Republican News · Thursday 30 April 1998

[An Phoblacht]

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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