ELL: Re: language rights are human rights - reaction from Scotland

[David Wilson]

Dear Igne Genee and other List members,

    Thank you all for taking the time and trouble to write to Highland
Council.

    Igne - you haven't made a fool of yourself. Neither have you been fed
eroneous information. As many of us familiar with campaigning know, the
council is simply playing games. Let me state again; NO Gaelic speaker has
been found for the position and a photograph of the new Child Care Team was
published recently in the Highland Press recently, in which there was NO
Gaelic speaker. That is a fact.

    What will be held in mid-August is a review. AND IT IS PRECISELY THIS
REVIEW THAT WE HOPE TO INFLUENCE. Their recent change of tactic and
softening of position, as revealed in their letter to you, shows that this
is beginning to happen. Your email, and others like it, will help to
persuade Highland Council that it needs a Gaelic speaker in its Child Care
Team. Our aim isn't to "scold" the council to relieve our own frustrations,
but to persuade them to change their stance, so that the children, parents
and staff will have the appropriate education officer to meet their
linguistic needs. Hopefully, the outcome will be a favourable one

    I am very sorry that you feel so indignant and hurt and have seen fit to
post this to the list. But you seem to have learnt the wrong lesson here.

    Thanks again to all those who have helped in this campaign. It's much
appreciated.

Best Regards,

David Wilson


> Enclosed is my email about the Gaelic Language issue in Scotland, which
> I sent to the people most directly connected to the issue. Also enclosed
> is their reaction. I appreciate the fact that someone took the time to
> answer me.
> But now I have a problem: Have I sent out my communication based on
> erroneous information, as the reaction claims? If this is the case, I
> would like to ask people who ask listmembers to spend time and energy
> advocating the cause of endangered languages by sending out letters or
> emails to involved parties to make very sure that they are putting out
> reliable information. I do not like making a fool of myself getting
> involved in such cases based on the wrong information and I do not like
> wasting my time.
> I have no idea what is behind all this or who is telling the "truth",
> but I guess I have learned my lesson and will be more careful in future.
>
> Inge Genee, PhD
> Department of Modern Languages
> University of Lethbridge
> Alberta, Canada
>

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