- Press releases
On 26 September each year, the European Day of Language is enjoyed by thousand of people across Europe and by schools, governmental institutions and NGOs in all countries of Europe.
It is an annual day of celebration that was initiated in 2001, during the European Year of Languages. Its aim is to alert the public to the importance of languages and increase intercultural understanding, to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and to encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.
The Day of Languages was an initiative of the Council of Europe to celebrate the rich mosaic of different languages that coexist in Europe: including official state languages, world languages and evidently, the minority languages of Europe.
FUEN uses the European Day of Languages as an opportunity to cherish the minority languages of Europe and the people that speak these languages. It is important that people keep their own languages alive with confidence, with heart and soul. The regional and minority languages, as has to be stressed over and again, are contributing to the rich and unique linguistic diversity in Europe.
Each language has the right to exist. Every person has the right to speak his or her language(s), to learn and to develop them.
It is never too late! This is also the slogan of the project “Language diversity”, which was initiated by FUEN. On the project website information and promotion materials are available in more than 40 different languages.
FUEN recommends the new YEN-song, as a motivation to celebrate the Day of Languages 2015 and for the next year as a whole. A quote from the text:
As long as we keep on speaking, nothing will make us fail. We fight for our precious culture and never stop, while we’re here to stay. Our dreams remain. We will prevail. Our roots are strong. We will go on...