This year, the Peace and Goodwill Message was written by Dr Marged Tudur, a lecturer from the School of Welsh at Bangor University, in partnership with students from Wrexham University, Coleg Cambria and Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, Wrexham. It explores the vital role that minority, regional, and indigenous languages play in fostering empathy, belonging, and peaceful coexistence. One of the translated is Kurdish, a minority language in each of the states in which it’s spoken, including currently war-torn Iran and Syria.
Dr Marged Tudur said: “It has been a privilege to write the Urdd Peace Message this year and to work with young people from Wrexham who see minority languages as essential for building peace and for helping us understand ourselves, each other and the world better. At a time when so much dangerous rhetoric dominates the mass media, the voices of young people in Wrexham and Wales offer hope. I am extremely proud that the poem has been translated into more than 75 languages and is being published across different platforms around the world.”
Against the backdrop of global conflict involving Ukraine-Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, this year’s 104th annual Urdd Peace and Goodwill Message will be launched in an iconic location - Spotify Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona.
The launch at the Spotify Camp Nou - a site deeply connected to the identity of the Catalan language - highlights the resilience of minority languages and the importance of respecting all cultures.
This year’s message will be translated into 75 languages, including more minority languages than ever, and is expected to reach more than 40 million people. It remains the only national.
