argia.eus
INPRIMATU
Rikardo Arrangi Prize
"Because we know where we came from and where we're going."
  • The Rikardo Arrangi Prize celebrated its 30th edition this year. This year he has awarded "ten milestones," one of which has been "Zeruko Argia a ARGIA." The current ARGIA work team dedicated the prize in particular to the first working group that was set up in 1980. Representatives of this group of workers rose to the stage, in memory of Joxemi Zumalabe, Josu Landa, Iñaki Uria, Joxemari Ostolaza and Pello Zubiria. Joxemari Zinkunegi, of Zinkunegi Optika, who has been advertising in ARGIA for 51 years, awarded the prize. This is the message that Estitxu Eizagirre read on behalf of the ARGIA working group:
ARGIA @argia 2018ko urriaren 29a
Joxemi Zumalaberi eskainitako irudia eskutan Josu Landa, Iñaki Uria, Joxemari Ostolaza, Joxemari Zinkunegi, Pello Zubiria eta Estitxu Eizagirre. Argazkia: Dani Blanco.

"A people who forget its history risks repeating the mistakes made in the past. That's what they say. However, there is not so much talk of another danger that history forgets: that of making a mistake in the place where it succeeded in the past. We're here because almost four decades ago, who before us had this journalism project invented it.

Because they invented it, when they said that the Basque press should be in Euskera, so that our language would be sovereign and not a tenant of another's house. Because it was invented that language, which was going to own itself, needed at least a sovereign means of communication, a means of communication where the word and decision of the workers and not any other interest group. Because they knew, overcoming their own hurdles and positions, how to make this medium viable, create other means, until they put in place a full newspaper.

Let us not forget the work done by our elders. Let us not forget what they have had to endure for doing that work. And we'll also not forget the people we've lost along that road.

We're here because we don't forget. Because we know where we came from. Because those of us who do ARGIA today also want to be right, like 40 years ago those who did ARGIA, working under principles that are of our time and that, at the same time, serve for all time: Basque, sovereignty and independence.

We're here because we don't forget. Because we know where we came from. And where we go.