Aquestes se centren en dos temes: l'exclusió del català de diferents programes de la Unió i, singularment, la polèmica sobre l'acció "2001, Any Europeu de les Llengües"

Pel que fa al primer, reproduïm uns articles del Estanislau Vidal-Folch, Crític literari i analista de l'acció cultural de la Unió Europea. Cliqueu aquí

Pel que fa al segon, podeu resseguir la polèmica suscitada per ...

• Els orígens: Narcís Parés
  
• La resposta: Gillian McLaughlin
  
• La primera reacció: Toni Strubell
  
• La cullerada: Instituto Cervantes
  
• La rèplica primera: Narcís Parés
  
• La rèplica segona: Miquel Strubell
  
• La difusió: Miquel Strubell
  
• La felicitació: Instituto Cervantes
  
• L'agraïment: Miquel Strubell
  
• La petició d'informació: Miquel Strubell
  
• La crida: Miquel Strubell
  
• L'orientació: Alastair MacPhail
  
• Les respostes: recomanem.htm
  
• La insistència: Miquel Strubell
  
• Crida a la poesia catalana i els enllaços: Gillian McLaughlin
  

Però aquests missatges electrònics no són l'única reacció de catalans, illencs i
valencians davant de la marginació de la nostra llengua! Per veure les nostres
reaccions, fins al dia 7 de maig de 2001, clica al Fòrum de l'Any Europeu de les
Llengües.

La sra. Gillian McLaughlin , de l'organització, envia a molta gent una resposta molt correcta, a través de l'adreça  Kerstin.Ringler@cec.eu.int , una còpia de la qual rep i comença a divulgar M. Strubell a partir del mateix dia 22 de gener:

Dear colleagues, 

thank you very much for your messages and for your interest in the European Year of
Languages 2001. 

I note with interest your feedback on the web-site for the Year and hope that the following comments / observations may answer some of your questions.  I'd like to say first of all that the European Year of Languages is not about the status of languages, it is about encouraging people to learn them, as well as generally raising awareness of linguistic diversity as a vital feature of European culture. I think you can appreciate that it would be practically impossible for us to create a web site providing the same information in all of the hundreds of languages spoken by Europeans (11 official languages, 40-odd other indigenous languages and several hundred non-indigenous languages spoken by immigrant communities) all of which are equal in importance and dignity. We would have loved to provide information in Catalan, as we would have loved to do so in Saami, Frisian, Irish, Hindi, Turkish, Arabic... but managing a website in 11 languages is already a considerable feat of logistics. Hence the decision - agreed and approved by the Governments of the EU - to provide information in the 11 official languages as the only effective way of ensuring that all Europeans find the information they need in a language they understand, though it may not be their mother tongue.

I'd also like to point out that our website is still under construction. Our work is proceeding very quickly. We intend to ensure that it includes information and facilities which cover all the languages that the users are interested in. There will be a facility for links to all types of web-site, and we would hope that you can help us to establish some of the Catalan links: particularly those which can provide information to people who are not Catalan speakers, with information about the language and particularly about how they can learn it if they want to. 

All chat-room facilities etc will be open to everybody to use the language they wish to use. The message lists and discussion topics may be provided in any language the user wishes, and will include a box showing the language of communication for the message. None of these facilities restricts the language to be used. We will be replacing the current language menus with open text boxes, so that there is no question of certain languages being treated as "second best". 

The interface languages for the information campaign is only one aspect of the European Year. As you have seen from the objectives, the European Year activities extend to all languages spoken, used and taught in Europe. You may also have noticed that one feature of the European Year is the Call for Proposals for co-financed projects. You will be pleased to note that among the first 43 projects selected, many include language festivals and other activities which are not language specific, and which therefore can and do include minority and regional languages alongside the 11 official languages of the EU, as well as many of the hundreds of languages spoken by the citizens of the regions concerned. Additionally there are several projects which have a specific interest in the regional and minority languages of Europe and 2 which include Catalan specifically.  We hope very much to see more projects submitted for the second round of selection (deadline 15 February 2001) which will take Catalan to a wide public, and specifically to communities and countries who have not had much exposure to it. This is one of the main objectives we hope to achieve in the Year: to increase the knowledge and exposure of the public at large to the diversity of the languages spoken and used in Europe.  So as you can see, the European Year itself is integrating Catalan into the very core of its activities, and we hope very much that your interest in the Year will be sustained throughout 2001. 

