ELEN Press Releases
Call to demonstrate in support of Breton on March 13th in Kemper.
CALL TO DEMONSTRATE IN SUPPORT OF THE BRETON LANGUAGE ON SATURDAY MARCH 13th in KEMPER. ELEN member organisations in Brittany, such as the parents’ association for state bilingual education (DIV YEZH BREIZH), the network of Breton-medium schools (DIWAN), the Breton...
ELEN statement to the French Government regarding the Diwan Breton immersion schools.
ELEN statement to the French Government regarding the Diwan Breton immersion schools/ Déclaration d'ELEN au gouvernement français concernant les écoles bilingues en immersion en langue bretonne Diwan. 20th February 2021 Dear President Macron, On behalf of the...
ELEN meets with UN Special Rapporteur and Council of Europe to discuss COVID-19 effect on minoritised languages
The European Language Equality Network held its autumn Steering Committee meeting online on Friday (23rd October) with presentations on the effects and consequences of COVID-19 on lesser-used language communities from UN Special Rapporteur Fernand de Varennes, and...
UN UPR: ELEN calls on Spain to ensure human rights, release Catalan leaders and address co-official language discrimination.
The European Language Equality Network has welcomed the adoption by Spain of the majority of recommendations made by States in the UN Universal Periodic Review on human rights. However, serious challenges remain in particular regarding rights to freedom of expression...
COVID-19 crisis: Vital that States also communicate in co-official, ‘regional’, indigenous and minority languages – ELEN.
The European Language Equality Network joins with the Council of Europe and the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities in the call to ensure that all States communicate in their co-official, ‘regional’, indigenous, endangered or minority languages during the...
UN UPR: States examine Spain over human rights violations.
Spain’s human rights performance was reviewed by the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review on Wednesday (22nd January), with 15 States calling on Spain to guarantee the right to freedom of expression and protest in what the Catalan Foreign Minister has called a...
Paris demonstration underlines need for ‘regional’ language legislation
Language NGOs demonstrated in Paris on Saturday 30th November in protest over French Government proposals to reform education. The proposals will undermine the teaching of the lesser-used languages in the French state such as Basque, Catalan, Breton, Alsacian,...
European Language Equality Network call for new UN instrument to protect endangered languages.
The European Language Equality Network has called for a new UN instrument to protect minoritised, indigenous and endangered languages at the Forum for Minority Issues held at the UN in Geneva. This year’s Forum, focusing on education, language and the human rights of...
European Language Equality Network General Assembly 2019 held in Brittany with UN Special Rapporteur for Minorities
This year’s European Language Equality Network (ELEN) General Assembly, bringing together civil society language organisations from across Europe, was held in Roazhon-Rennes, Brittany, on 26th October with the UN Special Rapporteur for Minorities Dr. Fernand de...
European Forum for Language Rights: minoritised language protection and state policies debated in presence of UN Special Rapporteur
The European Forum for Language Rights held in Roazhon-Rennes, Brittany on October 25th featured discussions on language rights and language projects in Brittany, Europe and globally. At the event NGOs and politicians strongly criticised state policies against...
ELEN General Assembly 2019 to be held in Brittany with UN Special Rapporteur for Minorities
This year’s European Language Equality Network (ELEN) General Assembly, bringing together civil society language organisations from across Europe, will be held in Roazhon-Rennes, Brittany, on Saturday 26th October, with the UN Special Rapporteur for Minorities Dr....
European Language Equality Network condemns Spanish Supreme Court’s ruling against Catalan leaders
The Spanish Supreme Court’s ruling against the Catalan political prisoners is a disgrace for Spain, for Europe, for democracy, as well as undermining fundamental rights. On Monday (14th October) the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced two civil society leaders, Jordi...