Norsk Målungdom

Norsk Målungdom (NMU, sometimes anglicised as The Norwegian Youth Language Association) is an organization of youth working to protect and promote the Nynorsk written standard of Norwegian and the Norwegian dialects. It is the youth organization of Noregs Mållag - the Norwegian Language Association. The organization was founded in 1961 as The Norwegian Student's and Pupil's Language Association (NSEM) and initially operated as independent from Noregs Mållag. In 1969, NSEM entered into a cooperative arrangement whereupon it became the official youth wing of Noregs Mållag, and in 1972 it changed its name to Norsk Målungdom. NMU has not enjoyed the same continuity and membership integrity as Noregs Mållag. As NMU often has or does harbour more radical or controversial opinions or policies, it has from time to time complicated cooperation between the two organizations. There have been disagreements on how and why awareness of the cause should be spread, and in how the community should place itself on issues not immediate to the cause – for instance in the case of Norwegian-EU relations – and turbulence within NSEM/NMU has occationally led to a relationship that is directly hostile. NMU has a membership fluctuating around 850 members. NMU had been more inclined towards a left-leaning political stance, however today it remains politically independent. The organisation is headquartered in Oslo, in an office space currently shared with Noregs Mållag. Since 2001, NMU has awarded Dialektprisen (The dialect award) to norwegian personalities who proficiently make use of their dialect in popular media.