The leading Gaelic writer and commentator Angus Peter Campbell has been invited to address the inaugural Assembly for Young People in England and Wales, which is to be held Harrogate, Yorkshire at the end of February.

The event, which is being organized by the Institute of Contemporary Scotland, of which Mr. Campbell is a trustee, will bring over 60 young people between the ages of 18-29 together for a week long programme to discuss and vote upon a wide variety of issues ranging from World Peace through to The Role and Rights of Women Worldwide.

Mr. Campbell, who is employed by Highland Council, as the current Iain Crichton Smith Writing Fellow will speak to the delegates about the role and function of Gaelic in a modern multi-cultural world.

"This is a really exciting opportunity to place Scottish Gaelic in a world context," said Mr. Campbell. "To let these young delegates realise that the plight and the potential of Gaelic in the 21st century is as important and significant as any of the other major issues affecting our global village. I want them to realise that linguistic and cultural destruction is just another version of environmental and military destruction. These young people are concerned with the major global issues of poverty, health, education, war and peace and injustice and I think it is crucial that they realise that the plight of indigenous languages such as Gaelic is a significant part of the whole debate about globalisation."

Other speakers at the Assembly include the veteran UCS trade-union legend Jimmy Reid, the former England and Manchester United football player Sir Bobby Charlton, and Martin Bell, foreign correspondent and former MP.

The Director of the Institute of Contemporary Scotland, Kenneth Roy said, "I am very pleased to have Angus Peter Campbell speaking at this important event. I don't suppose many of these young people from England and Wales will even have heard of Gaelic but I have no doubt that they will be well informed about and seriously challenged by the many issues facing the Gaelic language and culture by the end of Angus Peter's talk."

Vice Convenor Micheal Foxley, said “I’m delighted that Angus Peter will be delivering a talk to young people from other areas of Britain, as this will inform them about the  Gaelic  language and culture -  and it’s vital significance on both the national and global platform”.