Organisation pour l'maintenance d'français comme langue gylienne
| Abbreviation | OMFLG |
|---|---|
| Nickname | "Omfralang" |
| Motto | Langue saine, pays saine |
| Formation | 1958 |
| Founder | Françoise Chatelain |
| Type | Ass. |
| Purpose | Preservation and promotion of the French language in Gylias |
| Headquarters | Fionie, Alţira, Gylias |
Membership (2018) | 2.500.000 |
Official language | French |
Main organ | L'Journal Française |
| Website | http://www.omflg.gls/ |
The Organisation pour l'maintenance d'français comme langue gylienne (French reformed for "Organisation for the maintenance of French as a Gylian language"), abbreviated OMFLG, is a Gylian organisation that promotes the French language as an everyday language in Gylias.
Together with the ACFEN, it is one of the main organisations of the francité movement, and a powerful organisation in the French Gylian community.
History
The OMFLG was founded in 1958 by Françoise Chatelain. A self-described language activist, Françoise was concerned that French was being displaced as a lingua franca among Gylians by English in the Free Territories. Having participated in the Gylian languages reform of 1958-1959 and the popular drafting of the Constitution of Gylias, she established the organisation to preserve French as a common language for Gylians.
Her activism brought her into contact with fellow-mindeed activists Renée Gaulloise and Éliane La Gylienne, who established the ACFEN. The two organisations became sister organisations, and spearheaded the francité movement.
The OMFLG became popular during the Golden Revolution, the result of its appealing conception of French identity and its light-hearted activism methods. Together with the ACFEN, it succeeded in convincing the Gylian public that French must remain equal to English in the public sphere for the benefit of Gylian society, a view that remains prevalent to this day.
Mission
The OMFLG's official mission is to preserve the equity of French and English in public life, as Gylias' two official languages, and to promote the study and use of French in Gylias.
Structure
It is a voluntary association and a nonprofit. It follows an autonomist model of organisation, with members electing a 9-member Conseil administratif (Administrative Board) and 15-member Conseil d'surveillance (Supervisory Board) annually.
It is a sister organisation to the ACFEN — both organisations' charters stating that they will "unite and coordinate their activities toward the same goal" — and is associated with the Languages Board and National Broadcasting Office.
Activities
Language
The OMFLG coordinates with educational institutions and specialist language schools to ensure equal access to French education, and organises activities to maintain French as an everyday and engaging language, including contests to devise official French exonyms and mottoes for Gylian settlements and geographic features.
It is involved with research and language planning programs aimed at documenting and protecting the French dialects spoken in Gylias.
Officially, it accepts both reformed French and international French, but favours the former.
Every year, it awards two prizes:
- Prix d'carpette anglaise ("English Doormat Award"), an ironic award that mocks persons and organisations who display excessive favouritism towards English over French or forget its status as a co-official language.
- Prix Montjoie ("Montjoie Award"), which spotlights creative and original use of French or techniques to promote use of French.
Publishing
It publishes the monthly journal L'Journal Française and co-manages the À la française publishing house with ACFEN.
Conferences
It hosts yearly conferences to publicise its activities and their outcomes.
Advocacy
It lobbies to ensure all municipalities and regions offer bilingual services and facilities, and to promote use of French in communal assemblies.