Kontseilua at Work

This is very important, it has everything to do with ensuring that Euskera has a place in the future.

The note appeared at Berria, here you have it:

Kontseilua urges governments to establish specific aims and deadlines

It has put forward the main guidelines that need to be followed to bring about the normalisation of the Basque language

Asier Iturriagaetxebarria – BILBO (Bilbao)

Kontseilua, the Council of Social Organisations in Favour of the Basque language, yesterday presented a report aimed at guiding the Basque language normalisation process. It includes ten main language policy guidelines that will need to be implemented over the next four years. Kontseilua’s general secretary Xabier Mendiguren explained that these guidelines would need to be applied in order to bring about the normalisation of the language. He added, however, that specific aims and deadlines would have to be added. “Otherwise all that has been achieved so far will not be of any use to normalise our Basque language, and the aims will be postponed sine die.”

He summarised what language policy should be like over the coming years thus: “One which will have specific deadlines and aims, be given the necessary resources, include all departments, be designed in such a way as to reach all sectors of society, it should start from the general administration and permeate right down to local administrations, it will aim to guarantee linguistic rights, be applicable throughout the Basque Country and have an overall perspective”.

Iñaki Lasa, responsible for Kontseilua’s politico-institutional line, complained about the administration’s failure to take effective measures. “Very often Basque speakers are blamed for failing to use the Basque language, but this is unfair, because Basque speakers will not have the chance to use their language if the necessary measures and resources are not in place.”

The report comprises ten proposals:

1) To go beyond the Linguistic models in education to ensure that students are proficient in Basque when they finish their compulsory secondary education.

2) To create a deputy vice-presidency for Basque in the BAC Government.

3) To make the administration Basque-speaking.

4) To make the workplace Basque-speaking.

5) To have laws in favour of the Basque language passed.

6) To expand the teaching of Basque to adults.

7) To establish quotas for the media in accordance with sociolinguistic development.

8) To increase the budget for Basque.

9) To make university education and vocational training Basque-speaking.

10) To draw up an adequate language policy that establishes aims and deadlines and includes all sectors.

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