Cyprus-Forum.com

[repulsewarrior]

1 Nov/07, at Montreal
copyright, editorial credit when copied
letter, public presentation

Commission Bouchard-Taylor
To Whom It May Concern


Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Our advantages, linguistically
3. Language as a tool
4. French-English/Other Languages, accommodation in our metropolitan centers
5. The regional spheres
6. Integration, use of the Official Language
7. Conclusion

…the presentation will follow, complete at least one week before the audience, for your consideration.


1. Introduction

In my Quebec, Language would be a regional Jurisdiction, and our Language would unite us..

In my Quebec each region would nurture their own needs, in the promotion of our rich and diverse Patrimony, while respecting the norms defined in legislation that our National Assembly enacts..

In my Quebec, industry, and government work to be as inclusive as possible, in terms of their language usage, so that they can communicate globally, in as many languages possible, to ninety percent of the world's population who have a mother tongue other than English.

In my Quebec, Quebecers would take the challenge in this competitive world to facilitate exchange, because we are the fortunate to live in the freest country in the world.

In my Quebec, our love for language would unite us.

2. Our advantages, linguistically

Because of our history, passing the ages of the Magna Carta, and the French Revolution, both intimately, our Custom, our Rule of Law is refined and its well earned esteem has provided us flawless rulings in two languages for these few years, since the existence of Quebec, and the Canadian State. The tolerance which we have provided ourselves wthin our own ‘Quiet Revolution’ has resulted in strong educational, and/or economic centers in the regions and a cosmopolitan city with a rich history, a jewel amongst cities for the service it can provide. And I hope, that Montreal is the downtown core, of a megalopolis spanning from Windsor through to Toronto and Ottawa and down to Boston New York and Washington, imaginably close in time to a futurist, especially with Global Warming introduced as its accelerant. In this regard, I suggest to you that Spanish is the greatest “threat”, to French spoken well, in North America.

But a threat does not require an adversarial approach. Rather, it requires us to embrace the future, an in so doing choosing to apply these forces in a manner where practically we profit the most.

In the Modern Age communication was key. Quebec is a world leader in communication, we all know that. In the Information Age bits and bytes, the processing of them is key. We must compete with the next door neighbour, a behemoth of this Age at the advent. Our advantage is the mosaic that is a part of our Urban Culture, and it should be harnessed in a manner where words from other languages are seamlessly translated to French, as our French can be translated seamlessly to English.

Think, in this manner, in Quebec, one byte can compound to tens, or hundreds of bytes.

3. Language as a tool

I imagine a German businessman forty years from today choosing to live in Quebec because his language needs can be accommodated. By learning French, our French here in Quebec, he knows that the linguistic tools of this Official Language provides from it, translation in Japanese, as well as a myriad of other languages. He enjoys speaking French and he especially likes visiting this whole Province because of its natural beauty and the warmth people can extend to him without a language barrier.

4. French-English/Other Languages, accommodation in our metropolitan centers

I imagine a young Quebecer, a francophone by origin looking at the emergency sign in this city’s Metro. On one side of the pictogram his language in bold, and twice as large, serving the seeing impaired as well, and on the other side several languages, along with English. I imagine he dreams of traveling, and he practices these words to remember them.

I imagine signage in French only, but advertising in the shops and on their windows in any language that will draw their customers to their wares.

I imagine schools which receive their subsidy from government for educating in French, as well as another language. Our English schools, I hope in this regard, will sustain themselves, with an ever growing population, their demo-graphical significance will wane (and so too the ability to be fluent in a correct English).

I imagine that in a world context all urban people are functional in English. By accommodating the vast majority of our immigrants, so that their languages are sustained, they will want to adapt, taking the choice to have their ‘Official Language’ at their core, because it provides for them even greater advantages.

5. The regional spheres

I imagine with a regional focus on our Language, Universities will apply themselves to this question in a manner where our understanding of our heritage is enriched because its diversity, as an identity which is closer to the land, will be not only sustained, but promoted.

There are many regions in Quebec. Each is distinctive. We risk loosing the richness of the words and the constructs they make: like song, poetry, fable; because not enough is done to integrate this knowledge in the pedagogical base. But beyond the homogeneity of a language spoken well, and the pride in that, is the seeping cauldron of its culture, chunks in a stew, not just a broth, to which I suggest we focus our own energies, in our own way.

6. Integration, use of the Official Language

To be accommodating to others, we will have to be accommodating to ourselves as well. This diversity in identity will promote a closeness to the whole as well, in that all its citizens can have an identity in speaking their French well, while in exchange having their unique distinctions, they have as Persons a culture, their own history, in community, as a region.

7. Conclusion

In accommodating ourselves, in this manner, a new approach is offered to Language and its usage, as well as allowing citizens in rural areas an opportunity to revive the unique qualities they attach to their land, urban centers will grow, having the greatest number of choices for themselves.

found this thought it was worth sharing...

...the Bicommunal debate, in Canada.

