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Information Service from Basque Country

Introduction

This is an information service focused on the struggle of the Basque Country for freedom and the respect of human rights included the right to self determination.

1.- Spain, a criminal state

On the 31st of March it was discovered that Cesid Spanish "intelligence" services was spying the quarters of the political party Herri Batasuna in the city of Gasteiz years before the banning. This spying had taken place for three years. During the last days of March of the present year former heads and agents of Cesid had been processed with the result of the last Director of Cesid being sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 11,160 Euros and the inhabilitation to be employed in a public post for 8 years. The Spanish State has also being declared liable on this affair.

It has been know that the General Public Prosecutor if Spain pressured the public prosecutors of the Provincial Audience of Alava, so no penal charges would be imposed on the accused members of Cesid. The Spanish General Prosecutor is appealing the sentence.

2.- The Ikurriña banned

The Parliament of the Navarrese Autonomous Community debated on the 26th of March the new Symbol’s act. The votes of the governing conservative party, Union del Pueblo Navarro, plus the votes of the Socialist Party and conservative Convergencia Democratica approved the Draft of the Symbols’ Act that bans the use of the Ikurrina, Basque emblem, flag, in public institutions.

3.- Trade Union’s compromise with political rights

The majority of the Basque Trade Union movement in the Basque country facing the ilegalisation of Batasuna subscribed on the 5th of April a document titled "For the right to politically participate". The trade union movement claims the need "of ensuring all rights for all persons in the Basque country".

The Basque Trade Union movement hopes to build within and from the workers movement a solution to the political conflict at the Basque Country.

4.- Here comes Korrika

On the 4th of April Korrika began in the north of the Basque Country, in Maule. Korrika, meaning "running" in Basque, is one of the most important initiatives that takes place in favour of Euskara.

Aek and Korrika

The Korrika is an event organised by the Alfabetatze Euskalduntze Koordinakundea (AEK), the co-ordinating committee for promoting literacy and teaching Basque.

AEK is a popular movement that promotes literacy in Basque and teaches Basque to adults. This organisation has over a hundred centres and thousands of students throughout the Basque Country.

The Korrika is not a regular event, it is a giant race that crosses the whole Basque Country during 10 days, non-stop, night and day. It is not something that can be seen everyday: thousands of people from all walks of life and all ages taking part in this race and running over 2,100 kilometres.

Korrika, which happens every two years, has become a phenomenon that rouses Basque society. The number of people who take part in the race increases from one Korrika to the next. Thousands of people collaborate in the organisation of the Korrika in the committees formed in towns and neighbourhoods. While the campaign is on, hundreds of festivals and cultural acts are organised.

The movement created around the Korrika reflects the size of the effort that Basque society makes to recover its language. From the moment that the first Korrika crossed the Basque Country from Oñati to Bilbao in 1980, it has been one of the most highly participated events organised in support of the Basque language. Twelve Korrikas and more than 20 years have gone by since, but the success of the Korrika continue.

Korrika 13th, A nation carving its future

The work done at the Basque Country in order to recover its culture and language is not new.

During the end of the 60’s and the beginning of the 70’s Basque culture experienced a very important renaissance in all areas; music, literature and plastic arts amongst others. Ikastolak (primary schools where subjects are taught in Basque) and night schools (where adults are taught the Basque language) spread to many towns. A standardised Basque language was created (euskara batua). In music for instance, it is clear that the reason why we have a decent production level in respect of both quantity and quality, and a ‘normalised’ market today, is due to the effort made at that time.

In order to recover this spirit, the Korrika wants to pay tribute to the protagonists of this renaissance. Many people worked very hard at that time and they all deserve the tribute. Amongst them we find the cultural movement called ‘ez dok amairu’ (there is no thirteen).

This 13th Korrika wants to remember the enthusiasm and vitality of those who created ‘ez dok amairu’. Jorge Oteiza chose the name which he borrowed from a popular tale collected by Azkue in the Basque province of Bizkaia to show that Basque culture could break the spell of the unlucky number thirteen and continue to bloom.

Today the Korrika wants to tell society exactly the same thing; there is no thirteen, there is no curse. In the same way they managed to give Basque music and culture a big push during the inflexibility of the dictatorship, we also want to be able to carry on over all measures against Basque. We have to take Basque society through another period of renaissance because we are able to.

Euskal Herria, on the 15th of April, 2003.

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