What a wonderfully impassioned plea to keep Cymraeg alive from a lady in Oregon, USA, all of whose great-grandparents were Welsh speaking! She is number 1191, @Deborah-SSi!
Is Alamo, Georgia, USA the Alamo? We have a signature from there, one from Germany and five from in or near Preston, Lancs - was this a group meeting? A St. David’s Soc meeting? Cor Cymraeg? Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn i chi - all of you
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Diolch @Deborah-SSi, to @MarilynHames, who was 1195 of the 1198 current total, not just, Marilyn, for signing in Vancouver, but for the wonderful comment about the example S4C gives to the First Peoples of America, all trying to keep their languages alive, of a country where this is being done!
We had other great comments from Cambridge (England, not Massachusetts) and, I can’t resist typing all of this : Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa!
Also signatures from Preston, another from Cambridge, Bristol and unspecified UK! Diolch pawb!!!
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It would be nice to be able to put a few of those comments as quotes in the email. Do you think that would be appropriate? I could put them anonymously if it seems a breach of privacy, though if they’ve put the comments publicly then it should be ok.
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Quoting anon from what can be read by public should be fine. I wouldn’t usually give names except for Forum members! The chap from S.Africa had put his lovely address on open site, but usually I only quote fairly general locations. To be honsst, I hope @MarilynHames didn’t mind me giving hers, as it was not on open site.
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I was thinking perhaps initials would suffice.
I’d think that would be fine. Do you want to browse and find some? You may need to take quotes as some are a bit long!
I’ll see how I go for time and try to do that.
No worries…
I am delighted others can read what an inspiration Welsh-speakers and those learning to speak it are to the First Nations people of North America, and hopefully elsewhere. Some languages in B.C. only have 2 people left who can speak them, many only 20. They look to us with admiration and envy, as well as with hope.
From them all, a huge diolch yn fawr iawn!
Marilyn
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Did you know that the Prince of Wales was recently petitioned by Canadian First Nations people to encourage the government of Canada to invest in the recovery of their native languages–pointing to Wales as their inspiration?
The first time I met my fellow doctoral students, most of them were First Nations folk. As is their custom, introductions were made by passing around a ‘talking stick’–the rule being that you listen carefully without interruption to the person holding the stick. I was the last in the circle, by which time I had heard a great deal about the abuses they have suffered and their desire to recover their cultures while some survivors of the ‘old ways’ still live.
I talked about growing up in Wales, then leaving to study in England and emigrating to Canada, but with a similar longing to preserve my ‘native’ ID. In many ways I represented the people who had displaced them, but do you know their response when I stopped talking? They each hugged me and addressed me as their ‘sister’ saying I was also a ‘First Nation’ person–one of the original First Nations. Year’s later, in our fancy robes we thanked one another for the shared stories and support.
This Forum offers the same–a safe place to share stories and support–this is our ‘talking stick’.
So go for it friends… secure continued funding for S4C and don’t let up until we do, nor let go of what is too precious to lose.
Marilyn
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You wouldn’t like to e-mail the Welsh Affairs Select Comittee and tell them that inspiring story, I suppose. It shows just how valued S4C is among other minority & endangered language speakers!
Done already–well, a few minutes ago.
Great suggestion.
Cheers,
Marilyn
Wow!!! Diolch yn fawr iawn!! @Deborah-SSi How about telling the n/l about this development???
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If I re-call, said on here that couldn’t sign the petition as I lived in Wales. However I’ve just had a look through the comments and there I am. I signed the petition ages ago,when I was living in England, before i started SSiW!
Which is fair enough. I can’t be expected to deal with folk who move house!! It was a genuinely relevant signature at the time. If the Government had sorted out S4C’s finances properly and fairly back then and not kept kicking the problem into the long grass, it would not be outdated! At this rate I’ll have died of old age before they set up a fair system! I would not expect whoever takes over the petition to delete me. Mark me as deceased while waiting!
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- Diolch yn fawr for bit in n/l with lovely quotes!! Brilliant!
- On the ipad, navigation is at the bottom. I am going to ask @aran if there could be a “How to do things on ipad or tablet” thread, as I am finding it hard to work out a lot!
I don’t think a single thread would work very well, because there are so many different variants of ipad/tablet/phone/laptop/Android/iOS etc etc… but as and when people ask, I’ll try to add the relevant variant to their titles… 
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Dear @Deborah-SSi, 1199 - 1208!!!
Comments from chap in Herts who thinks his License fee covers S4C, As far as I know, English viewers are not presumed to watch. I do know BBC’s (enforced) payment to S4C is not enough to cover needs! Person in Bucks, supporting petition and a lovely missive from a chap in Warwickshire whose Nain was Cymru Cymraeg and he is eagerly learning! Ireland and USA represented in the list, rest UK from Devon to Cambridgeshire, London to Gloucestershire! Diolch pawb!! Diolch @Deborah-SSi abd @aran for continued support!
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I think the comments coming in on this petition could really open the eyes of some people at S4C, as well as some politicans!
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I sincerely hope so!
1209 - 1214!
BFPO UK, so a Service person, moving all over the place, I’d guess could be in Afghanistan next week!
Merseyside, Solihull with a lovely comment about about loss of our language leaving future generations poorer,
Virginia, USA asking for this most vital channel to be kept alive,
Ayrshire, and an address which fascinates me:- Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It would be hard to find anywhere less like Queensland than Ipswich, Suffolk!
Tiny bit of trivia I found recently. While considering a job offer in Ipswich QLD, perusing housing around the area, just a few Km’s to the east is an Ebbw Vale.
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