The compilation entitled ‘Burujabetzaren bidetik’ (‘On the path to sovereignty’) was presented at an event on the future of Basque culture
The compilation entitled ‘Burujabetzaren bidetik’ (‘On the path to sovereignty’) was presented at an event on the future of Basque culture
The compilation entitled ‘Burujabetzaren bidetik’ (‘On the path to sovereignty’) was presented at an event on the future of Basque culture
The book was sponsored by the Oreki Foundation and coordinated by Andoni Eizagirre, of Mondragon University, and Ion Muñoa, of the University of Deusto. The work aims to update the meaning of the Basque historical experience with an eye to the future of the Basque Country.
On Friday, May 27, in the Assembly Hall of the Orona Foundation (Galarreta-Hernani), in an event organized by the Oreki Foundation entitled Euskalerrigintzaren geroaz, liburu aurkezpena eta herrigintzaz eztabaida (The future of working for the basque country, a book presentation and discussion on working for the homeland), the book Burujabetzaren bidetik. Bakoitzak urraturik berea, denon artean geurea (On the path to sovereignty. each one working on their own thing, and all of us together on ours) was presented. The book was edited by the Foundation. Xabier Barandiaran, Iratxe Esnaola and Ana Urkiza took part in the event, which ended with words from Bingen Zupiria, Minister of Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government.
Juan Ignazio Izeta Beraetxe, president of the Oreki Foundation, opened the session by thanking those who made the book and the meeting possible, and welcoming the nearly seventy people who were in attendance: agents of citizenship, academics, institutional representatives, citizens, etc. In his words, “It is a great honor and a great satisfaction for the Foundation to have promoted the publication of this book and especially to be able to promote debate and reflection on these issues. Civil society has reclaimed the role it must play not only in the history of the Basque Country, but also in the construction of the future, in collaboration and with humility, as the book says, ‘each one working on their own thing, and all of us together on ours.’”
After the introduction, Andoni Eizagirre Eizagirre (Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences of Mondragon University) and Ion Muñoa Errasti (University of Deusto) took the floor to present the main aspects of the book. First, Muñoa stressed that the book is the fruit of long and rewarding teamwork, and that they had the task and the pleasure of coordinating and editing it. He explained that the book had its origins in a seminar on urbanism held in 2018 and that the book is the result of those reflections. “We wrote the introduction and the epilogue, but otherwise the book consists of contributions from 22 authors for whom we truly have only words of thanks,” he said. In addition, he added that the contributions were very diverse: reflective, with some more historical chapters, some more conceptual ones and some that combine the stories of different citizen experiences.
Next, Eizagirre commented on the main ideas in the book, stressing that the work aims to update the meaning of the Basque historical experience in order to shed light on current and future challenges. He explained that, if we pay attention to our predecessors, there are many lessons that teach us to act humanely in a climate of uncertainty such as the one in which we live. He added that the 21st century should be no different. A comparative approach confirms today as well the importance of the values, norms and patterns of behavior of people in regions and countries of greater prosperity for innovation, well-being and cohesion. Taking these considerations into account, Eizagirre pointed out that “Basque people are strongly inclined to listen to others and learn from them, as well as to understand and renew our own state of being.” In his words, “the book has generated a mood of listening, of making sense and bringing ourselves up to date.” In the opinion of the author, as is made clear in the book, regarding the idea of the future, we could learn a lot from the meaning of experience, so that again, with education and generosity, and in the face of the new questions, challenges and tasks of the future, our ideas and behaviors continue to seek answers for everyone.
After the presentation of the book, there was a colloquium on the future of the Basque Country. Participants included University of Deusto professor and researcher and PNV head of political innovation Xabier Barandiaran Irastorza; University of Deusto professor and researcher and President of the Torre Olaso Foundation Iratxe Esnaola Arribillaga; and President of Eusko Ikaskuntza Ana Urkiza Ibaibarriaga. Each speaker began by answering the same questions: How do you see the future of our people? What are the main challenges and keys from your perspective and from that of your field of knowledge? Barandiaran mentioned the influence that transformations that are taking place in the context of globalization have on the creation of our homeland and spoke of strategies to strengthen the political community and the cultural nation in the face of changes both endogenous and from outside. For her part, Esnaola focused on four major challenges: demographic, climatic, digital and social, and argued for the need for technological and digital sovereignty as a country; she also provided keys to achieve this. Urkiza addressed the future from the perspective of identity and language, stressing that the way to understand the Basque identity of recent decades is no longer valid because society has changed. She added that we must reconvert that identity so that it is an integrating identity in which we all have a place and in which the Basque language lies at the center.
Minister of Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government Bingen Zupiria Gorostidi closed the session. Zupiria noted that the book, which was coordinated by Muñoa and Eizagirre, has a far-reaching vision and points out the essential starting points to withstand the challenges that we face, challenges that are not measured in years.
The Minister of Culture and Language Policy highlighted the importance of making possible in society shared diagnoses that, in addition to providing a direct look at reality, help us to achieve correct solutions. In his opinion, it is essential to arrive at a shared diagnosis of the strategic challenges that we have in hand and for this we have to establish frameworks and take into account the fact that our framework is Europe. European liberal democracy. And within that reality, identity. The identity of our people.
“Burujabetzaren bidetik. Bakoitzak urraturik berea, denon artean geurea”
- Coordinators: Andoni Eizagirre and Ion Muñoa
- Publisher: Oreki Foundation
- Year: 2021
- Number of pages: 379
- ISBN: 978-84-941408-9-1
- Availability: for the moment, direct sales on demand at orekigintza@gmail.com (will be available in bookstores at a later date)
- Participation/authorship: Andoni Eizagirre (Mondragon University), Ion Muñoa (University of Deusto), Manuel Castells (Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of California at Berkeley), Jurdan Arretxe (journalist), Enrike Ayerbe (editor at publishing house Etor and President of the Oreki Foundation), Patxi Juaristi (University of the Basque Country), Iñaki Goiogana (historian), Eba Gaminde (University of Deusto), Leyre Arrieta (University of Deusto), Kepa Bilbao (economist and lawyer), Jon Sarasua (Mondragon University), Javier Retegi (cooperativist), Jose Luis Perez (President of the Goierri Valley Business Association), Asier Vitoria (General Director of the GUREAK Group), Mari Karmen Garmendia (former instructor at Santo Tomas High School and the Diocesan Teacher Training School, both in San Sebastian), Iñaki Mujika (technical executive director and former Deputy Minister of Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning of the Basque Government), Miren Dobaran (Deputy Minister for Language Policy of the Basque Government), Arrate Illaro (Basque language coordinator), Jon Agirresarobe (Coordinator of the Association of the Friends of Bertsolaritza), Joxe Agustin Arrieta (volunteer at Nagusilan), Nerea Amenabar (founder and Chief Financial Officer of Ubikare), Unai Zabala (Director of the Agintzari Cooperative).