"The solidarity economy is what is aimed at the person"
- The old bus station in Pamplona, a meeting point for companies such as La Roncalesa and La Burundesa, has been the centre of the solidarity economy since 9 June. Katrin Ginea is the coordinator of the project. A ten-person cooperative has begun to travel to the new world with its card on the old window.
What is Geltoki going to do?
We will promote the solidarity economy, economic sovereignty and alternative culture. We want to be speakers of these three kinds of activities.
How is it legally constituted?The
station is owned by the City of Pamplona and has been awarded to the Geltoki Iruña Association (REAS Navarra, Traperos de Emmaus, CEPAEN, EHNE and Food Craftsmen), on a rental basis. This has offered management to our newly created cooperative.
What investment has you requested?We have asked for 80,000 euros to
the Fiare Banca Ética and we have started. We need another EUR 16,000 and a few days ago, until 30 June, we launched the crowdfunding campaign.
What is the solidarity economy?In the capitalist
economy it is nothing more than an instrument for the benefit of the person. The solidarity economy is an economy that focuses on the person.
And responsible consumption?It's key, there
may be many alternatives, but if citizenship doesn't answer from our pocket or we don't take into account where and how products come, it's party.
Is it a new space that comes to compete?
No, we did not come with that intention, we were complementary to other initiatives and activities and we came to feed each other. For example, we are very grateful for the help Katakrak has given us.
Are you also thinking about changing the world?
To our extent, yes, if in the end we all do a little, great changes can be made. No big changes can be achieved in a short time, but little by little yes.
I don't know if we're going well. A total of 83 people already receive the same wealth as half of the world’s population.
It is true and sad. The middle classes seem less and less numerous. We've been born to help the little ones, like the rural areas, and that's where we're going to work. Citizenship is abandoning rural areas and helping to maintain them is essential.
You will work with the close and the ecological in the food field. Those worlds seem to be on the rise.
Yes, otherwise we were not going to go to the station. We want to value local, ecological, seasonal and fair trade. We want the whole chain to be respected: decent working conditions, product quality, respect for nature…
What are the decent working conditions at the station?
Charge a minimum and there are no overtime, for example. There is no hierarchy here and we work in an assembly, completely horizontal way. We all have a voice and a vote and we will all work the same number of hours. Now it's the beginning and we're doing a lot of overtime, but instead of collecting money, we're making a bag with those hours and then taking a vacation.
The benefits……will be to create more jobs, to support the project and to organise cultural activities.
And also, “as a tool for social transformation we are going to make our art,” you say. What do you mean?
Today, many small artists cannot reach large spaces – such as the Baluarte that we have next door – and perhaps they do not want it, and here all those small ones will have room. At the station we will do things as usual, but also others.
The start has been quite echoed.
Yes, it is. It has been heard above all that a space of this kind was needed in Pamplona, and of course the old bus station is very nice for this type of activity. How many people come here with the memories of your station! People love this place.
In addition to everything you mention, you also have to measure the ecological footprint of your activity.
We want to measure the C02 emissions that will have all the activities we organize. We must first measure our consumption – ours and those who visit us, the rapporteurs, the spectators… – and secondly, start working on renewable energies; and thirdly, plants or other things, because what is destroyed must also be rebuilt. Of course, it is about reducing the footprint.
It's called the station, not the station.
Language policy is very important to us. The Basque language is the local language and all the communication here will be bilingual. Among the workers there are people who are not Euskaldun, but we have asked for some of the minimums, and we will continue to Euskaldunify the group. Many of the cultural activities will also be carried out in Basque.
What is this, an oasis between the Old Town and the Second Ensanche of Pamplona?
No, there are many realities of this nature in Pamplona, but it is meant to be a meeting point and a great deal has also been heard. We do not want to be an oasis, from here we want to extend it to Pamplona and to the whole of Navarre.
“Arbizun jaio nintzen duela 38 urte, eta han bizi naiz. Argazkilaritza eta errealizazioa ikasi nituen eta ekoizpenaren munduan mugitu naiz. Iruñean Nasa produktoran, Baztan filmean ekoizpenean, Arena produktoran… Lan hauek herriko taberna baten kudeaketarekin batera egin nituen. Kultur zinegotzia ere izan nintzen lau urtez, eta aldaketa beharrez duela bi urte Bilbora joan nintzen bizitzera. Kafe Antzokian eta Taom produktoran aritu nintzen. Geltokin hastearekin Nafarroara itzuli naiz”.
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