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Ameriketako Euskaldunak Euskadin: The American Basque Congress in Euskadi by Carmelo Urza Under the direction of Mr. Ramón Labayen, Minister of Culture, and Mr. Javier Aramburu, the Basque Government sponsored a Congress of American Basques in the city of San Sebastián. The dates of the Congress were September 2nd through September 7th. Delegates from Argentina (86 in number), Canada (4), Chile (9), Columbia (3), Mexico (3), Peru (2), Uruguay (5), and Venezuela (14), as well as an observer from the Philippines, participated in the congress. Including their companions, the group totaled 203 persons. North American Basque Organizations (N.A.B.O.) President, Mr. Francois Pedeflous, designated Mr. Martin Minaberri as representative of N.A.B.O. at the conference. Mr. Minaberri is presently the President of the San Francisco Basque Club and Secretary of the U.S. Federation of Pelota. Jean Leon Ocafrain, member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center, and his wife also attended, as did Professors Jon Bilbao from the Basque Studies Program in Reno, Gloria Castresana and Juan Cruz Mendizabal from the Society of Basque Studies in America, and Carmelo Urza, Coordinator of the Boise State-UNR University Studies Consortium in the Basque Country. Mr. Cipriano Larriaga, last delegate to New York of the Basque Government, was also present at the final gathering. The Congress was convened on Thursday, the 2nd of September at 10:30 at a reception hosted by Mr. Jesús Maria Alkain, Mayor of San Sebastián, at the City Hall followed by a reception by the Governor of Guipúzcoa, Mr. Xabier Aizarna. Flanked by the colorful Miñones at the impressive Miramar Palace overlooking the magnificent Bay of San Sebastián shrouded in mist, the participants were welcomed to Euskadi in an emotionally charged ceremony presided over by the Lehendakari (President of the Basque Country) Mr. Carlos Garaikoetxea. President Garaikoetxea addressed the assembly in Basque and Spanish with the words: “Welcome to this motherland, Basque brothers of America. As President of Euskadi, I want to express our unbounded recognition of those of you who have known how to keep alive bonds of affection with this country.” He added: “We believe that what happens in Euskadi concerns all Basques wherever they may be. We are all the Basque people. Consequently, while there remains only one man or woman who feels roots in this land and desires to live and feel as a Basque, it will be an essential obligation to those of us who represent Euskadi to facilitate the means to make that possible.” Upon mentioning the present social reality the Lehendakari went on to say: “I want to proclaim before you all that the reality of this country is one in which the immense majority of men and women ardently desire peace and detest violence, and they pursue with equal earnestness their national liberties. Peace will finally impose itself, and their legitimate recovery of self-government will likewise triumph, for no dictatorship nor democracy can detain the collective consciousness of a people.” At 5:00 p.m. Mr. Ramón Labayen presided over the general assembly of the first working session, at which the Congress was divided into six commissions. After many formal and informal meetings throughout the duration of the Congress, the commissions published their respective resolutions. The following represents a synopsis of these resolutions. I. Commission on the institutionalization of relations between the Basque communities of the American continents and the Basque Government. The Basques in America, organized in federations, centers and Basque cultural entities, request the Basque Government to establish with urgency institutions which may serve to affirm our common identify as a people, recuperate our language and strengthen the bonds between the Basque communities of America and Euskadi. These links should be extended to all those countries where there exist Basque communities. II. Commission on scholarships. This commission proposes the establishment of exchange scholarships to be underwritten by the Basque Government, which would provide round-trip airfare to and from Euskadi. >Whenever possible, these scholarships will be based upon the exchange of students between families. Since these scholarships should address the concrete needs and characteristics of each American Basque Center, they will be regulated, within the general guidelines expounded below, by each federation. First priority will be given to intensive six-month periods of Basque language study in order to prepare young American Basques as future instructors of Euskera. Of equal significance, assistance should be available for those who have some, however, little, knowledge of Euskera and who have presented a plan of study which corresponds to the interests of that Basque community. Other scholarships would take the form of intense two-month periods of cultural exchange, research scholarships and five-year humanistic or technical scholarships for complete academic formation. Barring exceptions justified