A year without a career, an indispensable economic boost
- If there were no pandemics, the Korrika witness was already going through the villages. It would remain in some capital on 28 March. But the initiative is delayed to 2022. Without mass demands in favor of the Basque Country and without the possibility of bringing to the forefront the importance of Euskaldunization literacy. In addition, it has created an economic hole and AEK has launched a campaign to get the revenue needed to keep up with the day-to-day.
Euskaltegi Bultza has prepared AEK to face the economic hole caused by career delay! Drive the Basque! initiative. However, the appearance of the virus has also had other economic consequences for the agent of literate Euskaldunization. In the course of 2020-2021, enrolment of students has decreased by 11%. It's mostly due to two reasons. On the one hand, in such a special health situation, several students have decided not to start the course and others have not enrolled due to fear of the virus. On the other hand, in order to comply with security measures, the number of pupils in classrooms has been reduced. In some buildings it has been possible to condition the classrooms and accommodate all the students, but in others it has not been possible due to the characteristics of the building. Thus, some Euskaltegis have had or have students on the waiting list.
Debt obligation
Student enrollment, administrative grants, and Korrika are the three main income of AEK. Alicia Iribarren, coordinator of AEK, told us that they are trying to make the tuition price as low as possible. In order for this to happen, they are striving to squeeze out the other two bases. Iribarren says that the aid granted by the administrations is not enough, “although in recent years they have taken steps forward. On the other hand, local authorities have different rhythms.” The Korrika, which is held every two years, is the support to work in proper conditions on the day to day of two courses. As they have been left without that possibility from one day to the next, in order to be able to continue the course, AEK has had to resort to bank financing, that is, it has had to go into debt, “and that is what needs to be done now, and that is why we have asked for help from the public”.
Call to the Administration
Drive Euskaltegis! Drive the Basque! The initiative has been divided into three axes. Firstly, in April a letter will be sent to the three General Administrations of the Basque Country. They will explain the conditions that the Euskaldunization and literacy area should have. A number of specific demands will be made of them and that content will be made public later on. In any case, two important axes among the demands will be the demand for an adequate funding model, “because the current one is not enough” and the possibility for students to learn for free.
Since Pandemia put everything upside down, to respond to the problems of each moment, they have also had a close relationship with HABE, Euskarabidea and the Public Institute of the Basque Country, intermediaries of the administrations. However, they want to have direct contact with the main institutions, they will demand that the head of day to day be raised and that a strategic boost be given to the whole area of Euskaldunisation. Thus comes the letter of the month of April, “it is not a letter to ask that we be cared for in the daily life of the pandemic, we are talking about the general conditions of the sector”.
28 March, citizen’s quote
In Ondo bidea the Korrika ended on 28 March. As will not be the case, AEK has chosen this day to host “simple” events in about 60 locations. The events will be held in the capitals and in the localities where the Basque Country is located. All at the same time, at 12:00. Everyone will have the same line and local particularities will be included. They call on citizens to go out into the street, for campaign drivers to be on the street as many people as possible, knowing that acts cannot be full of people. They will take security measures and they also want the Basque witness to go out into the street, for the impulse of the Euskaltegis to be perceived in the street.
How to make the contribution
Citizens can make their financial contribution via the AEK website and the other option is to do so via the mobile phone with bizum. All donors will be emailed the image that Cultural Memories has created for the AEK-Korrika. In the case of contributions in excess of EUR 30, the Euskaltzale will also receive a reminder by regular mail. Contributions may be made until the end of March.
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