Eroski Becomes Cooperative

This comes to us via EITb:

Basque supermarket chain Eroski to become biggest cooperative ever

Eroski approved a reform that turns over than 52,000 employees into members of the cooperative

Eroski, a Basque supermarket chain run as a worker co-operative within the Mondragon Cooperativa group, will become the biggest cooperative group ever after its members decided to accept a project that turns more than 52,000 employees into members of the cooperative.

In a meeting held in the Basque town of Elorrio, headquarters of the Basque cooperative group, 500 members of the general assembly approved a project that turns the public corporations owned by the group into cooperative groups.

The project, which will take two years, will turn the Basque cooperative group into the biggest cooperative group ever with more that 52,000 members.

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Eusko Flickr : Etxaurrea

Etxaurrea
Originally uploaded by Orreaga

Remembering Txillida

This article about Basque artist Eduardo Txillida was published at Artdaily:

Chillida: Comb of the Wind: Sculpture, Engineering and Architecture on View at Museum of Fine Arts

BILBAO.- In 1977 three steel sculptures by Eduardo Chillida (San Sebastián, 1924—2002) were installed in San Sebastián’s La Concha bay. Together the trio of sculptures form Comb of the Wind, one of the Basque sculptor’s most significant works. Photographs, plans, works on paper and sculptures show how the project developed from the sculptor’s initial idea to the definitive installation of the finished work. Integrating Chillida’s artistic beliefs and the contribution of industrial workers, architects and engineers, the project, begun in 1952, culminated in this landmark public sculpture, one of the finest and best known in the region.

Eduardo Chillida Juantegui (1924–2002) was a Spanish Basque sculptor notable for his monumental abstract works. He received the prestigious Wolf Prize in Sculpture in 1985.

Before becoming a sculptor he had been the goalkeeper for Real Sociedad, San Sebastián's football team.

Chillida's earliest sculptures concentrated on the human form (mostly torsos and busts); his later works tended to be more massive and more abstract, producing many monumental public works. Chillida himself tended to reject the label of "abstract", preferring instead to call himself a "realist sculptor".

At their best his works, although massive and monumental, suggest movement and tension. For example, the largest of his works in the United States, "De Musica" is an 81-ton steel sculpture featuring two pillars with arms that reach out but do not touch. Much of Chillida's work is inspired by his Basque upbringing, and many of his sculptures' titles are in the Basque language Euskera. A large body of his work can be seen in the Basque city, San Sebastián (Donostia), including El peine del viento (The comb of the wind) installed in the (often stormy) sea in La Concha bay at San Sebastian.

His steel sculpture "De Música III" was exhibited at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the UK, as part of a retrospective of Chillida's work.

There is an outdoor sculpture garden dedicated to his work in Hernani, Spain, near San Sebastian.

Note : Chillida is the Spanish spelling of Basque last name Txillida. This spelling has been imposed by Madrid to the main stream media outlets as an attempt to rob Txillida of its Basque identity.

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Eusko Flickr : Untitled

DSCN083314934
Originally uploaded by enrique1959

Breizh's Self-Determination

This information comes to us via the Agence Bretagne Presse page:

Join the Breton Democratic Union's call

Source : UDB
Porte parole: Mona Bras
Publié le 13/01/09

NANTES/NAONED — The President's words about the Breton identity of Nantes are not without ulterior motives and obviously embarrass socialist leaders, among them the mayor of Nantes.

Yet, those words, coming from the head of state, give a great importance to the Breton unity question, justifying thereby the struggle of all those who have fought for reunification.

At the same time, however, the Balladur Committee works on a reformation of local authorities and a redrawing of administrative boundaries we fear will not answer our demand of a five departments Brittany.

We want an integrally reunified Brittany endowed with the same powers as euro-regions' such as Catalonia, the Basque Country or Scotland.

So I say to my Breton friends, do not settle down for autonomy, you must keep on fighting until you regain your independence and sovereignty. France must renounce to its imperialist past and let go of its European colonies, this is the XXI century, we are supposed to be out of the dark ages, democracy means freedom, peace and justice. The nations captive under France's oppressive rule must come together and show solidarity towards each other; Basques, Bretons, Corsicans, Alsatians... we all deserve to chose our own destiny without the shackles imposed to us by individuals with mentalities that belong in the XV century.

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Case Dismissed

Spain just couldn't keep up with the charade called trial against the Basque politicians who pursued peace talks a couple of years ago. Incensed by the Basque politicians actions, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Juan Carlos Borbon had a couple of high profile extreme right groups doing the dirty job for them, to no avail according to this news item posted at Nasdaq:

Spanish Court Dismisses Case Against Basque Politicians

(RTTNews) - A Spanish court on Monday dismissed the controversial case against three senior Basque politicians, including the prime minister of the semi-autonomous region and two senior opposition leaders, who were accused of holding talks with a banned party linked to the separatist group ETA.