[Lordo]

rw did the two sides murder each other citizens. rw we barking up the wrong tree. there will be no other peace other than bbf. gc on one side and the tcs the other. free to go an come. it is as good as we are going to have.

[repulsewarrior]

rw did the two sides murder each other citizens. rw we barking up the wrong tree. there will be no other peace other than bbf. gc on one side and the tcs the other. free to go an come. it is as good as we are going to have.

...you are mistaken Lordo, if you think that you as a Cypriot, an Individual, can be dismissed so easily, at some point they did join forces, and they went beyond Provincial politics to take on the issues as Canadians. beyond that the struggle of Constituencies continues. if you are a Cypriot, you can understand what it is to love this island, more importantly, given its geo-political situation, it too can prosper from the diversity of its ethnosphere.

[repulsewarrior]

kurupetos wrote:

repulsewarrior wrote:...another example where the Values of Europeans (read (if you like): the Values of "that" Greece which spawned them) need a definition based on their commitment to Universal Values. Maybe, the Greeks of today, wily as they are in distress will choose the way, once again. one hopes, from this corruption which rots no more grow new seeds, in the good earth below; this connection to Language may click, Greeks may become as they were that long time ago, facilitators of social-exchange, Greeks may choose to become transparent to many other Languages, without barriers, extrovert, to serve these Global partners, as Greeks to demonstrate their value and to demonstrate the power Greeks have toward communication; in the lingua franca, wake up reh, Greek is near extinction, it has to be useful to "others" to survive, others have to love Greece/"Greece" too.

RW your last paragraph is interesting although incorrect, because Greeks were never 'facilitators of social-exchange'. Have you never heard of 'Non-Greeks are barbarians'?

Who are the 'Global partners'? ...and why do you believe 'Greek is near extinction'?

...like English today, "then", Greek was the language to learn if one was to trade; indeed, in this respect, those who were ignorant of "Greek" custom were Barbarians.

90% of the world's population is not English (as a mother-tongue), and yet 90% speak it. the great powers of the Information Age will be measured by the bits and bytes they can produce. i propose that some well situated Countries (or People) can take a word (in English, e.g.), and translate it many times over; do you see my point?

...the world's ethnosphere is shrinking at a faster rate than it's ecosphere; the threats of extinction for many many languages is imminent, Greek is no exception, unless as a Language, it is or will be used by "others". my proposal suggests that the function of language can be Modernised, although it requires a shift in thinking where there is a willingness to facilitate inclusiveness with learning a language, and where a Nation (read: State) engages to demonstrate this ability, globally.

[CanWoodsman]

Don't think for a second there is any forum of language equality in Quebec.
In Quebec french is spoken by the majority and they are doing their best to cram it down everyone throat.
They have laws that french has to be printed larger than any other languages on all business signs.
If your business name is a english phrase forget it & change it to french.
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is PFK in Quebec.
They force non french speaking students to attend schooling in french schools.
Funny thing is in the rest of Canada where english is spoken by the majority the french are not restricted in the use of their language.
If a buisness wishes to use french only signs in the rest of Canada they are free to do so.
In Ontario (possibly other parts of Canada) most have the option of educating their children in either french or english no matter what their mother tongue is.

[repulsewarrior]

CW, i don't propose that Quebec has it right as a minority in North America, far from it. my observations on the issues demonstrate that. however Language is the bedrock on which identities are sustained, and like Canada, Cyprus has more than one Official Language (and a hugely complex ethnosphere). most importantly. for both countries is their ability to provide the services they offer to a wide array of Persons, who like them depend on a social-exchange which is clear, honest, and fluid.

since you live in Canada, i assume, and in an urban center, i imagine when you look around you, you can identify the People as Canadians, not by the colour of their skin, or by the languages they speak, but by their intention. i propose that in even fifty years the demographics of Cyprus will be different, and in 200 years this population will likely number just over 12 million. like in Canada, a Bicommunal (Bizonal) Federation, this State must prepare for a myriad of National identities, which fit within a mosaic, rather then a melting pot. (Canadian, by definition, is the Metis (anthropoligically speaking); who are the rest of us?) how then to manage the fact that we all speak English mostly to make the bread we must eat to survive? what then of the languages that are so small, although rich in the Heritance they offer Mankind, must they wither against such powerful influences? how does one at least resist the extinction of such diversity, and in the process provide a hope within each one of us that we have gone beyond this plunder amongst ourselves, to fight the real enemies, like Ignorance.

Quebec did have all its Safety Regulations (e.g.) printed in many languages, not just French and some English (it does not surprise me that other Provinces have Regulations which surpass the Federal Government's minimum as well); if i remember, an idea promoted by Rene Levesque, regretfully, unlike him (a great Canadian), he has been replaced by a Leadership within his Party that is Provincial in its thinking, to say the least, it is presently not so forthcoming, having an air of entitlement which forgets that we all deserve the same respect in expressing a loving manner, and that to the rest of the world we must be welcoming.

...lol, from a Canadian perspectives the "Turks" are the "French", and from a Quebec perspective, the "French" are like "Greeks".

curious, have you read my manifesto?