by the respective federations, the assistance would be limited exclusively to Basques and to speakers of Euskera. III. Commission on the means of communication between America and Euskadi. Given the consensus that the present means of communication are deficient, this commission proposes the establishment of a system which will contribute to the maintenance of Basque identity. These lines of communication from Euskadi to America could include: the transmission of the most important news via TELEX, informative reports via VIDEO CASSETTE, children’s programs in Euskera in 16 mm FILM, RADIO programs, and a MAGAZINE published in Euskadi with the collaboration of Basque communities around the world. This commission also believes it necessary to establish permanent news reception centers in the different countries. IV. Commission on cultural exchange. Taking into consideration that the spirit of the first American Basque Congress has strengthened the bonds between the Basques of Euskadi and those of America, that it is necessary to rescue and promote Basque culture, and that the Basque Government, through its Department of Culture, is working toward these objectives, this commission recommends the formation of a special cultural office which will coordinate the exchange of dancers, musicians, choirs and artists, and will provide film and literary materials. Furthermore, the American Basque entities should create cultural offices to complement these activities. This commission also recommends that the American Basque centers commit themselves to the teaching of the Basque language, soliciting the necessary assistance from the Basque Government. V. The Commission on commercial relations resolves to create commercial organizations in American localities in collaboration with an official entity in Euskadi which, in addition to its economic dimension, would help support the traditions and culture of the Basques. VI. The Commission on sports concluded that sports would be considered a part of culture and that culture exchanges should be complemented by sports activities. Direct contact with the sports organizations of the Basque Government would help the Basque communities in America to further develop their own sports activities such as pelota, sokatira, aizkolaris, and stone lifting. The Basque Government was asked to provide scholarships to train specialists in Euskadi and to promote sports through competitions in the Basque communities with the participation of athletes brought from Euskadi, and to provide sports equipment and technical advice in the construction of facilities. This Commission requested the inclusion of the American Basques in the Games of Euskadi who would participate as representatives of each Western Hemisphere country, preferably in each of the individual sports. In addition to the work sessions held at the E.U.T.G. University campus of San Sebastián, delegates and their companions were treated to several excursions and many receptions around the Basque Country. On September 3rd, the delegates were received by the Mayor of Gasteiz-Vitoria, Mr. José Angel Cuerda at the City Hall and by Mr. Juan José Pujana, the Speaker of the House at the Basque Parliament. Mr. Pujana stressed that the American Basques are “in your land, in your house.” Later the group visited the Executive Offices of the Basque Government and had lunch at Labastida in La Rioja. There they toured the wine-cellars of the Marqués de Riscal in Elciego. The following day the delegates visited Loyola, the Sanctuary and birthplace of St. Ignatius. In the evening the participants attended a reception hosted by the Basque Government at the Palace of Ayete overlooking the city of San Sebastián. President Garaikoetxea, the Ministers of Government and many other dignitaries attended. The Choir Easo performed for the nearly one thousand invited guests. On Sunday many attended a rowing race held in the Bay of San Sebastián and later a Basque Festival in the old part of the city. The next day the participants were received by the Mayor of Bilbao, Mr. Jon Castañares Larreategui and the municipal band of txistularis. Later the group was welcomed to the provincial offices of Vizcaya by the prestigious choir of the Asociación Bilbaina de Amigos de la Opera and by the Governor, Mr. José Makua. Mr. Makua pronounced: “Gaur benetan egun alaia da, egun pozagarria, oroigarria. Zuek bete dozue Iparragirreren agindua.” In the afternoon the American Basques participated in a ceremony under the Tree of Guernika. The official closing ceremony was held in the City Hall of Donostia-San Sebastián where the conclusions of the six commissions were made public. Mr. Ramón Labayen, Minister of Culture, gave the key-note speech in which he stated: “The fruits of the Congress are already evident in the communication which has been established between you and us.” Following a concert by the Euskadi Symphony Orchestra at the Victoria Eugenia Theater, President Garaikoetxea hosted the farewell dinner and the final round of speeches at the Hotel Maria Cristina. |
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