Walter F. Edwards Professor, English Department & Linguistic ...

� Although the drafters and signatories of the Charter are committed to its success we are all aware
of the mighty challenges ahead. It will be difficult to change the negative attitudes generally held
towards the Creoles even in progressive countries like Jamaica, Haiti and Curacao. And getting
governments to commit scarce resources to language planning initiatives will be a hard sell.
� Since 1/14/11 ( The date of the signing of the charter) a number of territorial councils have been
set up with the ICCLR serving as the regional council.
� The Jamaican government in April of this year passed an amendment to the country’s Bill of
Rights to include freedom from discrimination but did not specifically include freedom from
language discrimination which was what the ICCLR was pushing for. The ICCLR has invited
government and opposition politicians to come to its Creole Day celebration on October28 ( this
Friday) and get a JC translation of Article III of the Charter.
� I know that local councils are being set up in in Barbados, Curacao and Guadeloupe.
� I didn’t get a strong sense that the government of Guyana has bought in yet, but I know that the
Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Lawrence Carrington, a notable Caribbean linguist
himself and who is a signatory to the Charter, will do all he can to promote the charter in Guyana.
� I believe that the success of individual Caribbean countries in implementing the Charter will have
positive effects in other Caribbean countries.
� The battle is joined. I invite your comments and suggestions.