In 1994, Amaia Amilibia, Aitziber Etxaiz and Olatz Irizar were journalism students at the Leioa faculty of the UPV/EHU. In Euskal Herria at that time, it was the boom of local journals. "Media began to be created in Basque in many counties," said EH candidate Bildu, Aitziber Etxaiz. "In addition, the teachers asked us if there were magazines in our region." Olatz Irizar recalled that, if she wasn't, they were recommended to collaborate on it, because if they didn't, they were "recommended to create something." Three of them studied journalism in Leioa, so they "wanted and not" had to create "something" in the Sakana. -In a way, it was the situation that drove us. On December 20, 1994, the Basque magazine Guaixe, which occupied the entire region of Sakana, saw the light.

When he had in his hands the first copy, "woe, mom, now you have to separate it," Etxaiz thought. Irizar doesn't remember that moment very well, but he thinks they'd feel "proud." But it was the first, the beginning. Yes, the first one existed, but there was still work to be done. Therefore, Irizar remembers the first year with more "satisfaction": "We saw that we had made twelve." In fact, he explained that many of the journals that were created in that local media boom were on the way.

The local media boom in the Basque Country, in which three Sakanis journalists were studying, influenced a third factor in the creation of Guaixe: “In the service of the Basque Country of the Commonwealth of Sakana, in parallel and without our knowledge, there was concern for it. It was clear that Sakana needed a means of communication of his own in Euskera”. Therefore, Irizar explained that something was beginning to be done in the Txorierri Commonwealth. Etxaiz: "They had to have done an investigation to find out if advertising was going to be sold in Euskera," he added.

As Irizar explained, Amilibia was in charge of carrying out the research work of the community. "He went to factories and shops to ask them if they would be willing to advertise if a magazine was created from here." All the factors came together and the project took shape. They started with the elaboration process. Irizar stressed that “we are always told that we three were the founders of Guaixe. But it’s not true, there were a lot of people behind us.” It was his project, but "they needed legal assistance and other support", added Iñaki Globñano, a native of Etxarri who has participated in the communication project since its inception.

Bierri

They went to the Basque people's groups to ask for help. "In all the villages there were no Basque groups, but there were in most cases." In addition, Irizar said that it was "a very strong group" and added: "A great deal of work was being done on the road to the normalization of the Basque country," he added. However, Etxaiz explained that the operation was carried out "by his own foot." Several groups had their own journal: for example, Etxaiz and Irizar remember Lakunza and Urdinain. The three young people started to coordinate and had behind them a "Kristona Working Group": "They themselves saw that the important thing was the area. It was seen that there were possibilities to create and each one left his own for the good of the region, of Guaixe".

In order to create Guaixe, they needed a partnership. That's why they created the Bierri association, today the Guaixe Foundation. "We started looking at what steps should be taken legally in order to create Guaixe, and we saw that someone had to publish it. It could have been a person, but we didn't see it," Irizar said. An association had to be created on the Basque country at the regional level: "We involve all the Basque groups, and that is how the Bierri association emerged," said the Secretary General of EA. Now, World Cup was not in its origins, but it said that it "was captured immediately." "To define the use of the Basque Country, it was written in the dialects and a commission was created, we gave advice ...".

"We saw it clear that the names we had to do with the Basque people in the area. There were a few words that were useful for the whole area, which were very particular. There was a "need" to create a partnership and a media of this kind, and the name "Bierri" came out. Irizar explains that Guaixe's name cost them more: "We didn't give special importance to the name of the association because it was the way to create a media outlet. But newspapers were important, at least to me." A list was made, and looking at the dialect came out the word "Guai." “But the guay could be confused with the Spanish guay and it was not well.” Ana Gil de Lakuntza sought a solution: -Right now. "We all liked it."

A small room from Urdiain City Hall

With regard to the time perspective, Irizar thought that the beginnings were "easy" for the Basque economy. Etxaiz also doesn't remember that it was "easy or difficult": “We were young, I won’t say we are old, but we had a great ilusi.” Pushed by the illusion, they kept going. "The truth is that the way we worked was very precarious. But we were 22 years old and we had a lot of strength to do it," Irizar said. The "difficulties" reminiscent of the ciordiarra are the days before taking the first issue to the printing press: It was a lot of hours, there was always something to change, something to improve... But remember "everything else", the creation of the partnership, the process of starting the journal, etc., "in a very simple way." Maybe because it's been 25 years."

