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New York, NY.  Many things took place in New York, one after the other, in the heart of the program that was very compressed, and EuskalKultura.com remained committed to witness them all.  We are covering everything in the best way we can.

It is Friday October 11.  The diverse program of activities continues in the city of skyscrapers. It began on Monday thanks to the Etxepare Basque Institute that included cultural and academic activities organized as part of the Bernardo Atxaga Chair at CUNY (City University of New York). Then it led into the Euskal Herria Mugaz Gaindi (EHMG) seminar, first at Columbia University and moved to the Eusko Etxea this afternoon.

Lehendakari Urkullu, and the delegation that he led, had recently arrived to New York after a visit to Washington DC and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During his first day in New York, his agenda included meetings with experts in the area of political normalization and pacification, in relation to the Basque Government’s plan for Peace and Coexistence.  Following that was a meeting at the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation to renew the agreement they have with Basque institutions that expires at the end of 2014. The Basque Government and the Provincial Government of Bizkaia both attended represented by Lehendakari Urkullu and the Deputy General, Jose Luis Bilbao.

[Press conference by Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu after meeting with experts in peace his plan for Peace and Coexistence in the background (video Irekia)]

[Appearance after the meeting with the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation, with the objective of renewing and extending the agreement from which the museum originated, along with Deputy General of Bizkaia Jose Luis Bilbao, Director Vidarte and the heads of the Foundation (photo Irekia)]

[Video of the meeting with the press where Urkullu explains the agreement (photo Irekia)]

The second day of the EHMG Seminar took place in Brooklyn at the Eusko Etxea of New York on the second floor of the clubhouse; moderator of the event was anthropologist and recognized expert as well as world reference in the Diaspora and Basque Studies William Douglass.

With the first day of the Seminar taking place at Columbia University, the second was celebrated in the Eusko Etxea to mark the transition between these events and those planned for the weekend that were more festive and aimed at commemorating the club’s Centennial.