With our best wishes 

Gillian McLaughlin for the European Year of Languages Team at the European Commission  European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture  Language Policy Unit 

Tel. 00 32 2 29 940 14 / Fax 00 32 2 29 963 21 
E-mail: kerstin.ringler@cec.eu.int
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/languages/actions/year2001.html    
http://www.eurolang2001.org/ 

Toni Strubell contesta el 17 de gener:

Dear Kerstin Ringler,

Thank you so much for taking an interest in the Catalan language. As a Catalan-speaking University teacher living outside the Catalan-speaking countries (Catalonia, Valencia, Balearic Isles, French Catalonia, Andorra etc), I am very glad to be able to give my opinion to you.

Catalan is one of the great submerged languages of Europe. Why submerged? Well because it is still not possible to discern with ease the exact geographical significance of the language.

Nor is it easy to estimate the situation in which the language is forced to live within the Spanish and French states, where the fact that democracies formally exist makes the very real oppression the language suffers hard to observe, for some at least.  After the total prohibition suffered by the language for over 40 years under the Franco regime (to which one must add centuries of colonisation  and official repression of the Catalan language from last 1/3 19th Century) Catalan is only approaching a normal situation in one part of the countries it is spoken in: Catalonia. But even here, despite the fact that the language is considered the main language of education, the chances or cultural betterment or consumer satisfaction in this language are still really limited. The fact that the language's cultural goods are submitted to the Spanish market means that even in Barcelona it is difficult to actually find more than one or two publications in Catalan on the news stands. However, the fact that one major newspaper is available in two editions -Catalan and Spanish- with the former doing almost as well as the latter would seem to prove that the demand is there. In cinemas, where dubbing of foreign films into Spanish is commonplace (if not fully universal), to see a film in Catalan is little short of a miracle. The American film producers, aided by the protective shield of Spanish legislation, are not forced to dub into Catalan and only do so in small token amounts. As for the Spanish Administration, especially under the new Partido Popular government - a Government, let's remember, loathe to condemn the Franco coup- the advance of Catalan in official forms, sign posts etc is cripplingly slow, and even countered on occasions. As regards TV, Catalan channels exist, but the offer is limited to 2 while TV in Spanish knows no limits. Yet no one seems to see this as an unfair disadvantage for the weaker language. As regards prizes and public "prestige" for the language, is it enough to mention that the Premio Planeta for literature in Spanish -awarded privately in Barcelona- offers 50 million pesetas to the winner, whereas the largest Catalan literature prize amounts to less than five times less? How can the Catalan language compete with this situation. And yet, the fact that Catalonia lacks sovereignty and real opportunites to create anything remotely approaching a "public opinion", as exists in all language contexts where a protective State is involved, means that any attempt to bestow Catalan with real rights, with the prestige and funding available to other languages meets with the howls of discontent of the Madrid press and the radio and TV opinion programmes of Spanish ideology and language that penetrate Catalonia and the Catalan-speaking countries with no kind of restriction. One imagines what would occur to -let's say- Turkish anti-German radio broadcasts freely circulating within Germany. Or lavishly funded (by whom) Arab anti-French newspapres circulating in France. How long would they last? Why should Catalonia be exposed to enormous currents of anti-Catalan opinion within its own frontiers? Who favours this? In whose interest does this work?

In French Catalonia the situation nears genocide, for the language knows no official status at all. In Valencia, the Partido Popular local government is doing its utmost to erradicate the Catalan language, and even the use of the term "Catalan" is severely repressed despite the fact that no self-respecting Romance Language Department of any University in the World would hesitate to refer to the language of Valencia as anything other than what it is: Catalan. In the Balearic Isles the recovery of the language has also been thwarted by years of Partido Popular government.

The Catalan language and culture are in a better situation than they were under Franco. The persecution has decreased. But has it disappeared? In Germany a persdon can go to prison for stating that the Concentration Camps are a figment of Jewish propaganda. Yet those directly responsible for banning and persecuting Catalan for decades were left unscathed in 1975 when Dictator Franco died. The Spanish Government refused to participate in the tribute to Catalan President Lluís Companys, murdered by Franco in 1940 (being the only democratically elected President of a European country to be executed by an Axis ally in the 1939-45 conflagration). He was handed over by the German Military Police to Franco's thugs at Hendaye bridge (29.8.1940), tortured and shot after a 40-minute "trial". If this is the behaviour today of the Spanish Government, what kind of an environment can one expect for the regeneration of the Catalan culture, language and people?

