Carlo Sechi: "A language has no future if it is not taught in schools"

The former mayor of Alghero receives the Martí Gasull Special Jury Prize in Barcelona for defending Catalan.

Generic image of a library with shelves full of books symbolizing language preservation.
IA

Generic image of a library with shelves full of books symbolizing language preservation.

Cultural activist and former mayor of Alghero, Carlo Sechi, visited Barcelona this March to receive the Martí Gasull Special Jury Prize for his lifelong commitment to the Catalan language in Sardinia.

During his stay in Barcelona, Sechi warned that the Italian state's strategy has been to let the language fade away through neglect rather than direct repression. He emphasized that the survival of the Algherese dialect depends strictly on its integration into the formal education system.

"A language cannot have a future if it is not taught in schools and to the new generations."

Carlo Sechi · Former Mayor of Alghero and activist
Sechi, who founded the Sardigna i Llibertat movement in 1978, highlighted the success of cultural initiatives like the Catalan Library of Alghero, which holds 10,000 volumes. He remains optimistic about the youth's interest in theater and music performed in Catalan, despite the lack of official teacher training.