[Special guest, William Douglass (left) served as host and presenter.  Douglass pardoned the absence of Dr. Pedro Oiarzabal, whose talk had been included in the program and was to discuss “Basques in the Diaspora and Cyberspace.” Anna Mari Aguirre (right) presented her own family story “Three Generations in New York.”  Anna Mari is the daughter of Irene and Andoni Aguirre, two historic figures in the Basque club and the New York Basque community who have already passed away,  both born in the diaspora; and granddaughter of Melchor Renteria (Bakio) and Maria Vidasolo (Kanala), who emigrated from the Basque Country to New York and Brooklyn to create their home here (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The second presenter was Argitxu Camus-Etchecopar, former Basque culture and language lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris, and author of Paris’s Basque club's, as well as NABO's history, both published as part of the Basque Government’s Urazandi Collection.  The Zuberoan researcher talked about NABO, which celebrates its 40th anniversary of its founding in Reno, NV this year (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[To conclude, the final presenter before moving on to more festive events, was Joseba Etxarri, Director of EuskalKultura.com, who gave a summary, illustrated with some of his personal photos, on episodes and people from the Eusko Etxea of New York, as well as NABO and the US Basque community.  The journalist from Donostia said that his first contacts with the Diaspora (excepting his experience at the Madrid Basque club) took place in New York in 1987 and that experience marked him so, that he has continued his work to deepen his knowledge of the Basque Diaspora and document, register and share its past and present, in the heart of their two referents: the Basque Culture and Global Euskal Herria, and the different countries they belong to (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Members of the board of Directors of Eusko Etxea of New York were pleasantly surprised by Juan Pedro Arin, President of the Centro Euskaro in Montevideo, in Uruguay, another club who celebrated its Centennial in 2011. Arin presented them a commemorative plaque, as pictured, with Aitzol Azurtza, president of New York EE receiving the gift. Behind them Asier Vallejo, Director fot the Basque Community Abroad of the Basque Government (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[After an hour recell and following the program, the Eusko Etxea then welcomed Kalakan’s first performance for the weekend, (the second took place at the Gala on Sunday in Manhattan).  The percussion, traditional instruments, voices and sounds of Thierry Biscary, Jamixel Bereau and Xan Errotabehere captivated the audience who demanded several encores (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The next day, Saturday, activities began at 8am, at least for the NABO board and delegates with its fall meeting, presided by President Valerie Etcharren Arrechea.  Seen here, the outside of the clubhouse on Eckford Street in Greenpoint, in Brooklyn (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Seated at the head table, Marisa Espinal, NABO Secretary; Valerie Arrechea, President; Mary Gaztambide, Vice-President; and Grace Mainvil, Treasurer.  It should be noted that the entire board is made up entirely of women.  Iker Goñi, New York Basque club secretary is at the microphone; at the right is Iban Ubarretxena, Eusko Etxea Vice-President (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Another view of the NABO meeting with representatives from euskal etxeas in the US and Canada.  Valerie Arrechea, president can be seen in the back talking to the delegates (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Getting to the point, the points of the agenda incluyed Izaskun Kortazar (standing at the right) who presented for the last time as NABO’s Euskara Coordinator, a position that she will give up at the end of the year.  Originally from Bilbao but residing in Boise, Izaskun received a long applause in recognition of her years of work in this position.  The Euskara committee, led by Chairman Martin Goicoechea from Rock Springs is in the process of choosing the next person for the job (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Among NABO activities is Udaleku, an activity organized in June or July every year. Udaleku (it means Summer Camp in the Basque language) is without a doubt one of the most beloved, effective and appreciated NABO activities for the future of the Basque community in the country.  The Kern County Basque club acted as the 2013 hosts and directors of the camp, Maria (Bernal) Toretta at the right, and Teresa (Iturriria) Echeverria at the left gave a presentation on their experience to the delegates who in turn thanked them for the great work they did with a loud round of applause (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The majority of NABO clubs are based in the western part of the US.  There are only five in the East: Quebec, Rhode Island, New York, Washington DC and Florida.  All five were represented and each one did a short presentation on their club including specifically their challenges and concerns.  Seen here Boni Guenechea from Euskal Etxea of Miami during his presentation (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[New York Vice-President Iban Ubarretxena, presenting his club, under the watchful eye of President Aitzol Azurtza, and club secretary Iker Goñi.  The morning session lasted until lunch which was served in the clubhouse bar on the first floor (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The meeting continued after lunch with a reception for Lehendakari Urkullu and those who accompanied him including his wife, Lucia Arieta-Araunabeña, Secretary General of Foreign Action, Marian Elorza, US Delegate of Euskadi Ander Caballero, and the Director of Foreign Relations, Leire Madariaga.  Already present was Asier Vallejo, Director for the Basque Community Abroad.  Seen here their entrance among the delegates’ applause (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Urkullu’s trip to the US was his first outside of the European Union and his presence at the NABO meeting his first contact with the North-American entity. From left to right, Kate Camino (Reno) NABO Facilitator; Marisa Espinal (San Francisco), secretary, Lehendakari Urkullu; Valerie Arrechea (San Francisco ) NABO President; and Mary Gaztambide (Salt Lake City) Vice-President (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[On behalf of NABO Valerie Arrechea presented the Lehendakari with a small gift, a ceramic reproduction of the lauburu symbol of the entity.  Seated at the table behind, Mary Gaztambide (Salt Lake City) Vice-President and NABO Treasurer, Grace Mainvil who is also a member of the Ontario, Oregon Basque club (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[After his opening remarks, the Lehendakari left the stage to mingle with the delegates from various North-American Basque clubs.  Remember that this year New York’s Basque club celebrates its Centennial and NABO celebrates its 40^th anniversary.  NABO was founded in 1973 in Reno, NV.  Among other things, Urkullu announced the creation of a 'Basque Glocal Network', a network of Basques around the world that will serve as a link to put all Basques and Basque friends, whoever wishes to do so, to work in favor of Euskadi, as an updated version of the International League of Friends of the Basques, created in 1938.  Its launch was announced for 2014 (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Urkullu answer questions, comments and worries posed by the delegates.  He responded in Euskera with English translation provided by Asier Vallejo, Director of Basque Communities Abroad, who also demonstrated his real good command of both Basque and English (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[At the end of the meeting the Lehendakari personally greeted the delegates and people who approached him including posing for a few pictures.  Among them, he took one with the delegation from Bakersfield.  From left to right the Goyenetche brothers, Maria Bernal Toretta, Urkullu and three members of the Iturriria family, all descendants of Upper and Lower Navarre (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Itziar Albisu Kobayashi, former club president and actual club treasurer for New York’s Basque club, and Marian Elorza, Secretary General of Foreign Action, watching who approaches Urkullu (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[New York Basque Anna Mari Aguirre, member of Eusko Etxea of New York, as her parents and grandparents were, talking to Urkullu in the presence of Asier Vallejo and Marian Elorza (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Group photo with Lehendakari Urkullu and his delegation taken by official government photographer, Jon Bernardez (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

Following the reception, a large number of the group walked to a park near the Eusko Etxea to attend the next segment of the program.  But we’ll talk about this in our next article.

To be continued...