In Arrasate, 88% of the population between the ages of 15 and 24 is able to speak in Basque, but only 36% of the interviews held by young people in the street are in Basque. Prior to learning about this data, members of the EHE of Arrasate already noted that the situation was not the healthiest. Three or four years ago, EHE created the claim that the young people of Arrasate lived in Euskera, and that was when the group began to strengthen itself. Several young people approached the group and the youth reinforced the motivation of the team, the desire to carry out activities and to face the challenges that had been encountered along the way. The last big challenge has been to open the Jai Zale bar. To talk about this space and EHE’s intentions we have been with two members of the group, Mikel Makazaga and Maider Azkarraga and Urizar.

The Mondragon group consists of twelve people and the average age of its members is 22 years. According to Mikel Makazaga, this youth was the beginning of the Jai Zale bar project. After verifying that the premises had been rented, residents acknowledged that the premises suffered "a kind of frenzy" during the persecution. “We met in two or three days to think deeply and see if the bar had room in our direction.” And yes, they decided to run the test. It has been months of great enthusiasm and work since it was known that the place was going to be yours in Santamaseta.

Jai Zale is a bar and gastronomic society. It was previously managed by the Gorripidea cultural association and although there were several candidates to host the bar, the members of the association decided to rent it to EHE: “They are also Euskaltzales and they saw very well that instead of opening a normal bar, we would take it from us.”

The inauguration was held on 16 January and since then the EHE members of Arrasate have learned a great deal about the functioning of a bar. They've already taken the march, but remember that in the first few months they did a great job. “They gave us the keys on January 3 and it was great, sometimes they worked until 20:00, then they painted from 20:00 to 03:00, they agreed the kitchen accounts with the suppliers, they cleaned everything well…” In the opinion of Mikel Makazaga, this can only be done as a young person: “I’m 29 years old and I’m the team leader. If we were all of my age, we would go back.”

Jai Zale is a bar that now has two workers, but it is not just a bar, but a space that aims to offer cultural programming and activities related to the Basque country.

Area of action

At a time when the group was strong, EHE decided to create a Jai Zale, and they believe it can be a way to strengthen the group. “Many people have come to say ‘something like that was needed’,” said Maider Azkarraga. EHE members are of the opinion that the fact that there is a space related to Euskaltzalism in the locality will affect the use of Euskera among young people. According to Mikel Makazaga, “we are currently an important reference in the Basque world, and that is also thanks to the bar.” Makazaga says that in the bar they hear more Basque than in the street: “In Jai Zal you hear more than 36% of the conversations in Basque; how many will they be, about 85%?” Azkarraga - Urizar agrees: “I’ve heard here in Euskera the crews that they normally do in Spanish.”

They are clear that Jai Zale is not just a bar, and that the EHE features always have to be important, both in the bar and on the street: “After taking the bar, we have been present in the Basque world, we have been very active in the committee of txosnas, we have been on the street… The truth is that it has given us a way to strengthen the bars.” In the same Jai Zal, so far they have organized concerts, monologues, conferences, gathering of complaints to euskaldunizar the health and other events, and have explained that they are open to ideas and proposals.

In addition to affecting the use of the Basque Country, EHE members want to promote the consumption of local products. That is why they are trying to buy food from producers in the Arrasate area. They have explained that they also want to take care of music and, in addition to giving priority to the Euskaldunes groups, they try to pass a screen so that the Machian songs are not put on.

More project in mind

EHE members would like the local to have more space: “It stays small. We made a few days of Euskalgintza and got to work with about 40 people,” Makazaga says.

At EHE, beyond Jai Zale, they dream of a space in which everyone can jointly manage the Basque Country of Arrasate. In the town there are many associations and agents working in Basque. There has always been movement. AED, AEK, the free time group Txatxilipurdi, the municipal Euskaltegi, the schools, the EHE itself… All these agents come together in the Euskalgintza network and collaborate in different activities. EHE members would like to join forces and create a clean space. Like theatrical cafes, but with its own formula: “If twelve young people have created this, what could not an Euskalgintza do?” said Azkarraga and Urizar. On the road to the creation of this local reference, Jai Zale looks like a “pilot project”: “We have rented this place for two years and our goal is to create such a space along with other agents; a place that is not a bar, where you can live in Euskera, consuming local products”.