From 19 to 21 October, Hernani held a conference of sovereignty to learn, share and reflect on “transformative experiences”. The talks and activities have been carried out through the citizens' initiative Hernani Burujab, but have also been promoted by the City Hall of Hernani and Udalbiltza. In fact, the objective has been to address urban and municipal activity from a transformative point of view, and councilman Itsaso Lekuona has recalled that the Hernani Burujaba project has three vertices: citizen, public and economic. But how do we reconcile citizenship in town hall and city hall in town?
Lekuona has acknowledged that many times the city council acquires “overweight” and that the balance between vertices has to be boosted to “put them all at the same pace”. But it's hard. Lekuona points out two important points for achieving balance. On the one hand, it stresses the need for citizens to also have decision-making spaces, that is, for the City Hall to offer it to the citizens and to make them part of what happens in their municipality. On the other hand, it asks the citizens to be responsible for being in the decision-making centers, that is, that the citizenship also be active and participate in their municipalities. Participation is a right, but if you want a transformation of the people, the way of life, the Basque Country or the system, you also have an obligation.
In 2021, several Hernaniarras took on this citizen responsibility, and launched the Hernani Buruamendi initiative, claiming “we recover control of our resources”. They argued that the municipality has an appropriate context for this: farmers and farmers who operate in rural areas, industry, strong trade and also “political will and popular movement”. Since then, traders, producers and agents operating in the transforming economy of the city have been engaged in the initiative. This diversity of sectors has been reflected in the Independent Conferences.
On 19 October the expert rapporteurs reflected on the municipal issue and sovereignty and gave it a theoretical framework. Two of the keys that were worked on were how to combine and influence synergies between citizens and municipalities. For example, Laia Forné, from the cooperative La Hydra, shared his experience at the City Hall of Barcelona and committed to public-community governance.
The lectures on the first day were held in the hall of events of the City Hall, and passed on 20 October from the theorization in the administrative space to the Plaza Feminista Intercultural, managed by the City Hall and which groups various agents. To “demolish emancipations”, four areas were addressed that are the axis of daily citizenship: food, care, education and work.
On the third day they jumped into the street. In the open space, in the town square, in the streets... a walk of sovereignty was made, so that we could all see the production, the projects and the cultural creations of the citizens in the public space. In the coming months it will be seen whether public, cooperative and citizen collaboration is viable and effective.
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