Author: Elise Meerpoel

On 30^th and 31^st October, the emblematic Abbaye aux Dames in Caen hosted a key event in preparation for the Millennium of William the Conqueror in 2027, marking a significant moment in Norman and European history. The Forum brought together local leaders, representatives from governments, historians, tourism organisations and cultural institutions experts from Italy, Sicily, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Wales, the UK, Normandy and the Channel Islands, to explore collaborations and shape the celebrations for the Year of the Normans in 2027. The brainstorming workshops were full of ideas with proposals on how to create a long-lasting Norman legacy to continue engaging future generations beyond the 2027 celebrations.

A well-represented delegation from Jersey and Guernsey attended the event and stakeholders have already started working together to offer cross-border cultural collaborations and plan great celebrations in the Channel Islands for 2027.

The Year of the Normans promises to be a year-long celebration of Norman heritage, with major events, exhibitions, and partnerships throughout Normandy and Europe. It will be a unique opportunity to bring people together, reflect on shared history, and engage in cultural exchanges that highlight the richness of the Norman heritage.

This first Forum served as a platform for initiatives leading up to 2027 and set the stage for a cultural and touristic journey that will highlight the interconnectedness of the Norman story across Europe.

The Channel Islands expressed their commitment to this project and will welcome the Normandy organising team in spring 2025 to discuss the planning of events in the islands and possible cooperation.

The Government of Jersey, States of Guernsey, and the Sark Chief Pleas have collectively agreed to financially support the France-Channel Islands passenger-only fast ferry service Manche Iles Express for 2025 operations.

The request for financial support by the Departmental Council of La Manche (DCLM) was made in response to increased operating costs which put the viability of the service at risk.

Since being established, it is estimated that the DCLM has committed over €20m to the service. The Channel Islands’ support is conditional on the scheduled service operating as intended in 2025.

The Channel Islands’ combined contribution is €370,000:

      – The Government of Jersey has committed €200,000

      – The States of Guernsey, through the Committee for Economic Development €167,000,

      – The Sark Chief Pleas €3,000.

The DCLM are also seeking additional funding from the adjacent ports of Carteret, Diélette and Granville, who also benefit from the Manche Iles Express services.

 

Government of Jersey and States of Guernsey have an established partnership with the Region of Normandy and Department of La Manche in 2015. That is in this context that an annual summit is organised to discuss matters of joint interest. This year’s event was hosted by La Manche, at the Mont St Michel. Deputy Lyndon Trott and Deputy Lyndon Farnham, respectively Chief Ministers of Guernsey and Jersey attended the event, alongside Jersey’s Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst, to meet the President of the Region of Normandy, the President of the Department of La Manche and the Prefet of La Manche.

Topics of discussion covered maritime planification and offshore windfarm projects, economic opportunities and challenges between our jurisdictions. Also some talks on forthcoming CTA and EU immigration rules, emergency planning cooperation plans to be formalised in the coming month, and several major commemorative or cultural events where the Channel Islands will be able to participate and shine.

A worthwhile summit where politicians could express and share views in a transparent way to progress matters further in wide range of topics.

Next year, Jersey will be hosting the annual event.

The 7th edition of the Normandie pour la Paix took place on September 26th and 27th, at the historic Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. This year’s forum theme “This World That Escapes Us – How to Win Peace in the Face of New Violence?”, brought together diplomats, experts, and activists to explore the challenges of achieving peace in a rapidly changing world. Deputy Kirsten Morel, Minister for Sustainable Economic Development for the Government of Jersey, and Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture for the States of Guernsey attended the event.

Among the 2,000 participants, were four young people from Jersey Youth Parliament and their two Youth Service Leaders, who had the chance to attend the conferences and take part in the debates. For them, it was an eye-opening experience. They learnt a lot from hearing about the challenges of today’s conflicts, and the forum inspired them so much that they were excited to return to Jersey and act as spokespersons for the next edition of the forum and share their experience with their schoolmates to encourage others to get involved in future events.

The 2024 edition of the forum explored how global conflicts have evolved, with new forms of violence, including cyber-attacks, racism and political extremism, posing challenges to international peace and security. The event highlighted the need for adaptability when facing threats, focusing on diplomacy and resilience in conflict resolution. The event provided a platform for reflection and dialogue and the rich conferences and debates left participants with a deeper understanding of the world’s most pressing challenges and a sense of commitment to working together towards a more peaceful and secure future.

Warm thanks to the Region of Normandy for such an amazing event. The 8^th edition of Normandie pour la Paix will take place in 2026.

 

Jersey hosted the annual Scientific Committee of Norman Dialects on 18^th and 19^th September. This fifth edition gathered academics and linguists of the Norman dialects, to discuss their ongoing and upcoming projects to preserve and promote the region’s unique linguistic heritage. Both Jersey and Guernsey have a representative each on the Scientific Committee.

Under the leadership of regional president Hervé Morin, Normandy has put efforts in celebrating and preserving its linguistic identity, aiming to raise both awareness and pride of the region’s heritage. One of the key initiatives is the Scientific Committee of Norman Dialects. These meetings explore the rich linguistic heritage of Normandy and shape future events and celebrations of the language.

Beyond events, the region has also focused on educational initiatives to integrate the Norman dialect into schools. However, these efforts face challenges due to the French Ministry of Education refusing to recognise Norman as a regional language. This has resulted in limited teaching, with some schools offering classes on a voluntary basis outside regular school hours, on the same model as the teaching of Jèrriais in Jersey. Despite these obstacles, there are plans to continue advocating for the recognition of the language.

