Wales football stars join campaign to preserve minority languages

Wales football stars Angharad James-Turner and Rubin Colwill are among those backing a message about preserving minority languages delivered at Europe's largest football stadium.

The Urdd's annual Peace and Goodwill Message for 2026 sees the youth organisation focusing on linguistic diversity - including a poem translated into 75 languages.

This includes many languages commonly spoken in current conflict zones around the world, such as Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Kurdish, Russian and Ukrainian.

The message was unveiled at the Nou Camp in Barcelona - a nod to the football club's historic links to preserving their own Catalan identity, said Urdd bosses.

The Urdd is one of the largest youth organisations in Europe, with tens of thousands of young people taking part in Welsh-language activities including its annual Eisteddfod, which will be held this year on Anglesey from 23 to 29 May.

The organisation's peace message - an annual tradition dating back to its founding in 1922 - often includes a focus on important global issues.

Among the themes in recent years were child poverty, anti-racism, the climate emergency, and gender equality.

The message for 2026 comes under the slogan "peace speaks every language", with particular focus on the preservation of minority, regional, and indigenous languages.

"For over a century, the Urdd has empowered the youth of Wales to speak out on the world's most pressing issues," said its chief executive Siân Lewis.

"Launching this year's message from the Spotify Camp Nou is a powerful symbol of international solidarity between minority languages.

"We are showing that small linguistic communities can have a massive collective voice, and that when languages thrive, peace has a chance."

It is estimated that 60-75% of people around the world are at least bilingual - but of the 7,000 languages spoken, experts believe about half could be extinct by the end of the century.

The latest census in 2021 indicated there were 538,000 Welsh speakers in Wales, though that figure does not include those living elsewhere in the UK or abroad.

The 2026 peace message saw the Urdd work with secondary pupils from Wrexham's Ysgol Morgan Llwyd.

Among its translated versions are other minority Celtic languages, including Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, Manx and Breton.

The poem is also available in British Sign Language, the Channel Islands languages of Jèrriais and Guernésiais, and West Riding – a distinct dialect of English spoken in parts of Yorkshire.

European minority languages featured include Basque and Catalan - spoken widely in northern and eastern regions of Spain, and parts of southern France.

The message has also been translated into widely-spoken global languages, including English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

The Urdd added it was a reminder for "global leaders and citizens alike that protecting linguistic diversity is a crucial tool for peacebuilding".

"Working with the young people of Wrexham to compose this message was a profound experience," said poet Marged Tudur.

"They understand that language is more than just communication; it carries our culture, our history, and our worldview."

A video of the peace message features the poem being read out by Wales internationals Angharad James-Turner, Ffion Morgan, Carrie Jones, Rubin Colwill and Dylan Lawlor.

West Ham striker Morgan was among those at the Camp Nou for the campaign's launch, which the Urdd hopes will reach an audience of 40m worldwide.

"As a Welsh speaker and an athlete, I know how important it is to be proud of your roots while connecting with the wider world," she said.

"Sharing this message from an iconic global venue like the Spotify Camp Nou shows that young people are ready to lead the conversation.

"Peace speaks every language, and the young people of Wales are asking the world to listen."