Guaixe was formed in a "small" room abandoned by Urdiain City Hall. Etxaiz pointed out that "just" entered the "table", which he described as "unbeatable". At that time they had a "single computer" that had been transferred by the City Hall of Olazti / Olazagutia. "We started with that, but it was enough," he added. At two months, Urdiain City Hall told them that "you can't be here", and that they offered them a bigger room, Etxaiz explained. -We created the office. Gradually, the office was equipped with more computers. At that time the Macintosh was the best to model, so the first acquisition was the computer: "Aitziber and I, from ignorance, flipped with what Amaia taught us. I don’t know how much it cost, it was very expensive, and it seemed amazing to us that I paid so much for a computer.”

While at the University they carved with a rule called Cicero, at Guaixe they had a Macintosh. The photos were revealed in the Xenda photo shop, and the printing press was in Mondragón. "We went to search for the first issue and settled on the portal of the City Hall of Urdain, placing stickers from the addresses of the Basques. It was manual work," Etxaiz explained. The monthly newsletters were then sent to the post offices. "I would like, above all, to thank Felix Iriarte, who is no longer in our land, of course. It helped us a lot. He was from Irurtzun and took him as if he was his. In the whole area of Arakil he separated it."

At Guaixe, they learned a lot. Irizar said that "maybe it's too much" that all the work that was done was done "in its entirety". In fact, they had a large network of communicators and correspondents. But the daily work was done by Amilibia, Etxaiz and Irizar. Amilibia, who controlled the layout, had "a lot of courage" and was made with the layout. She had not finished her studies yet, so Olatz did not "want to continue" in Bilbao, she said. So, "I'm going to advertise," he said, "that was what forced me to be in Ziordin, my country." Therefore, most of the responsibility for writing the work lay with Etxaiz. The Alsasuarra has also recalled that the deceased was a man who was coordinating the operation. Irizar: "But all three of us were very clear that we were journalists, that is, I wasn't a publicist and I was a journalist; that's why I got into this project. So every now and then, we did interviews.

Dynamism

"It was our profession. We received money from the very beginning. It wasn't anything else, but we got the money. Irizar believes it was a professional project from the very beginning, while Etxaiz thinks otherwise: "I didn't see myself as a professional. I looked like Euskaltzale. Like a Basque who wanted to write in Basque the news of his region".

According to Irizar, those who worked on a day-to-day basis "it was enough to take us one month", but in Bierri society they saw the situation "with distance". "You saw it clear: we've created a monthly newspaper, it's taking root in the county, but we need something else." They believed that Euskera needed more dynamic media. "It was a debate that took place within Bierri, and we were within society and what was said in society we normally approved it," he added. In addition, workers also saw the need for more dynamic means. -It was more work. It meant turning around what we did until then, but they were needed; and that's why we created them." The first issue of Beleixe Irratia took place on 7 May 1999 and the Weekly Oixe was published in 2001. For a few months the three media were present, but on January 24, 2004 Oixe and Guaixe merged in one publication: Weekly Guaixe.

The beginning of the 2000s was a milestone for the communication project. In addition to creating new media, they also had a "new challenge". A "wager" was made for having its own seat, as Globñano has pointed out. "The municipalities, in this case the City Hall of Urdiain, granted extraordinary help, but as the volume of work increased, the place remained small." The residence of Altsasu/Alsasua was in operation since 2003. The bar had been destroyed earlier by Bier, who was down. "It was a big step, more than a headquarters of its own, I think it was a visibility. Irizar pointed out that in that room of Urdiain they were "at ease", but that, for example, "Guaixe" magazine had nowhere. Being with a large poster in the center of Alsasua, the largest town in the region, gives it a different character. Etxaiz and Irizar were not witnesses to the changes that were made, as they were already in other projects.

Red

Guaixe created the Euskaltzales network. Etxaiz has stated that "never" has felt "alone" and that "has felt alone". In fact, behind Guaixe, "there were a lot of people." Most were people from Euskera groups. "I'm sure I'll forget someone, but Jose Mari Arakama, Eneka Maiz, Iñaki Globñano, Mikel Galartza, Reyes Flores, Ana Gil..." Etxaiz particularly reminds Arakama, with whom he has admitted having learned more than in the five years of journalism: "It was an honor for an expert in Euskera like Arakama to lead us. We were journalism students, and he would hand it over to us; he would not only fix us, he would explain to us why we made mistakes, so we wouldn't do it again."

