9 April 1998 Edition
Whirlwind tour
Eoin O Broin reports from the SF Youth delegation in the Basque Country
Sinn Fein Youth's seventeen delegates spent their first week travelling the length and breadth of Euskal Herria. They met with eleven different organisations: prisoners and prisoners' families groups, youth organisations, student groups, trade unions, Basque language groups, anti-militarist and environmental campaigners, women's organisations and international relations activists.
In addition meetings were held with the Basque youth organisation Jarrai and Herri Batasuna. SFY met with the national spokesperson of HB, Arnaldo Otegi and the general secretary of the republican trade union LAB, Rafa Diez. The delegation also met with the HB mayor from Lezo, who presented the group with gifts on behalf of the Town Council.
A core group of four delegates from Dublin, Belfast and Newry met with various Jarrai committees - local, provincial, communication designers and activity committees - in order to get a more thorough understanding of how the organisation functions.
In addition, the delegation took part in a number of protests, the largest of which was in Bilbao on Sunday 5 April. The demonstration of 100,000 people called for the repatriation of Basque prisoners to jails near their families. The day before, in Bayona, the group attended a 5,000 strong march in support of the Basque langauge. A number of smaller activities also took place, including a spontaneous gathering of young people in Donostia after a Basque refugee was extradited from Mexico to Madrid.
The delegation delivered a number of talks in universities and youth centres across the country. On Monday 26 March some of the delegation spoke to several hundred young people from a secondary school in Durango, a small village in Gipuzkoa. Universities in Donostia, Bilbao and Bayona also hosted talks, as did Gaztetxe (youth houses) in Altsau and Azpeita.
A press conference was held in Donostia with SFY and Jarrai to outline the politics of the trip and the importance of national independence for young people. Jarrai highlighted the many forms of oppression young people experience in conflict situations and Sinn Fein Youth stressed the importance of youth involvement in the peace process. In addition both groups emphasised the need to work together to pool experiences, resources and strength.
As is always the case in Euskal Herria, the delegation attraced a lot of interest. National and local television stations, independent and commercial radios, newspapers of all political hues and local and national magazines have reported the activites during the week. Most importantly, the youth supplement of the left independence daily newspaper, Egin carried a brief account of the delegation, and is to publish a full interview with the group this Friday.
Aside from politics the delegation also had a number of opportunities to experience the everyday culture of the Basque country. Between the food, drink and music, the Sinn Fein Youth activists have spent most of their spare time speaking with Basque youth about all the things which concern, from education to popular culture, and sport to alcohol. On Thursday 2 April the group went to a Sagardotegi in Hernani. These cider houses are a traditional mixture of Basque food and cider, which is eaten in a particularly ritualistic way, with glasses of cider being drunk straight from the vats after each course. The food, which is eaten while standing, is the closest Euskal Herria comes to potatoes, cabbage and bacon.
The delegation has been impressed by the solidarity of the Basque people, and their broad knowledge of the Irish political situation. Also their openness and generosity has stunned many. While for many of the young activists, this is their first trip abroad, the sincerity and friendship of the Basques has ensured that it will be a memorable one. More importantly, the level of work has at times reached overload, as the delegation run from meeting to meeting, and interview to protest.
The delegation has set itself a number of aims. Firstly to deepen the solidarity between the youth of both countries, experiencing directly the life and culture of Euskal Herria. Secondly, SFY and Jarrai have a number of working commitments which include information exchanges and future delegations, the details of which are currently being organised. Thirdly, both organisations are exploring the possibility of developing a joint campaign around the relationship between youth rights and national self-determination in the context of Europe. Finally and equally importantly, as Jarrai is an organisation with twenty years experience under its belt, there is much that Sinn Fein Youth can learn from them.
It is already clear, one week into the trip that most if not all the objectives of the delegation have been achieved.
Sinn Fein Youth's seventeen delegates spent their first week travelling the length and breadth of Euskal Herria. They met with eleven different organisations: prisoners and prisoners' families groups, youth organisations, student groups, trade unions, Basque language groups, anti-militarist and environmental campaigners, women's organisations and international relations activists.
In addition meetings were held with the Basque youth organisation Jarrai and Herri Batasuna. SFY met with the national spokesperson of HB, Arnaldo Otegi and the general secretary of the republican trade union LAB, Rafa Diez. The delegation also met with the HB mayor from Lezo, who presented the group with gifts on behalf of the Town Council.
A core group of four delegates from Dublin, Belfast and Newry met with various Jarrai committees - local, provincial, communication designers and activity committees - in order to get a more thorough understanding of how the organisation functions.
In addition, the delegation took part in a number of protests, the largest of which was in Bilbao on Sunday 5 April. The demonstration of 100,000 people called for the repatriation of Basque prisoners to jails near their families. The day before, in Bayona, the group attended a 5,000 strong march in support of the Basque langauge. A number of smaller activities also took place, including a spontaneous gathering of young people in Donostia after a Basque refugee was extradited from Mexico to Madrid.
The delegation delivered a number of talks in universities and youth centres across the country. On Monday 26 March some of the delegation spoke to several hundred young people from a secondary school in Durango, a small village in Gipuzkoa. Universities in Donostia, Bilbao and Bayona also hosted talks, as did Gaztetxe (youth houses) in Altsau and Azpeita.
A press conference was held in Donostia with SFY and Jarrai to outline the politics of the trip and the importance of national independence for young people. Jarrai highlighted the many forms of oppression young people experience in conflict situations and Sinn Fein Youth stressed the importance of youth involvement in the peace process. In addition both groups emphasised the need to work together to pool experiences, resources and strength.
As is always the case in Euskal Herria, the delegation attraced a lot of interest. National and local television stations, independent and commercial radios, newspapers of all political hues and local and national magazines have reported the activites during the week. Most importantly, the youth supplement of the left independence daily newspaper, Egin carried a brief account of the delegation, and is to publish a full interview with the group this Friday.
Aside from politics the delegation also had a number of opportunities to experience the everyday culture of the Basque country. Between the food, drink and music, the Sinn Fein Youth activists have spent most of their spare time speaking with Basque youth about all the things which concern, from education to popular culture, and sport to alcohol. On Thursday 2 April the group went to a Sagardotegi in Hernani. These cider houses are a traditional mixture of Basque food and cider, which is eaten in a particularly ritualistic way, with glasses of cider being drunk straight from the vats after each course. The food, which is eaten while standing, is the closest Euskal Herria comes to potatoes, cabbage and bacon.
The delegation has been impressed by the solidarity of the Basque people, and their broad knowledge of the Irish political situation. Also their openness and generosity has stunned many. While for many of the young activists, this is their first trip abroad, the sincerity and friendship of the Basques has ensured that it will be a memorable one. More importantly, the level of work has at times reached overload, as the delegation run from meeting to meeting, and interview to protest.
The delegation has set itself a number of aims. Firstly to deepen the solidarity between the youth of both countries, experiencing directly the life and culture of Euskal Herria. Secondly, SFY and Jarrai have a number of working commitments which include information exchanges and future delegations, the details of which are currently being organised. Thirdly, both organisations are exploring the possibility of developing a joint campaign around the relationship between youth rights and national self-determination in the context of Europe. Finally and equally importantly, as Jarrai is an organisation with twenty years experience under its belt, there is much that Sinn Fein Youth can learn from them.
It is already clear, one week into the trip that most if not all the objectives of the delegation have been achieved.