"The Basque will not make progress, you have to take it"
- The new generation of young people has joined the struggle for the Basque Country and have held a colorful demonstration on Saturday in Donostia under the motto Euskara Aurrera. Organizing the mobilization itself was the first challenge of Gazte Euskaltzaleen Sarea (GES), a newly created agent, and the nervousness among the promoters was noticed in the Old before the demonstration. With the support of Euskalgintza and the main agents, including ARGIA, the Euskaltzales attendees have travelled the way of Boulebard.
According to ARGIA, 3,000 people have left the Old Tunnel and the main ups and downs of public movements and agents have been present on the route: studies in Basque, not the zoning of Navarre, screens in Basque, fiction in ETB in Basque, imposition of the states of Spain and France and the lack of sovereignty of Basque Country...
Besides public activation, they have demanded appropriate language policies from public institutions
The closing event began with the verses of Irantzu Idoate. Hence the phrase that we have taken to the title of this article. They then take the word Aize Otaño on behalf of AEK and Begoña Garaikoetxea of GES. They underline two main ideas: on the one hand, that the activation of citizenship is a fundamental pillar for achieving linguistic normalization, and on the other hand, that the CSR has been created to work this out among young people, who at the moment have been the most applauded among the attendees. On the other hand, they stress that, in addition to the popular initiative, public institutions must make structural changes. They call for "thinking and implementing new language policies adapted to current times", and they say not to do so would be not to listen to the demands of justice and democracy. They remember that the revitalization of the Basque Country is not an individual issue, it is a collective challenge, but they have reproached the public administrations that have a special responsibility.
In the end, some of the challenges faced by Euskera have been listed: Euskaldunify the new generations completely, create spaces to live comfortably in Euskera, increase Euskera on screens, have Euskera as a host language, turn Euskera into a language of social cohesion, or that Euskera's learning is "once and for all" free and universal.
The pandemic has hit especially the language that was once vulnerable, they have denounced that, in recent times, the path of normalization of the Basque country has suffered numerous blows, such as the questioning of the model of immersion in the Northern Basque Country, the regression of linguistic rights in Navarre or the latest Basque decisions coming from the courts.
"We demand that governments throughout the Basque Country discuss and take action before late afternoon on linguistic policies that respond to current challenges and needs together with Euskera and citizens," they said.
Then, photographs taken by Dani Blanco.
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Lau egunez idekia izanen den merkatu bat antolatzen du Plazara kooperatibak euskararen aldeko beste hamar bat eragilerekin –horien artean ARGIA–.
The survival of the Basque country is not the only problem that the Basques play in the political game, but rather, as a more characteristic element of Euskaldunisation, the one that most reflects our situation. It shows very well what does not appear so much in other areas... [+]
Agorrilaren 27an igorri nizuen gutunean, irailaren 10eko auzian euskaraz deklaratzeko asmoa nuela adierazi nizuen. Auzi honen hastapenean, epaile nagusiari euskaraz zekienez galdegin nion. Gutxiespenarekin ezetz erantzun zidan. Orduan, nere gutuna eskuratu zuenez frantsesez... [+]
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