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The Welsh Language Society ((ウェールズ語:Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg), often abbreviated to Cymdeithas or Cymdeithas yr Iaith) is a direct action pressure group in Wales campaigning for the right of Welsh people to use the Welsh language in every aspect of their lives. The current Chairperson of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg is Jamie Bevan. ==History and background== The Society was established in name on 4 August 1962 at Pontarddulais in South Wales, but did not have a constitution until 18 May 1963. The formation was at least partly inspired by the annual BBC Wales Radio Lecture given on 13 February 1962 by Saunders Lewis and entitled ''Tynged yr iaith'' (The fate of the language).〔Davies, ''A History of Wales'', Penguin, 1994, ISBN 0-14-014581-8, p 649: "the catalyst (for its formation) was the radio lecture given by Saunders Lewis on 13/2/62"〕 The Society's first public protest took place in October 1962 at Pont Trefechan in Aberystwyth, where around seventy members and supporters held a 'sit-in' blocking road traffic for half an hour.〔Dylan Philps. "history of the welsh language society" in The Welsh Language in the Twentieth Century. Ed. by G.H. Jenkins and M.W. Williams. Page 471〕 The first campaigns were for official status for the language, with a call for Welsh-language tax returns, schools, electoral forms, post office signs, birth certificates and so on. This was done through the formation of 'cells', the first operating in Bangor in April 1963 by Owain Owain who also founded and edited the Society's only publication, ''Tafod y Ddraig'' ('The Dragon's Tongue') and designed the logo. ''Cymdeithas yr Iaith'' believes in direct action and in the course of its campaigns over a thousand people have appeared before the courts for their part in various campaigns, many receiving prison sentences, making it one of Britain's largest protest groups since the suffragettes – in terms of fines and the numbers sent to prison.〔Dylan Phillips, At the beginning of the 1970s Cymdeithas began to campaign for a Welsh-language radio and television service. Radio Cymru was established in 1977, but in 1979 the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher announced that it would not keep its election promise of the establishment of a separate Welsh-language television channel. Some protesters refused to buy television licences and others climbed up television masts and invaded television studios.〔(''Tynged yr Iaith'', The Welsh Language Society, Broadcasting in Welsh, The Welsh Language Act ) on (''Ymgyrchu''! ), a website by the National Library of Wales〕 S4C was finally launched in 1982. On 24 July 2004 (five weeks after launching), Radio Carmarthenshire's studios in Narberth were invaded by eleven activists from the Welsh language Society ''Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg''. They were protesting Radio Carmarthenshire's decision to limit the amount of Welsh-language programming broadcast on Radio Carmarthenshire. The offices and studios were stormed during a live broadcasts, taking Radio Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire off-air for fifteen minutes. According to Keri Jones (who later branded the members of the group as "terrorists"), his head of sales was injured, and needed hospital treatment for a fractured wrist during the scuffles which ensued. Police arrested eleven activists, and subsequently released them pending further enquiries. Cymdeithas claim that 50% of the population in Carmarthenshire speak Welsh as a first language, but less than 5% of Radio Carmarthenshire's output is in Welsh. As a result of complaints and pressure from the society and individuals, the United Kingdom's broadcasting watchdog Ofcom issued Radio Carmarthenshire with a 'yellow card' warning in late 2004 and any further claims of the station not conforming to its licence agreement will result in the station being severely reprimanded by Ofcom. ''Cymdeithas'' is a largely voluntary movement, which also employs four full-time members of staff, one at its head office in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, one member in its Caernarfon office, two members in its Cardiff office, one part-time member in the Llanfihangel ar Arth office and one part-time in the Aberystwyth office. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Welsh Language Society」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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