| Summary: | In 2000, Sweden ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. By ratifiying the Framework Convention and the Minority Languages Charter, and by implementing legislation giving the right to use Sámi, Finnish and Meänkieli in contact with administrative authorities and courts (1999:1175 and 1999:1176), Sweden has accepted the charge of protecting and promoting the five national minorities and their languages, Meänkieli, Finnish, Sámi, Romani and Yiddish. This report argues that the acknowledgment by the Swedish government of Meänkieli as a national minority language represents a significant step forward for the language. The situation of Meänkieli has improved both in its status and in the extent to which individuals invoke the right to use it. Attitudes towards the language and the values of the population have also undergone a positive change. The report concludes that the implementation of the legislation and the official recognition of Meänkieli are significant first steps that provide a basis upon which the government can build. Although isolated measures have been taken, major actions - crucial for the preservation and development of Meänkieli as a living language - have not yet been initiated. The report lays the groundwork for a concerted set of measures that would ensure the conditions for the preservation of Meänkieli. The recommendations of the Council of Europe have indicated on several occasions that measures should be taken in Sweden to ensure the future of Meänkieli. With support of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, the Swedish government has the possibility to contribute to the positive development of Meänkieli. The report presents fourteen central fields where concrete measures are necessary both for Meänkieli to be able to develop and to support the continued use of the language in Sweden. The educational system, from pre-school to university, is one of the main areas in which much ...
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