Opportunities and Challenges

The Ulster-Scots Agency is a new organisation and consequently will be breaking new ground in much of the work it will undertake. There are opportunities on which to build future success as well as challenges over the next three years of this plan.

The Agency will take advantage of opportunities:

• To promote a greater sense of identity of the Ulster-Scots community.
• To play its part in supporting the relevant strategic objectives of the two sponsoring Departments, north and south of the border.
• To promote the Ulster-Scots language, culture and history throughout the Island of Ireland and beyond.
• To play a significant role in the pan-European recognition of minority languages and human rights.
• To learn from the experience of other minority languages.

However, the Agency recognises that there are challenges alongside these opportunities which will have to be met if the Corporate Plan is to achieve the agreed objectives.

These challenges can be summarised as follows:

• To maintain the aims of the Agency in an environment of possible political instability.
• Lack of public awareness.
• Erosion of the language.
• The academic linguistic debate, locally and in Scotland.
• The future of the Scots language.

Through the implementation of this plan the Ulster-Scots Agency will contribute to a re-awakening of the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of our society.

The Ulster-Scots Agency contribution will require the engagement of social partners on the Island of Ireland, in Scotland, in the European minority language scene, and with the diaspora of the Ulster-Scots throughout the world. The Agency recognises the realities of the task ahead,

• to avail of the opportunities but also,
• to approach the challenges in an optimistic and constructive manner.