They managed to create a large network of communicators and correspondents. Some of them wrote texts by hand, some of them with typewriters of the time, some of them also wrote by computer. In addition, correspondents held dinners with all Sakana correspondents to thank them for their work throughout the year. They have "very nice memories."

To carry out the project they needed funds, so they went to the administration to apply for aid. Irizar was responsible for the subsidies. "We were going to two places. Community of Sakana and Government of Navarra. In the Commonwealth everything was facilities. We presented the magazine and Peio and Yoli focused everything. More work had to be done in the Government of Navarra."

They had to justify or "justify" each of the "pesetas" of subsidies, and to do so they had to submit invoices, etc. "At that time everything was done by hand. I was presenting myself at government headquarters and I was looking one-on-one with all the invoices and folders and the technician." Irizar was dealing with Miren Egaña. "When I did something wrong, I called myself a nun. Oh, baby, things don't do that! I was furious and told Amaia and Aitziber: he called me a little girl, but that's what he thinks. I'm a Guaixe worker, not a kid who needs an explanation. Remember "very bad" those moments when I had to bleach, as they were trying to do "all right." He pointed out that the Basque Government has also granted economic aid to Basque companies and to companies in the region.

They not only needed the "social" support of the Sakandarras, but also economic support. Once, Etxaiz went to Jose Mari Satrustegi's house to catch the chronicle he wrote every month, and his caregiver, Maria Dolores, gave him 2,000 pesetas. "I was a very good, very Basque woman, and very excited, she gave me the money for Guaixe, to help me." They didn't ask for the money and didn't want to accept it, but he wanted to receive it himself. I was very grateful. Irizar pointed out that the project came forward with the help of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, but "a project cannot live alone with the help". Therefore, a partner campaign was carried out to create and help the partnership, in which some 500 partners were made. He then became convinced that "the time for the crisis came". More than the crisis, it was a trigger that the Government of Navarre withdrew the aid. There wasn't that much hole, but it was a lot for our little project. We also have to "thank" the crisis, which made a "big" campaign: "We launched the Sakandar bat euro bat campaign, with the aim of recovering those 20,000 euros," the mayor explained. Today, the Guaixe Foundation has about 1500 members, "I think we're going to be one of Sakana's biggest associations."

Etxaiz, Irizar and Globñano have described as "very important" the fact that the sovereign coalition is "very important". Irizar said that it was "very difficult" for any media or project to be in the service of aid, and stressed the importance of having "own" revenue: "Along with this, the idea of the network and the network is reinforced. In Guaixe today you are workers, we are partners, and that helps to make the county." Etxaiz "obliges" all of Sakana's Euskaltzales to become partners. According to Globñano, it "offers" a lot in exchange for a small amount of money: "There are very few people in the Sakana who don't know Guaixe. We've gotten used to being there every week, on social media, on press conferences -- but we have to be aware that behind there are people, there's work, and if people really want their work to be professional and to communicate well, the project needs help. Another 25 or I don't know how many more years."

Development

Guaixe is a medium that has been continually transformed. It has adapted well to the times. "You take that first Guaixe that we published and what we did last week, and there's tremendous change. From being a monthly magazine to a weekly, the format is also different... During that time there have also been many models -- it's terrible," Etxaiz said. It has also adapted to new technologies, a decision that, according to Globñano, "cannot be made either what one wants or what one wants". In fact, he explained that the way information is consumed has changed enormously and that "young people don't touch paper, but they are informed otherwise." So, "Guaixe has to be, like everyone else." Irizar and Etxaiz knew the Internet network in Guaixe, "there was a Arbizuarra doing his thesis in the United States, and from there he sent texts. We were surprised. Today, Guaix not only receives many e-mails, but also shares content through the web and social networks. In addition, it is published on Fridays and the Beleixe radio can not only be heard on the waves but also online.

Globñano sees Guaixe "communicating": -It has a good reputation among people. On the Internet, people go a lot and they exchange news, if it's on social media -- I see it right." Irizar has been "deeply rooted" in Sakana society: "I can't imagine it without Sakana Guaixe. It serves to make the network, it serves to make the county. It has things to improve like any project." Etxaiz, for its part, has ensured that he sees the process "healthy". "It's a medium I like to receive on Friday morning. It can be improved, but like everything. I am proud of this journey. There you see that people are active and skilled."

Guaixe has also made a selection of nine chapters to commemorate these 25 years.