In Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, at least 97% of respondents said that the Basque country should be treated with respect. On the other hand, 14% of the Basque people are mistrust. Further conclusions are drawn from the EGOD survey: 85% of the population of the CAV consider that the Basque country has a pragmatic value, 81% that must promote it and 61% that must demand it.
The survey is only part of the most ambitious project. The EGOD project has been launched by the Vice-Ministry of Language Policy of the Basque Government. It is a project to elaborate Basic Discourses on the Basque Country. The VPL aims to analyze, contrast, renew and share basic discourses on language. To do so, they have used several forms: surveys, discussion groups, expert forum and bibliographic examination, among others. They have worked on five groups: respect, pragmatic value, promotion, vindication and mistrust.
The strategic axes most strongly supported in the development of the EGOD are:
- The Vasophile discourse based on solidarity must be strengthened.
- From the thought that “Euskera is necessary”, to change “languages are necessary” to thought.
- Exclusion of linguistic policy from ideological debate, controversy and partisan interests.
- Expand and complement the identity perspective to new conceptions.
- The Community meaning of its own is much wider than that of the area to which it adheres: from nationalist symbolism, becoming a symbol of citizenship in general.
- Associating Euskera with positive values and personal gratifying experiences.
- To improve the perception and image of the Basque Country, focusing especially on young people.
- Leave the hyper-righteousness behind.
- To develop and implement a strategy to overcome the symbolic violence on the Basque people that prevails in society, in order to remove the complexity of a dominated language and to be able to live dignified in it.