wales Journal 4' 
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#2

News and Information about the 6th International Conference & Exhibition
on Language Transfer in Audiovisual Media 
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#3

Court ruling in favour of Euskalerria Irratia 
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#4

Basque language hotline on line
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#5

New Gaelic sports programme goes on air
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#6

Establishment of association to promote .bzh internet domain 
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#7
 

Projects  

Database of Experts � ME
 
Mercator-Education is in search of more Experts. In December 2005
Mercator-Education started the �Database of Experts�. This database
creates an easy and quick access to all expertise in the field of
European minority languages and it facilitates contacts and co-operation
amongst colleagues in this domain. In the mean time more than 100
experts in the field of European minority languages, bilingualism and
multilingualism, education and language policy subscribed. 
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#proj1


Miscellany 

Welsh National Data Base of Terms launched - MM 

The Welsh Language Board have launched a Welsh National Database of
Terms. The database is a free linguistic tool that will help people to
use Welsh in all walks of life. The main aim of the database, which is
on the Welsh Language Board�s website at
http://www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk/, is to provide terms for people to use
in different fields, especially when they are unsure about which Welsh
term to use. 
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#misc1

Seminar to be held in Helsinki on best practices in bilingual
environments and Bilingual Solutions in Public Service � MM 

A seminar is to be held by The Swedish Assembly of Finland, the The
Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and the Swedish
Cultural Foundation in Finland on how the authorities can meet the
demands of providing bilingual services. The seminar focuses on best
practices of bilingual solutions in public service from a Finnish and
European perspective. The seminar is to be held the 23rd of May 2006 in
the Parliament House (main building) in Helsinki. The working languages
are Swedish and English, interpretation is available.
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#misc2
 
New titles Library - ME 
General: 

- Adult Learning Documentation and Information Network: Directory of
Members 2005/2006 / [comp. by] Lisa Krolak. � Hamburg : UNESCO, 2005. �
160 p. � isbn 92-820-1148-8
http://www.mercator-central.org/newsletter/newsletter23.htm#misc3


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