Motion for a resolution by the Committee on Culture and Education
Submitted by: Anouk Bus, Basmala Abdelwahab, Fayrouz El Hamus, Jahan Omari, Pien Smits van Waesberghe, Shanady Mac-Intosh, Jelle Zegers (Chairperson, NL)
The European Youth Parliament,
- Appreciating the European Parliament’s research which acknowledges endangered languages,
- Noting with deep concern that Regional or Minority Languages (RMLs) account for linguistic and cultural diversity in the European Union, a loss of which can cause people to lose their identity,
- Alarmed by the fact that intergenerational language transmission of RMLs is declining, due to a lessened connection to the RML caused by prejudices connected to speaking them,
- Pointing out that education on RMLs is underdeveloped for speakers as well as non-speakers of RMLs,
- Bearing in mind that the overpowering need to speak the official state language within a state can cause people to abandon RMLs,
- Acknowledging that racism and social inequality are pressing issues that make people from RML communities abandon their language,
- Observing a negative attitude towards RMLs – both from people outside of RML communities as well as from the RML communities themselves – that is dependent on their connection to said RML,
- Strongly recommends Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission to prevent the loss of knowledge by establishing research centres dedicated to documentation and archiving of RMLs in areas where RMLs are spoken;
- Encourages Member States to create a more positive attitude towards RMLs and build an environment where they are learned and respected more by giving RML communities the opportunity to celebrate their culture;
- Hopes Member States will battle the extinction of RMLs by stressing their importance and encouraging the teaching of and about RMLs to younger generations;
- Requests Member States to expand their language education and to ensure a good understanding and positive perception of RMLs among younger generations through an elective course on RMLs in the EU, a mandatory course on RMLs in their respective countries which are both supported by correct education materials based on research done by the JRC alike;
- Urges Member States to encourage and enable their citizens to speak their RMLs instead of the state language by ensuring the representation of RMLs in public spaces and governmental positions;
- Proposes the European Commission to decrease dependency on the official state language by creating a research group through the JRC that focuses on creating translation engines for RMLs that do not have one.