Live your language: Increasing the use of minority and official languages
The eighth conference of the International Association of Language Commissioners (IALC) will be held in Wales this year on 11 June. The conference will provide an opportunity to explore the real effects of legislating in favour of languages in Wales and beyond. As well as practical sessions sharing the experience of Welsh institutions there will be contributions by the following main speakers:
- Raymond Théberge, Commissioner of Official Languages, Canada
- Professor Fernand de Varennes, Former UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Professor Rob Dunbar, UK representative on the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
This event is supported by Welsh Government.
The Welsh Language Commissioner, Efa Gruffudd Jones, is the current chair of the IALC. You can find more information about the IALC on the association’s website.
The conference was last held in Wales in 2017.
Official Launch of the Conference
A launch event will be held prior to the conference on 10 June in Cardiff Bay. The launch will be an opportunity to celebrate ten years since the establishment of the IALC in the company of:
- Efa Gruffudd Jones, Welsh Language Commissioner and Chair of the IALC
- Delyth Jewell MS, Chair of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
- Professor Fernand de Varennes, Former UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues
Renowned poet Mererid Hopwood will read her specially-commissioned poem to mark the occasion and entertainment will be provided by the musician and composer Gwilym Bowen Rhys and the Ysgol Hamadryad choir.
Please note that attendance of the launch is by invitation only.
The launch is sponsored by Delyth Jewell MS.
A special thanks to Darwin Gray for their generous sponsorship.