French only in France? No. 134 May/June 2015 Unification of Brittany 1 Editorial BRO NEVEZ 134 In this issue of Bro Nevez you will read about the history May / June 2015 of the International Committee for the Defense of the th ISSN 0895 3074 Breton Language which celebrates its 40 anniversary this year. You will also learn about work on a European level to support minority languages and cultures, and some of the action in Brittany to defend and promote the EDITOR’S ADDRESS & E-MAIL Breton language. This issue comes out a bit later than anticipated because I wanted to include a review of three Lois Kuter, Editor very interesting new books which present the history of 605 Montgomery Road linguistic policy in France and the challenges that continue to be faced by all the language communities of Ambler, PA 19002 U.S.A. France. (215) 886-6361 40th Anniversary for the International Committee [email protected] for the Defense of the Breton Language U.S. ICDBL website: www.icdbl.org The United States Branch of the ICDBL was founded in 1981 but this organization dates back in fact to 1975 when it was founded in Brussels, Belgium. The following overview was written for the 20th anniversary of the The U.S. Branch of the International Committee for the ICDBL in 1995. It gives a good idea of the work of this Defense of the Breton Language (U.S. ICDBL) was organization and the impact it has tried to have. This incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation on October 20, statement also clearly shows that much about France 1981. Bro Nevez ("new country" in the Breton language) is the and its language policies have NOT changed. newsletter produced by the U.S. ICDBL. It is published quarterly: February, May, August and November. 20 Years of Lobbying in Defense of the Breton Contributions, letters to the Editor, and ideas are welcome Language from all readers and will be printed at the discretion of the Editor. The International committee for the Defense of the Breton Language (ICDBL) was founded in Brussels on 4 October The U.S. ICDBL provides Bro Nevez on a complimentary basis 1975 by a dozen personalities, representing seven to a number of language and cultural organizations in Brittany different nationalities – none of them Breton. The initiative to show our support for their work. Your Membership/ was launched in response to the “Declaration of the Subscription allows us to do this. Membership (which includes Breton cultural movements” of 18 July that year, which had announced that a series of strikes and subscription) for one year is $20. Checks should be in U.S. demonstrations would take place in October with the aim dollars, made payable to “U.S. ICDBL” and mailed to Lois Kuter of obtaining effective teaching of Breton, official at the address above. recognition of the language by the French State and its use in the media. This newsletter can be sent as a PDF file attached to an e- mail instead of, or in addition to, the print version. Just let The cultural organizations, aware of the fact that the the Editor know how you would like to receive it. French government feared international exposure of its repressive policy with regard to the Breton language, had Ideas expressed within this newsletter are those of the expressed the wish to see the creation of an international individual authors, and do not necessarily represent ICDBL association to support the linguistic rights of the Breton philosophy or policy. people – an association which would expose and denounce the attitude of the French authorities on this For information about the Canadian ICDBL contact: Jeffrey D. issue. O’Neill, PO Box 14611, 50 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M8L-5R3, CANADA (e-mail: [email protected]). Thanks to the unusual nature of its action, the contacts its Telephone: (416) 264-0475. members had at senior diplomatic levels, and its location in the international hub that is Brussels, the founding group soon developed into a world-wide network. As a result, the ICDBL is now present in 23 different countries [27 by mid 2000]. The various organizations which defend the language keep this lobby group informed of 2 events and developments. Each individual branch has a concessions which have been made in favor of the wide scope for undertaking its own initiatives. Open Breton language (public funding for the Diwan schools, letters to French embassies, to the relevant French creation of a university section in Breton studies) which ministers, even to the President of the Republic – with have been achieved through the day-to-day struggle of all publication in the national press in the country concerned supporters of tis cause. – are the most often-used means of action. Certain specific initiative have however marked ICDBL’s history. Apart from obtaining the granting of a statute giving full recognition to the Breton language, the aims are to For example, on 5 May 1977, a letter was sent to all remove the remaining obstacles to more widespread French Members of Parliament and of the Senate, teaching of the language and a greater use of it in the highlighting the contempt shown by the French public domain and the media. In this respect an opinion government with regard to these two assemblies when it poll conducted early in 1994 showed that 77% of the refused yet again to put on the agenda a bill which, if French people, more open-minded than their Parisian adopted, would have given legal status to the regional ruling class, support the idea of a statute for regional languages of France. languages. At the international diplomatic level, the ICDBL wrote on The tenet that French should be the only and exclusive 23 November 1978 to all the accredited ambassadors in language in France remains however the rule in the the Kingdom of Belgium. This time it denounced the higher echelons of the State. The “interference” by a hypocrisy of the French state, which while it was prompt foreign pressure group like the ICDBL in support of the to recommend the upholding of the rights of linguistic Breton language raises the hackles of the technocratic minorities in other countries, opposed the implementation Parisian power structure. But international public opinion, of those same principles on its own territory. whose influence has been demonstrated over the issue of French nuclear testing in the Pacific, can no longer be France’s integration into the European Community – a treated with contempt. And this simple fact is an incentive model of respect for the identity and diversity of peoples for the ICDBL to pursue, in its own small way, the action – might have led us to hope that the ruling Parisian class it launched 20 years ago in support of the respect of the would develop a more broad-minded outlook to this cultural rights of the Breton people. concept. The ICDBL hoped to encourage such an evolution when it submitted, on 16 May 1980, a Monique Blaise, General Secretary “Memorandum on the process of elimination of the Breton Claude Sterckk, President Language” in their own language - to each Member of the European Parliament. And 20 years later – What future for the ICDBL In spite of – in fact because of – the rigidity of the French This June Lois Kuter had the opportunity to meet with Ivo government’s stance, trapped in the dogma of the Peeters, the current General Secretary of the ICDBL to linguistic unity of the nation, the ICDBL has not relaxed discuss the ICDBL – its history and potential future the pressure. Nearly every year open letters have directions. reminded senior French policy-makers that the intolerant attitude they continue to adopt on this issue projects a It was wondered what the ICDBL negative international image of the country. would look like if it were founded today in 2015. Does it need a new The President of the Republic, Mr. Mitterrand, who did mission statement? not keep the promises he made on this matter in his “56th Proposal for governing,” as well as his Prime Minister, Given changes in the make-up of Mr. Mauroy, and his Minister of Education, Mr. Jospin, the central committee in Brussels have all been challenged on this issue. On 17 March with a number retiring or simply no 1994 the ICDBL turned to the Prime Minister, Mr. longer able to physically do the work Balladur, to denounce the highly significant refusal of the they once undertook, the ICDBL has French government to ratify the European Charter on been challenged to continue its work as a “lobbying Regional Languages. Finally, on 23 September last year group.” With the death of Henri Lecuyer in March 2015, a [1995], the founder of the USA branch of the ICDBL, Dr. founding member of the ICDBL who served as an Lois Kuter, was awarded the highest distinction in important contact to the many branches of the ICDBL, Brittany, the Order of the ermine, in recognition of her this network needs renewal. contribution through Bro Nevez, the quarterly information bulletin which she edits. Each “branch” – whether just an individual or a membership organization like the U.S. Branch – has It is difficult to quantify the impact of the ICDBL’s action acted in its own way to make the cause of the Breton and it would not wish to claim sole credit for the few 3 language better known. This hasn’t always involved FUEN’s main projects are, besides representation of writing letters of protest to French government officials. interests, to establish a forum of the European minorities, European linguistic diversity, the FUEN project Solidarity The need remains for international awareness of the with the Roma and a European citizens’ initiative of the challenges Breton speakers still face today in light of minorities.