Established in 1997, Cornwall 2000 acts as a focal point for a loose, and ever changing, group of individuals whose common desire is to obtain educational, social and cultural equality for Cornish people.
Our overall aim is to secure for the Cornish people due legal recognition, parity of esteem with other minority groups and a status compatible with the constitutional position of their traditional territory.
Over the years we have campaigned on a range of issues. For example, in 2003 we took issue with Cornwall ‘County’ Council over its covert decision to prevent Cornish children from being able to register as such in Cornish schools [the PLASC survey]. After a vigorous campaign, which culminated in Cornwall 2000 issuing proceedings against the Council at Plymouth County Court alleging breach of the Race Relations Act 1976, the Council reversed its decision. As a direct result of the stance taken, 20,000 children now take the opportunity to register as Cornish at school. That action cost Cornwall 2000 £10,000.
For the last ten years we have been ‘in dialogue’ with the UK Government over the manner in which the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is being implemented in the UK.
In the course of lobbying for Cornish inclusion, we have held face-to-face talks with officials from the UK Home Office, the UK Commission for Racial Equality and we have twice met delegations from the Council of Europe.
In 2007 we were forced to initiate High Court judicial review proceedings against the government over its continued refusal to include the Cornish in the Convention. As the government diverted huge resources towards resisting the claim, we had to withdraw through lack of funding.
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