Interview with Joseff Gnagbo

November 25, 2023 11:30 AM

Joseff Gnagbo is a journalist, academic, and political activist from Cote d'Ivoire who was granted political asylum in the UK and placed in Cardiff, where he learned Welsh and quickly became involved with the Welsh language movement. Now he is the new Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the pressure group that fought via direct action, including serving prison terms, to get legal protection for the Welsh language. Siôn Jobbins interviews him (in English) to discuss his experiences and commonalities he sees between Cote d'Ivoire and Wales.
posted by Rhedyn (5 comments total)

Eee, that was great. He'd be an asset in any language. Of course there's a second /parallel interview in Welsh.
posted by BobTheScientist at 3:02 PM on November 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

That was interesting, thanks (I read the transcript), particularly his previous experiences of linguistic discrimination and language loss.
posted by paduasoy at 4:32 PM on November 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

That was a lovely listen, very interesting. The French on-going colonialism is startling
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:01 PM on November 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

From the country next door, it's 20 years since Daniel O'Hara directed Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom [13m] a sweet short film about a chap from PRC who learns Irish and finds his feet as a barkeep in the Connemara Gaeltacht. cw: some stereotyping but its heart is in the right correct place.
posted by BobTheScientist at 6:09 AM on November 26, 2023

wow!
posted by lokta at 6:06 AM on November 28, 2023