Republican Youth address international conference in Corsica

BASQUE COUNTRY, SCOTLAND AND IRELAND REPRESENTED AT YOUTH EVENT

» BY MARK MOLONEY IN CORTI, CORSICA

Pádraig Quinn speaks on the issue of minority languages in Corti

A SINN FÉIN Republican Youth delegation has just returned from the 8th annual Scontri Internaziunali event at the University of Corsica Pascal Paoli.

The three-day youth event, hosted by the pro-independence student group Cunsulta di a Ghjuventú Corsa (GCG), took place in the island’s ancient mountain capital of Corti in the last week of January and included talks and debates on a range of issues such as national and minority languages, culture, student politics and sport. The Sinn Féin Youth delegation spoke alongside representatives from both the Corsican and Sardinian nationalist movements. The audience included observers from the Basque Country and Scotland as well as senior members of various Corsican political parties.

Speaking to An Phoblacht in Corti, Sinn Féin Dungannon Town Councillor Pádraig Quinn said:

“Much like Ireland, Corsica is a small island nation whose culture and language were suppressed by a much larger and more powerful neighbour. The people here are determined to protect their language, their way of life and their traditions. As republicans and socialists, solidarity with other small nations is a cornerstone of our ideology and events like this are a fantastic way of learning from others and sharing our own experience as we move towards Irish reunification and independence.”

The French regional elections in 2010 saw a massive surge in support for Corsican nationalist parties on the island, gaining more than 36% of the vote. Lyvia Cosimi of the pro-independence Corsica Libera party told An Phoblacht:

“The elections of 2010 were a brilliant boost to the movement here but we believe that through hard work and determination we will see an even better performance in 2014.”

* The next edition of IRIS - The Republican Magazine, out in April, will contain a special report on Corsica and its long struggle for self-determination.