Bilbaíno Iñigo Calleja was a little tired. On the subway he always saw written ‘Sopelana’, and for years Euskaltzaindia has accepted the name ‘Sopela’. His friend from Sopelana always said the same thing to him. Well, Metro Bilbao has solved the complaint lodged on the Observatory’s website. Calleja, now, has applauded her attitude through the Akuilari app.

He has also made a second complaint, in which he says that he has made constructive criticism. At the office of the bus company PESA in Plaza Amara de Donostia I always saw the following note: “Ask and make sure your card.” He believes it is a spelling error that needs to be corrected as in school, without giving it more importance, but he asks that the h he does not need be removed; a picture is taken with his pocket and he complains through Akuilari.

Without asking us, he told us that he very much liked the possibility of seeing the complaints and congratulations of each other, “it serves to create community and arouses curiosity about how they move in other places. For example, I have realized that there are many language violations in Baiona, and many complaints come from Baiona.”

Aquarium to report language violations

This is the instrument that the Centre has put in place. It is not new, the Euskera Telephone – the possibility of calling by telephone or the way of doing it via the web – has the same function. However, it has adapted to current needs, vulnerabilities can be denounced through the phone we have every day. As stated by user David Cascan, “there is now no excuse for not complaining.”

The director of the Observatory, Garbiñe Petriati, has pointed out that, in addition to using some to denounce, the tool can serve to raise other people’s awareness, that is, to fulfill the mission of reaching people who have such naturalized rapes, “Look, something like that happened to me two weeks ago!” According to Petriati, the use of Akuilari is a small practice, but an attitude of great value, as “the most important objective is formed by small steps”.

Although it started on 24 November, the Centre has been pleased with the progress made so far. 1,100 downloads have been made and an increase in the number of complaints has been detected.

Asun Ramos “I received the next income statement in Euskera”

Asun Ramos Alfaro is from Pamplona/Iruña. Before starting to use the Aguila he made two complaints on the Centre’s Euskera Telephone four or five years ago. He is a worker of the Government of Navarre and had told them on 11 occasions that he wanted to receive the income declaration in Basque, but there was no way to do it: "I tried it on my own, and I didn't. So I realized that the phone existed and I tried it. The next income statement I received was in Basque.” He does not even remember the second complaint he made at that time.

He has used the insect twice and is convinced that he will use it more times. Compared to the Euskera Telephone, since November he has already used his mobile phone twice more to file his complaints. It is a sign that it has been made more accessible. He believes that the heat or outrage goes on and in the end they don't. The application allows you to do so in the moment.

The first complaint was lodged by the City Council of Pamplona/Iruña. On Sunday, when there's no service, she unknowingly called the citizen's attention phone and got a Spanish-language answering machine. He got angry and protested. The second is for the writings sent by various parties during the election campaign of the elections. We have told you that you will have to wait for the next elections to see the outcome. He laughed, but he knows very well why he complained: “When I complain, I have two things in my head. On the one hand, if there is an effect, as in the example of the income statement, it is wonderful. On the other hand, as in the election example, I am not going to have results immediately, but the Observatory is going to collect information and then it will have its reflection at some point and somewhere.”

For Ramos, when the Basque speaker is ill-treated he is frustrated and the fact that he is complaining gives a way to that feeling. “The Observatory’s people have had a great idea.”

David Cascan: “You can see you’re not the only one in the world”

Barakaldo, who takes the Bilbao metro four times a day, does so in Vitoria-Gasteiz. He has always heard comments in Spanish that are not usual, although he has been told that they are also made in bilingual. The last time he heard the Spanish-language address, he decided to file a complaint. Because his cell phone was too old, he used the work to get down to Aquila and introduce the complaint. He says he will also complain on the subway, as he believes it is better than in a place where to express himself.

He believes it is important to do so at the time: “If time passes and you don’t remember the day it happened, at what time... you can have trouble filing the complaint.” He says it happened to him. The Municipal Police filed the complaint several days and responded that they could not say anything, because it did not tell exactly when it happened. Municipal Police officers will be able to hold a shift until two in the morning and from that time on another shift. In the suburban area, he remembered this event and therefore complained at the time. He tells us what happened in the Municipal Police: “I’ve ever called and it seems we’re in Congo, they don’t understand you... I once asked for the other side of the phone to be Basque and they started mocking me. I heard how they said, “He says he wants to speak in Basque!” So I said, ‘Enough, I’m going to make a complaint.’ I put it in the City Hall, in the Observatory and in Elebide. Answer: that they would try, but that there were no Basques. The current City Council has responded more concretely, but no changes have taken place at the moment. “You may have to file a new complaint in a few years’ time,” he laughs.

What Akuilari liked the most is to see which message of complaint or congratulation people are putting in Euskal Herria, “you can see that you are not the only one in the world and it gives you strength.”