Ulster-Scots and human rights

‘Much more than a language’ – how Human Rights can help Ulster-Scots realize its full potential

ONE of Northern Ireland’s senior Human Rights experts has urged the Ulster-Scots community to use the human rights based approach to realize the full potential of their culture and identity.Dr David Russell, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) made his remarks in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle.

Language rights are human rights, but; “People are naïve if they believe that Ulster-Scots is just a language, it’s clearly much more than that. There is also clearly a historical narrative, a cultural identity, dance, music as well as a linguistic tradition, there are links to particular religious traditions.” He adds, “…the right to culture is enshrined in international law and has been signed up to by the UK government….Members of the Ulster-Scots community are well within their rights to claim that protection and access the full range of benefits.”

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top