And more so when over 50% of the Spanish State budget for culture for the year 2002 is to go to the Community of Madrid alone! In Spain, everything is set for the gentle extermination of all that is not Castilian (President Aznar is 100% Castilian) and for the nationalistic betterment of everything that is Castilian. Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country, along with their cultures, are completely ignored by Spain. The State directly or indirectly contributes all it can to their decadence, economic starvation and cultural stagnation. For example, never in the long years the Eurovision Song Contest has been on, has any singer represented Spain in any language other than Spanish. One attempt at introducing a Catalan singer, in Catalan, met with severe repression and that singer's being ostracised from TV for years. As regards something as popular as singers in shows etc, one can say that the percentage of Catalan, Basque or Galician on Spanish TV is almost null. Asking around, not one University colleague can remember when there was last/ever a song in Basque or Catalan on Spanish TV. The same sort of ituation reigns in plenty of other fields.

Decidedly, the Catalan culture is being forced to live on in a political and economic situation that any European State would find absolutely inadmissible for its own language. Is this the price a country must pay for not having a State? If the UE is to be democratic and fair, it should shake off the bureacracy and hypocrisy that tends to characterise it in this and other fields where "minorities" are involved, and take into consideration the voice of those deprived of privilege because they are deprived of State. Equal rights for all cultures is all that we are asking for.

El mateix 22 de gener l'Institut Cervantes contesta el missatge de Narcís Parés (Rosario Guijarro , proeuro@cervantes.es):

Estimados Srs.:

Lamentamos el error que ha herido su susceptibilidad, pero en el caso español, han sido consideradas idóneas dentro del Año Europeo de las Lenguas, todas aquellas que están recogidas en el texto constitucional o en los textos legislativos de las respectivas comunidades autónomas del estado. Por tanto, el catalán es lengua meta del Año Europeo de las Lenguas, si bien los proyectos deben presentarse redactados en una lengua oficial de la Unión Europea, y con un resumen (al menos) en inglés, francés o alemán (lenguas de trabajo de la Unión), lo que, lamentablemente, ha dado lugar a algún equívoco.

Atentamente.
Instituto Cervantes.
Departamento de Programas Europeos.

Narcís Parés contesta el mateix dia a proeuro@cervantes.es: 

Estimados Srs. Ante todo, muchas gracias por su correo electrónico.

Me temo que no se ha entendido mi ruego sobre el sitio del Año Europeo de las Lenguas. Lo que yo quería dar a entender en mi correo inicial, era que no se puede hacer un sitio de Internet sobre diversidad lingüística en Europa dando entradas a la información a través, tan solo, de las lenguas de los estados y discriminando las demás lenguas europeas. Esto no es solidario ni ayuda a aclarar las diferencias y agravios comparativos entre las lenguas "poderosas" y las "oprimidas". Tal y como algunas personas han comentado ya, con el sitio actual se están discriminando más de 9 millones de catalanoparlantes (y seguro que muchos millones más de Eusquera, Gallego, Flamenco, Gaelico, etc.).

Lo que yo pido a la Comisión Europea y a los co-organizadores es que en todo el sitio del Año Europeo de las Lenguas se tenga esto en cuenta. En otras palabras, que lo que se promulga en el sitio se aplique a sí mismo como ejemplo de lo que debería ser el respeto diario y a todos los niveles en el uso de las lenguas en Europa.

Muchas gracias por su atención.

El mateix 22 de gener Miquel Strubell contesta a proeuro@cervantes.es: 

Apreciada Sra. Guijarro,  Gracias por su respuesta. Ahora bien, el hecho de no hacer una versión catalana del portal (o gallega, o vasca) hace tan, tan improbable que se le ocurra a alguien que estas lenguas sí entraban en el Año Europeo, que seguramente no habrá solicitudes antes del polazo fijado: y solamente lamentaciones después. 

En definitiva: ¿de qué organismo representado en la organización del año depende la invitación a catalanes, gallegos y vascos, para que sus lenguas participoen en el año? ¿Y qué pasos ha tomado para asegurarse de que dicha participación queda garantizada? 

Por otra parte, me ha sorprendido que haya salido del Instituto Cervantes la afirmación de que el sueco, el finlandés, el danés, el neerlandés, el italiano, el español el portugúes y el griego, aun siendo lenguas oficiales, no son lenguas de trabajo de la Unión Europea.

Simultàniament Miquel Strubell envia un missatge a la European Bureau for Lesser-Used languages:

Instituto Cervantes has just claimed that Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, panish, Portuguese and Greek ... although official languages are not working languages of the European Union.

Take note, please.