The court threw out the case against the three Basque politicians, including Basque Prime Minister Juan Jose Ibarretxe and two opposition Socialist Party leaders - Patxi Lopez and Rodolfo Ares, after the prosecution admitted that their contacts with the banned party were not illegal.

The three politicians were accused of holding illegal peace negotiations with the ETA-linked Batasuna party during the 2006-2007 ceasefire, and the prosecutors had demanded prison sentences of two years and nine months for Ibarretxe, and nine months each for the two socialist leaders.

All the three accused politicians had admitted contacts with the banned Batasuna party, saying that it was a part of their efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement. If convicted, the three would have faced jail terms and a life ban from politics.

Only in Spain people seeking peace can face the chance of a trial and eventual imprisonment, yet, there is many in the international community who insist that Spain is a democracy. Spain has always relied on violence when it comes to dealing with the Basques and this botched "trial" proves it.

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Embers

I found this poem by Mac McKinney at Op Ed News:

Reviving the Embers of Guernica, a Poem

by Mac McKinney

Every now and then there are these iconic moments in the history of the planet that become monuments to man's inhumanity to man (and woman). One such has always been Guernica, the hapless Basque town that was bombed into rubble by the German Luftwaffe Condor Legion and Italian Fascist Aviazione Legionaria in 1936 in support of Franco's Nationalist war against Republican forces, and also, apparently, as collective punishment by the Germans for the death of one of their pilots nearby. It was the first city demolished from the air and set the precedent for bombing civilian populations. Picasso immortalized Guernica with his painting of the same name.

There have been other iconic Guernicas since then, where whole cities are sacrificed to the dogs of war in collective punishment for rebelling against the powerful, such as, just recently in Iraq, the city of Fallujah. Now we have Gaza.

I am not a painter, but I can spin a few lines of poetry, so below is a poem I wrote about this ongoing slaughter. Furthermore, the whole world is invited to express themselves about the outrage of Gaza through the arts.

Reviving the Embers of Guernica

by Mac McKinney

The ashes of Guernica are stirring again.

The embers of ruins are glowing again,

whispering the name of Gaaazaaa.

***

The ghostly Luftwaffe is flying again,

searing and blackening the skies overhead,

launching its terror on Gaza.

The Fascist race is marching again,

teaching new Basques a lesson again,

hundreds for one, their formula.

***

The plotting board is bristling again

with targets for bloodlust and suffering again.

Struggle is futile, bombs hammer.

***

The well-dressed men are dissembling again,

masking their sadism with speeches again,

blaming the victim's resistance.

***

The cries of children are echoing again.

The shrieks of women piercing ears again,

while buildings collapse throughout Gaza.

Somewhere an artist is stirring again,

savagery moving his hand again

Excellent poem, moving, hopefully people will finally understand that violence has never been the answer.

By the way, this is what the author tells us about himself:

Student of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect. I have also just come out with my first book, a combination of poetry, photography and essays entitled "Post Katrina Blues", my reflections on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans two years after Katrina struck. Go to the store at http://sanfranciscobaypress.com/ to purchase.

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"Gu Gira"

This information comes to us via EITb:

'Gu Gira' compilation sells more than 20,000 copies

The album offers an overview of the Basque folk music evolution since the first singer-songwriters appeared in the 60's until the year 1983. Mikel Laboa, Benito Lertxundi, Xabier Lete, Lurdes Iriondo, Antton Valverde, Estitxu, Itoiz, Errobi, Ruper Ordorika, Niko Etxart and Oskorri are among the artists featured in 'Gu Gira'

The album offers an overview of the Basque folk music evolution since first singer-songwriters appeared in the 60's until the year 1983. Those participating are Mikel Laboa, Benito Lertxundi, Xabier Lete, Lurdes Iriondo, Antton Valverde, Estitxu, Imanol Larzabal, Txomin Artola, Gorka Knörr, Gontzal Mendibil eta Xeberri, Urko, Itoiz, Errobi, Ruper Ordorika, Niko Etxart, Pantxoa eta Peio, Oskorri or Iñaki Eizmendi.

'Gu gira' , -released by Basque music label Elkar- features 15 tracks that have never been previously released in CD format - at least, in a legal way. The most emblematic songs by Estitxu, Iñaki Eizmendi, Gorka Knörr and Niko Etxart have been recovered from the Columbia and Kardantxa-Movieplay (nowadays Sony/BMG and DRO/Warner) catalogs.

Several artists participating in the album will be taking part in a concert that will be celebrated at Donostia-San Sebastian's Kursaal on April 5th.

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Eusko Flickr : Preso eta Iheslariak ETXERA!!

Preso eta iheslariak ETXERA!!
Originally uploaded by Albatxu

Research on Conservation of Historic Sites

The correct conservation of sites with a historic value is of great importance, this is why I wanted to reproduce this article published at Basque Research:

Sánchez Beitia: ‹‹One has to know and understand heritage sites before embarking on any intervention››

Santiago Sánchez Beitia is a doctor in Physics and teaches first and second years and the PhD course in the School of Architecture at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The research team he leads is pioneer in the analysis of the state of conservation of heritage sites, having adapted techniques from other spheres of study to this end.

