Bilbao, Bizkaia. Opening day of the World Congress has arrived. Some 100 delegates and guests, “gaztemundularis,” among others are now in Bilbao to participate in the 7th World Congress of Basque Collectivities Abroad. Beginning at 9am the opening act will begin with Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu welcoming the representatives of the Diaspora and Basque society, as well as other officials attending.
As noted in the presentation of the Congress by the Secretary General of Foreing Action, Marian Elorza, the backbone of this year’s congress “will take place in roundtables where each will be composed of one representative per country. This guarantees plurality and diversity in the debate at each table. In this way, we seek sharing of different realities that can contribute a lot to the final common reflection.”
Under the slogan “Saregintzan” (networking), Marian Elorza and the Director of the Basque Community Abroad, Gorka Alvarez Aranburu stressed that the topics to be discussed “will be very plural and diverse from the phenomenon of globalization and the networks regarding the Diaspora in the 21st century; the international mobility of Basque youth and the new Diaspora; the trajectory and internal functioning of the Basque clubs and the programs put in place to meet their needs.”
Yesterday morning, the program leading up to the congress took the attendees to Urretxu where they visited the home of Iparragirre, in this year leading up to the Bicentennial of the birth of the composer of Gernikako Arbola, and personality that is so linked with the Diaspora. They also visited Ezkio and the Igartubeiti farmhouse.
In the evening, the group was welcomed at Euskaltzaindia to honor the work done by Basques in the Diaspora in favor of the Basque language.
Aurresku at Euskaltzaindia
Congress program:
Wednesday 2nd October
-8.30am Accreditation at the Palacio Euskalduna
-9.00am Opening event of the Congress at the Palacio Euskalduna (Room E). In the presence of institutional representatives of the Basque Country, the Basque Communities Advisory Council and the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu.
-10.30am Coffee break
-11.00am Work in groups (Room B Terrace) in round table format
-11.00‐12.00am Module 1: A) Measures related to relational networks and structures. Pooling and discussion of proposals
-12.00‐1.00pm Module 2: B) Measures related to youth and the new emigration Pooling and discussion of proposals
-1.30pm Lunch
-2.30pm Taking decisions on Modules 1 and 2, for inclusion in the Conclusion Document (Room B3)
-5.00pm Visit to the Basque Diaspora Archive (Basque Country Archive, María Díez de Haro, 3)
-8.00pm Concert by the Basque Country Symphony Orchestra (Palacio Euskalduna)
-9.30pm Dinner
Thursday 3rd October
-9.00am Work in groups (Room B Terrace) in round table format
-9.00am Module 3: C) Measures related to programs run by the Office for the Basque Community Abroad. Pooling and discussion of proposals
-10.30am Coffee break
-11.00‐12.00am Module 4: D) Other measures Pooling and discussion of proposals
-12.00am Module 5 (Open)
-1:30 Lunch
-2.30pm Taking decisions on Modules 3, 4 and 5, for inclusion in the Conclusion Document (Room B3)
-7.00pm Opening of the exhibition "Basques in California" at the Basque Museum and visit to the exhibition (Euskal Museoa)
-9.30pm Dinner
Friday 4th October
-08.30am Transfer to Vitoria‐Gasteiz
-10.00am Closing event of the Congress in Lehendakaritza, in the presence of the Lehendakari and the ministers of the Basque Government
-12.00am Institutional event at the Basque Parliament, in homage to the Relations with Basque Communities Abroad Act, Law 8/1994 of 27th May 1994
-3.00pm Transfer to hotel
-5.30pm Event on the Basques of Australia, with a presentation of the book about the Basques in the Antipodes by William A. Douglass (University of Nevada) and the Basque‐Australian Association (Basque Country Archive, María Díez de Haro, 3)
-8.00pm Dinner
Saturday 5th October
-Departures
-Congress Program pdf
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