L'Instituto Cervantes contesta l'endemà, dia 23, per boca de Rosario Guijarro proeuro@cervantes.es.  No cal dir que la seva felicitació no havia d'anar adreçada al destinatari, sinó al conjunt de catalans mobilitzats per aquest tema: 

Quisiera felicitarle por el entusiasmo demostrado y por la resonancia que ha tenido la iniciativa de su grupo, y luego, una pequeña aclaración: no afirmamos que algunas de las lenguas oficiales de la Comunidad Europea no son lenguas de trabajo, sino que hay lenguas que se utilizan más en las reuniones de trabajo y en los textos, y me refiero a párrafos que aparecen en documentos de la Unión Europea, como el siguiente: "Numerosos documentos estándar están disponibles en las 11 lenguas oficiales de la UE. No obstante, tendrá que realizar ciertas comunicaciones no normalizadas y ad-hoc, en las que deberá utilizar el inglés, el francés o el alemán." 

Atentamente.

El mateix 22 de gener Miquel Strubell escriu a kerstin.ringler@cec.eu.int de la Comissió:

Dear Ms. McLaughlin, 

Thank you first of all for your long and detailed reply to one of the many complaints that are sweeping the Catalan-speaking corners of the Internet, regarding the absence of a Catalan- language portal to the 2001EYL website (http://www.eurolang2001.org/). Neither on this page nor on http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/languages/actions/year2001.html  is it more than hinted that Catalan is on the list of eligible languages (3 weeks before the deadline for the final proposals for financial support!). Who, when and where designated Catalan as eligible, on behalf of the State?

In response to the kafuffle it seems that the Spanish state has done so, to judge by a message that the Instituto Cervantes has sent around today, (in which it also says, in effect, that Swedish, Greek, Portuguese, Finnish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Danish are not working languages of the Union!). 

It seems inadmissible that reference be made to "any other language • including regional and minority languages and sign languages • which European Union Member States designate as eligible". If, as it appears, Catalan has been thus designated, it should appear in its own right, alongside the list of other named languages. 

A lot of Catalans feel left out of the only Council of Europe + European Union initiative that seems tailor-made for us! There are seven million speakers of our language and we are all citizens of the European Union, which on both scores is more than can be said for several other "eligible" languages. 

Incidentally, I would be very interested indeed to learn about the 43 projects that have already been financed (and particularly about those including lesser-used languages such as Catalan). Could you give me an Internet address to access the list?  I am especially pleased that you are going to replace the current language menus with open text boxes, so that no languages will be < > - the truth is, right now they simply couldn't be treated at all! 

Finally, rest assured that every effort will be made in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, to ensure that your website "includes information and facilities which cover all the languages that the users are interested in." We shall endeavour to send you information for people who are not Catalan speakers, including  information about the language and about how they can learn it if they want to. The 75-odd EU universities that teach the language will also, I'm sure, cooperate. Who should we send this information to, exactly? 

Yours sincerely / Salutacions cordials.  Miquel Strubell

El mateix 22 de gener Miquel Strubell fa córrer una circular:

"Catalans, valencians, illencs!  Algú a la Comissió Europea ens està demanant informació seriosa sobre la llengua catalana, en diferents llengües, sobre els llocs on es pot aprendre, i sobre enllaços a pàgines web amb recursos lingüístics per a no catalanoparlants. 

Senyores i senyors, posem-nos-hi, cadascú amb el seu granet de sorra. Envieu aquest missatge a qui cregueu que el pugui contestar, allà on sigui del món mundial! I vosaltres mateixos, col·laboreu també, enviant-hi informació: útil i exacte, amb adreces electròniques, pagines web, tot. Convindria, de debò, que la pluja d'informació d'alta qualitat sobre la llengua catalana i el seu ensenyament a estrangers inundés l'oficina de 2001 Any Europeu de les Llengües. Tot de qualitat, insisteixo. Han de quedar impressionats (i per tant, no s'hi val a adjuntar-hi aquest missatge!!!). 

Recordeu que la senyora en qüestió és: Kerstin.Ringler@cec.eu.int. 

Deia:

We intend to ensure that it includes information and facilities which cover all the languages that the users are interested in. There will be a facility for links to all types of web-site, and we would hope that you can help us to establish some of the Catalan links: particularly those which can provide information to people who are not Catalan speakers, with information about the language and particularly about how they can learn it if they want to.

A més, necessitem amb gran urgència un voluntari que es presti a rebre còpies de TOTS els missatges informatius que s'enviïn a la sra. Ringler. 

Al final demanava que sortís un voluntari per recollir còpies de tota la informació que s'envia a la Comissió Europe. De seguida s'hi va prestar Josep Antoni Martín Pérez, josepamartin@yahoo.es.

El funcionari de la Comissió Alastair.Macphail@cec.eu.int envia un cordial missatge a Miquel Strubell (que coneix per altres projectes), a banda de les respostes oficials, amb un bon consell respecte de la nostra iniciativa: vigilem, ve a dir, que si afegim llenya al foc encara podríem perjudicar les nostres pretensions.