Switzerland and Graubünden for the promotion of Italian and Romansh
Unprecedented service contract between the federal government and the government of Chur for the preservation and protection of minority languages in the period 2021-2024
The Federal Office of Culture has signed with the Canton of Graubünden the performance contract for the preservation and promotion of the Romansh and Italian languages and cultures in the period 2021-2024.
From now on, the FOC will also be involved outside the Canton of Graubünden and will publish the call for tenders for a new promotion programme in June. This is a further step in the promotion of the country’s minority languages.
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Towards greater collaboration and new priorities
The new service contract between the canton of Graubünden and the FOC aims at closer cooperation between the federal government and the canton in measures to safeguard and promote the Romansh and Italian languages.
It also stipulates that resources be focused on certain priority areas.
The Canton of Graubünden has already defined the first measures, for example in the areas of education and administration.
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22 million investment in the project by Bern
As part of its message on culture, the Confederation will contribute around CHF 22 million over the next few years to the preservation and promotion of the two minority languages in the canton of Graubünden.
In addition, the aim is to support Romansh children and young people in learning and experiencing their language and culture outside their traditional territory, both in the canton of Graubünden and in other parts of Switzerland.
In June, the FOC will be launching a call for tenders for a promotion programme to support projects in the Romansh “diaspora”.
For the period 2021-2024, CHF 400,000 will be made available annually, as indicated in the preliminary information on the call.
First “Graubünden days” in the summer in Valposchiavo
Strengthening Graubünden’s digital presence at the top
The first round of projects will serve to identify what kind of promotion is needed and can be implemented effectively.
The project contributions are aimed, for example, at educational offers, but also at strengthening the digital presence of Romansh, with the aim of improving and simplifying access to the language.
The language promotion of the Confederation is primarily based on the Language Act of 5 October 2007 (LLing; SR 441.1) and the Language Ordinance of 4 June 2010 (OLing; SR 441.11).
WEF: Federal aid to the Canton of Graubünden from 2022 to 2024
Quadrilinguism as an indispensable constitutional value
These two legislative instruments implement the constitutional mandate to promote the national languages and their aim is to strengthen Switzerland’s quadrilinguism, to consolidate the country’s internal cohesion, to promote individual and institutional multilingualism and, finally, to preserve and promote Romansh and Italian.
The comic book “The Pope’s Guards” now available in Italian
