(ARGIA note: Due to the length of the text, we will publish Joseba Barriola's work in three parts. This is the second part, reader. The first one, here)

C) About the location

How can we make an effective, progressive language policy without denouncing the linguistic constitutions of Spain and France? How to make an effective and progressive language policy without analysing and denouncing the Globalised Capital Market (ownership and control of the media, linguistic praxis of digitisation giants...)?

The project presented to promote progressive linguistic policies, in the main decisions proposed, is reduced to the space of the autonomic institutions. And it cannot be reduced to the territory of the Basque Country (the seven provinces), because the life of the Basque Country is linked to balanced relations with other languages. And you can't restrict the use of Basque grammar. The question is not grammatical, the question is the life of language and life of all life. For this, the fundamental thing is not to be a social agent, but to be an agent of life. Because they're not the same. That is, linguistic awareness is part of the consciousness of life. And if they're not tied, language degrades or life runs out of words.

(a) Planetary approach: In this globalized world, more than ever, the linguistic policy of multinational corporations, along with the linguistic non-awareness of almost all states and political parties, is glogophagic. The constitutions and rules of France and Spain, as well as the practical social linguistic system (media, control of the process of digitalisation, teaching (from children's school to university), leisure, the world of work, repression systems, politics...) of these states, everything is organised on the basis of inequality criteria and a neo-Darwinian linguistic perspective: competition and the fight between languages to win the best (the strongest).

Languages are used in terms of power to destroy human life and biological diversity and ecosystems and to adapt consciences to that “no need” with resignation. And in this context, as we are in the sixth mass disappearance of the diversity of biological life, we are in the time of the first mass disappearance of human languages and the degradation of languages that seem powerful.

The Basque Country, like thousands of other languages, is in a critical situation. The degradation of the ability to speak of human beings is rapidly increasing. The "most powerful" languages, with the abnormal use of the languages of powers, are in the process of degradation.

(b) Panorama of the Basque Country. In the territory in which we live, in the territory of the Basque Country, many languages are spoken. Linguistic diversity is in our environment. They are all valuable and can be enriching for our human development. But the situations of those languages are different.

***The Spanish and French are in an abnormal situation. The dominant public use of these languages is full of pride, contempt for others, lies and impositions of unique thought. The languages of the States, according to the Constitutions, either do not exist legally (in France) or are secondary. Most schools in Spain do not talk about the existence of the Basque country, much less work is done with the approval of the Basque country, in the Spanish Parliament it is forbidden to speak in Basque, in all activities at the state level the Basque is excluded (even in transformative social movements). All state language policies (whether of political institutions or media or Spanish multinationals) invade the territory of the Basque Country with some comfort. The Basque Country is territorially limited and invaded continuously with "normality" in all areas of life.

*** For Basque: There is no competition for the most basic decisions in relation to autonomous political institutions, and the initiatives that can be taken (Basque law, school models, subsidy policies, Euskaldunisation plans of the administration...) can be developed within a limit (within the limits set by the market and the state government) and without calling into question the biocidal system. The Basque Country is officially stimulated to repeat the values, knowledge and uses of the system.

And, on the contrary, is the critical creativity of individual Basques and Basques and their membership in the Basque linguistic community and, through it, the awareness of belonging to humanity and to life is weak, unstructured, with a weak force of attraction?

*** As for the other languages: what attitude is being promoted on Arabic, Romanian, Quechua, Wolof, Guaraní... What do we do with our linguistic treasure? Is the transmission of these languages to the sons and daughters of the parents of those origins encouraged, they become issues of knowledge and play in schools… What consideration is being given to these languages. Is this not also (with regard to all the languages of the world – including Spanish and French – an attitude of estimation), an essential feature of a progressive linguistic policy?

A key point of the location is not mentioned. How is the linguistic community of the Basque Country to move forward in this path proposed? Three times the word “linguistic community” appears in the document (“attacking dignity”, “violating human rights”, “minority linguistic community”) but nothing is said about its situation.

D) Principles

Equality (in this case the equality of languages) is considered as one of the parameters for building a new society. What is meant by “equality”? Equality is a characteristic of the nature of languages. All languages serve to form the human animal. All languages are an expression of the power of the human spirit in its diversity. That is their supreme role and, in this respect, equality is of character.

However, the situation of languages is not egalitarian. I do not know what the document refers to when it says in the paragraph of principles: “Equality to build a new society…”. Clarification is needed. Equality with the situation in Spanish or French? What does equality mean with the Arab, Guarani, Romanian or Wolof state? For whom is linguistic equality and linguistic rights claimed? Only for the Basque country or for all the languages that are in our people? ….

The general characteristics of language policy are described in this section of principles, after saying the above (“discrimination will have to be set aside and policies to ensure equality will be put in place”). Language policy is inescapable, it is transversal, it is balanced, it is social and it is political.

***Language policy is unavoidable, it is always done… even when it is not done. The consequence of this is not, of course, appropriate. “Therefore, not taking measures on language policy is also making language policy to maintain the current situation.” Yes, but… Who doesn’t take action? Is it not a measure not to make known the existence of Euskera in the schools and universities of Madrid and not to have a presence? But, on the other hand, taking measures does not mean that they are for the better, as there may be linguistic policy measures in favour of the Basque Country, which are quite damaging.

***It is a cross-cutting policy: in industry, in spatial planning, in leisure… “From all policies language policy is made”. Yes, it is true. But it is key to analyze whether the contents that feed on these transversal linguistic policies are aimed at working the vitality of Euskera and languages.

***The policy has to be balanced and, therefore, with the school is not enough for the world of work (shops, hairdressers, arms factories, tourism, hydrogen corridor…), and the digital world, and leisure… if the leap does not take place… Yes it is. However, we talk about the physical space, and at the same time the scope of the functions of languages does not appear. And today, around the world, and of course also in our own, in the Basque world, the most important linguistic function, for a collapsing humanity, is the work of a component defending the plurality of human lives that is being destroyed, of a plurality of languages.