In higher education, the University of Caen offers a University Diploma (DU) in Norman Studies to ensure the survival and flourishing of Norman heritage.

The most ambitious project of this committee is the creation of a digital “Atlas linguistique de la Normandie” with recordings of linguistic variations across the region, which aims to make the data more accessible and interactive to both researchers and the general public.

Other projects include adding Norman names on villages signage, the translation of “Astérix chez les Normands”, and more.

These projects are an important stepping stone in preserving and revitalising Normandy’s linguistic identity and are laying the ground for future cultural opportunities tied to its rich heritage, such as the celebrations of 2027, Year of the Normans and Millennium of William The Conqueror.

 The next Scientific Committee will take place in Normandy in 2025

 

On the 06 September, the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development of Jersey, Deputy Kirsten Morel, joined Jersey farmers on a visit to the la Manche Department, courtesy of la Chambre d’Agriculture de la Manche.

He used the opportunity to attend the opening of the Lessay Fair and expressed the desire for Jersey to grow commerce with La Manche Department.

Other visits included a farm training facility where young people have renovated a farm and are now growing and making their own organic products. A farm-based anaerobic digester was the subject of another visit, as farms in Jersey are interested in installing this energy from waste facilities.

The minister and Jersey farmers have also visited vegetable producers and an agricultural research centre.

According to Deputy Morel: “It was a really valuable trip for us all and we’re grateful to have been hosted by the Département de la Manche and the Chambre d’agriculture de la Manche. We’ve much to learn and also to trade with each other.”

A return visit in Jersey is envisaged in 2025.

On the 24 July, and in the framework of “Opera on screen” operation, was held the screening of the Opera TOSCA in the Channel Islands.

This event is the fruit of the longstanding partnership between the Rennes-Angers Opera, Guernsey Arts Commission and the Government of Jersey. The Opera, sung in Italian with French subtitles, was free to watch, in BeauSéjour Theatre for Guernsey and at the Howard Davis Park, outdoor, on the screen deployed in Jersey.

The annual event aimed at democratising the opera is always appreciated by the Islanders as it is an extra cultural event open to all, for free, to discover an often very famous piece of art.

The opera was first displayed in 26 towns and metropolises in France live on 8 June as well as multiple tv channels. It was held on the 24 July in the Channel Islands simultaneously.

Attendance-wise this year, it gathered 150 people in Guernsey, but the weather in Jersey seems to have sadly discouraged most potential viewers. No disappointment however, as the event will take place once more next year with another opera that will integrate the 2025 French Festival programme!

In April 2023 was introduced a scheme which allowed French day-trippers to visit the Channel Islands without needing a passport and only needing an ID card (carte nationale d’identité). This scheme, which was set to expire in September 2024, has been extended until September 2025 in both the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. This decision has come after joint discussions between the Channel Islands and the UK government.

However, it should be noted it is unlikely the scheme will extend beyond September 2025, as the UK and the Crown Dependencies will introduce a complete Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, currently planned for the end of next year, which will require non-visa nationals travelling to the Common Travel Area to provide passport details. Identity cards will not be compatible with this process.

The Minister for Justice and Home Affairs of Jersey, Deputy Mary le Hegarat said: “I’m pleased to be able to extend the scheme for another year and so benefit the local tourist industry. Whilst the introduction of the ETA scheme makes further extension potentially problematic it will increase the security of the CTA [= Common Travel Area] and consequently our Island’s borders.”

Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs of Guernsey, said:

“This scheme was initially introduced just for the summer of 2023, but the benefits to local businesses in allowing French travellers into the Bailiwick for day trips were clear, and so we are pleased to have been able to continue it since. France is a country where the number of people who hold a passport is relatively low, and so ensuring they can still travel following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU has been very valuable. It is unlikely the scheme will continue when ETAs are introduced, however that scheme will increase the security of the Common Travel Area, and therefore the Bailiwick.”

For more information, please visit the official web page from the Government of Jersey and the States of Guernsey

On the 7 July, the Tour des Ports de la Manche, annual regatta organised by the La Manche Department and the Granville Yacht Club, which links various ports in La Manche and visits Jersey and Guernsey, had its first departure from St Hélier, Jersey.

For this launch, the Government of Jersey, represented by Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, deputy Kirsten Morel, received the President of the La Manche department, Jean Morin, the President of the Société des Ports de la Manche, Damien Pillon, as well as the President of the Yacht Club of Granville, Gilles Lezan and the General coordinator for the Tour des Ports, Luc Berthillier.

All sailing lovers were invited to come along to support the teams and share this joyous moment of competitive sport. The “Team Raoul” said “[we are] happy to have had a small preparation day in Jersey which allowed us to slowly amp the positive tension in face of the departure [the next day].”

The teams left Saint-Hélier on Sunday 7 July, and took the direction of the port of Granville. On the 8, the boats went from Granville to Carteret.

On the 9 July, the teams went from the port of Carteret to Guernsey, where the island welcomed them warmly. Deputy Chris Blin, President of Overseas Aid & Development Commission congratulated all participants and thanked the organisation committee during the award ceremony and the dinner for the teams, which took place in Candie Garden, nearby the Victor Hugo statue.

The Channel Islands are keen to welcome Norman sailors every year and remain privileged partners of this sporting and friendly event that unites us beyond the boarder.