Doing it themselves
Deirdre Feehan returned from the Basque Country inspired by what
she saw
I thought I was back in Ireland. My first impression of Euskal
Herria (the Basque Country) was that it was breathtakingly
beautiful. And the first question on my mind was, ``how can anyone
deny this beautiful land and its wonderful people their right to
unity, independence and self-determination?''
I was soon to learn the answer: the violence and hypocrisy of the
Spanish government. But as in Ireland, the result is to
strengthen the resolve of the people and it is this resolve that
is a defining feature of Basque society.
The purpose of this Sinn Fein Youth visit was to learn about the
politics and culture in Euskal Herria and especially the Basque
youth movement Jarrai - its structure, history, politics and
practice.
We also tried to experience as much of Basque life and culture as
possible. I was particularly impressed by the youth. It seemed
that they were the majority in the larger Basque nationalist
movement and at the forefront in the struggle.
Jarrai has its emphasis on activism. Their success amazed me. It
is one of the most radical and democratic organisations I have
ever witnessed.
Their driving force is youth culture. The most inspiring aspect
of the visit - the combining of popular culture and radical
politics - has led to the politicising of a whole generation of
young Basques.
They use a number of mediums: the free radio stations giving
young people expression without censorship, the youth houses
(gaztetxas) - derelict buildings taken over and renovated to
provide a meeting place for the young - and, for me the most
impressive, music.
The most popular music, radical rock, is predominantly political
but deals with all the issues that concern the Basque youth. I
was also struck by the importance of euskara - the Basque
language. A huge part of the Basque struggle is the battle for
the normalisation of their language. It seemed everyone could
speak euskara; a Basque person defines themselves by their
ability to speak the language.
I was deeply moved by the solidarity of the Basque people and the
profound sense of respect and solidarity for the Irish struggle
was truly incredible.
This visit was of great importance to SF Youth and we learned a
lot from the 20 years of experience that Jarrai have. We need to
provide young people with a political focus and given time, I am
confident that SF Youth will be able to mobilise thousands of
young people, thus ensuring the strength and vitality of the
Republican movement well into the next century.
But, first we must realise that the only people who can create
such a movement are young people themselves.
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