Dr Sánchez Beitia has been working on the analysis of the state of conservation of archaeological elements at heritage sites since 1991. “One has to know and understand the monument from a structural perspective before embarking on any intervention. The construction has to be inspected, examined and listened to – but techniques are needed for this”, he explained. The analysis of the state of conservation aims to deduce what the loads supporting the construction are, the structural changes that have taken place over time and, moreover, non-structural problems — dampness, degradation of materials, movements of earth, etc. “We analyse buildings, walls, historical sites, etc.” he explained. To this end, they have adapted techniques and ways of analysing developed from very different fields than that under study.

The Hole-Drilling method

The team led by Mr Sánchez Beitia stands out for having adapted the Hole Drilling method — used for measuring stresses and deformations — to the study of architectural heritage sites. “This method enables us to find out the exact load bearing on a support structure, such as pillars, buttresses, retaining walls, etc., while affecting its physical integrity in the least possible way, as it dramatically improves performance compared to previous, more destructive, techniques”, explained the research worker.

The Hole Drilling method involves making a small orifice — just 36 millimetres in diameter and 36 millimetres deep — in the stone, using a drill onto which a series of feelers is fixed. “These feelers record the displacements – in the order of micros — that take place around the orifice. The analysis of the data obtained enables us to calculate the stresses on or the forces supporting the pillar”, explained Dr Sánchez Beitia. The application of this method is recognised worldwide and Mr Sánchez Beitia’s team has published a number of articles on the topic, in collaboration with other universities.

From Berlin to Cairo

Amongst elements studied by Mr Santiago Sánchez Beitia and his team are the Mayor de Comillas Seminary, the pillars of Santa María del Mar, the Church of Santa Maria del Pi and the Gothic Cathedral of Barcelona — the three gothic representations in the Catalan city; the Cathedral of Tarazona, the Casa Botines or the flying buttresses of the Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca. Outside the Spanish state, the Church of Saint Jacobs in Louvaine, the basement floor of the Altes Museum in Berlin or the Sultán al-Ghawri aqueduct in Cairo. “We publish studies with universities from other countries, which brings an internationalisation to what is being investigated at the School of Architecture at the Donostia-San Sebastian campus of the UPV/EHU”, explained the researcher.

Although a lot of work is undertaken outside the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, they also carry out analyses here. “We were the first to use this technique in the Cathedral of Santa María in the Basque capital city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, together with Giorgio Croci”, he stated. Moreover, they have examined the walls of Hondarribia in the neighbouring province of Gipuzkoa, and will shortly start on the analysis of their state of conservation, and on the consolidation of and intervention in the monastic site at Sasiola in Deba, in the same province.

Conservation of Sasiola

“The current state of Sasiola would make you cry”, complained Dr Sánchez Beitia. “Two of the vaults have caved in and the third is full of cracks”. Luckily, the situation of this heritage site is improving thanks to the fact that the Gipuzkoa provincial Government is going to carry out an intervention. “Our team is taking part in this project as a body associated to the architectural study which received the adjudication”, explained the researcher. With this project an exhaustive analysis of the state of conservation was made in order to be able to to project the future intervention at Sasiola in the most suitable manner.

Sasiola was a strategic point in Gipuzkoa until the XVIII century, its Franciscan monastery being a landmark on the coastal Camino de Santiago route and a contemporary of the better-known one in Aranzazu. It used to be an important trading centre, being a meeting of the commercial ways between Castille and the coast and the trading routes to the West Indies. With time and, above all, after the disentailment of the Church lands at Mendizábal, it fell into disuse. “There is a serious structural problem there and it could cave in at any moment”, suggested Mr Sánchez Beitia. “I go there a lot and every year I take a group of PhD students so they can get to know it”.

Scientific treatment of the analysis

Santiago Sánchez Beitia underlines the lack of awareness about these intervention processes “having to be based on a scientific treatment integrated into international scientific currents. For some time now Italy and Belgium, for example, have had a scientific treatment protocol for conservation analysis, but here, until recently, we have been on the margins”, pointed out the Mr Sánchez Beitia. He explained that in Catalonia they accept the need of this type of analysis that tries to understand the monumental site in order to subsequently draw up a project, carry it out and undertake conservation. “In Italy a scientific treatment protocol for conservation analysis is a legal obligation. Here it is at the whim of the concern or otherwise of officialdom”, he pointed out.

Thanks to this type of analysis, to the new techniques, to the research, there are less and less buildings that cannot be intervened and recovered. “The Cathedral of Tarazona has been closed for years because it was thought irrecoverable and it now has a Intervention Plan Director. There is always a solution and we are evermore imaginative”, he concluded.

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