BASQUE CENTERS: Leaders in Recovering Historical Memory
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ASQUE PROFILE B INNOVATION IN RAISING THE INNOVATION BASQUE CENTERS: LEADERS IN RECOVERING HISTORICAL MEMORY Eusko Jaurlaritzak euskal etxe zein munduan barrena bizi diren euskaldunen historia berreskuratzeko BASQUE CENTERS programa martxan jarri zuen aspaldi. Programa honek atal ezberdinak ditu. Lehenik kanpoan argitaratzen ziren euskal aldizkari eta euskal etxeen artxiboen digitalizazioari ekin zion. Gaur egun harrera herrialdeko egunkarietan euskaldunei buruzko artikuluak bilatzen eta digitalizatzen ari dira Amerikako unibertsitate batzuekin elkarlanean. Etorkizunean lan hau beste herrialde batzuetara hedatu nahi da, argazki zaharren digitalizazioari ekin eta ahozko testigantzak jaso. n history books about the Basque The Urazandi project has several to encourage feelings and attitudes of Country the subject of Basque aims: to compile the historical memory support and cultural coexistence with emigration and exile has never of the Basque presence on an immigrants who decide to make their been regarded as a relevant factor. international level, reducing the risk of homes in Euskadi. Urazandi is a But no one would deny the losing highly relevant historical marvelous project that helps shed light Iimportant impact it has had on the information; provide new generations on our past; but at the same time it is country itself and the various places of Basques from the euskal etxeak with an innovative project, a project with a where for centuries the Basque people the opportunity to learn more about the future, both for the new generations of have settled. history of their ancestors; enable Basque center members and for Basque Nowadays, information is much researchers and Basque society itself to society itself. We live in a global and more than knowledge; never before has gain a better understanding of an globalizing world, a world of major the slogan "if you don't inform you important part of our history as technological developments and don't exist" been so true. emigrants; and to use this knowledge significant migratory flows. In very few 6 Euskal Etxeak Euskal Etxeak 7 BASQUE CENTERS: LEADERS IN RECOVERING HISTORICAL MEMORY years Euskadi will be a different project of digitizing all of the Basque country. Your collaboration in the «Urazandik gure publications in the Americas in the development of this project is vital. past 100 years. The countries involved You are part of this country, and as iraganaren ezagutza in the project are Argentina, Chile, such we invite you to participate with Colombia, Cuba, the United States, your ideas and information about your errazten du» Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay families. This initiative promoted by and Venezuela. the Basque Government Directorate for In addition to publications Relations with Basque Communities originating in the Americas, there have has an eight-year history. From 2000 emigration by William Douglass. This also been Basque publications in such to 2003 research projects were first phase also saw the initiation of places as Algeria (a magazine published published on the history of the the process of digitizing archival entirely in Euskara), France and important Basque centers in Bahía material and publications. Two DVDs England. The latter two are examples Blanca, Boise, Buenos Aires, Madrid, were made, one with documents from of digitalization projects focusing on Mar del Plata, Mexico, Montevideo, the Basque Office archive in Mexico, European sources. Paris, Rosario, and Tandil; along the known as the “Archivo Azua,” and This project would not have been same lines, relevant doctoral theses another of the magazine "La Baskonia." possible without the generous help and were published including dissertations The most recent research expertise of our Uruguayan friends, presented by Gloria Totoricaguena, publications were presented to the Alberto Irigoyen and Adriana Patrón. Matteo Mafredi and F. Xabier Medina, delegates of the Fourth World Congress So far a total of 220,000 pages and a collection of articles on Basque of Basque Communities, as was the from American publications have been 6 Euskal Etxeak Euskal Etxeak 7 digitized as part of the project. In provide an extensive archive of recent months an additional 100,000 «Egitasmo honen different types of documents. pages from European publications have also been digitized. gakoa agente THE REAL HEROES. There are some very special people involved in the Urazandi Digital - part twO: ezberdinen arteko process of reconstructing our historical "BASQUES IN THE AMERICAN PRESS". memory. They are the young people of ASQUE PROFILE This program, known as "Basques in the elkarlanean datza» the Basque diaspora (some of whom B American press," is a continuation of are members of Basque clubs) who Urazandi Digital. The first stage involved actually do the fieldwork and follow the digitalization of 134 Basque the orders of the "Basques in the newspapers and magazines published news items was based strictly on American press" project coordinators. outside of Euskadi, with the idea of scientific principles to prevent elements Bárbara Azpiriz is one of them. seeing what Basques communities wrote of subjectivity from being introduced. Bárbara is from Tandil, Buenos Aires about themselves. Now the focus is on Province, Argentina, and is a member compiling and digitizing information A BEACON TO THE FUTURE. of the Gure Etxea Basque center. She on what others had to say about the "Basques in the American press" is not explains that her work on the project is Basques. the only program the Directorate for "to collect photographs from The project was initially Relations with Basque Communities newspaper clippings that refer directly implemented as a pilot scheme. An has in mind. Initiatives are also under or indirectly to 'things Basque.' Then agreement was signed between the way aimed at digitizing and compiling we complete an index card for each Basque Government General Secretariat photographs from the Basque diaspora. photograph with a brief description of INNOVATION IN RAISING THE INNOVATION for Foreign Action, the Federation of But the key to success for this the content of the article, including Basque-Argentine Entities (FEVA), the fantastic project will be our capability any places, people, companies or that University of the Basque Country, and to encourage the various stakeholders sort of thing mentioned in the article." the National University of the South in to work together and to create a far- The initiative sparked a good deal the city of Bahía Blanca, Argentina. reaching team. We can all do our small of interest in Bárbara. "It's also a great The results of the pilot project part to contribute photographs, printed way of bringing the importance of were presented at the Fourth World material and other types of documents, Basque culture and history to people's Congress of Basque Communities by working with our Basque centers attention," she said. "This work is going in Bilbao in July 2007 by professors and families to preserve the history of to be very important for researchers, BASQUE CENTERS Óscar Álvarez Gila and Alberto Angulo Basque people abroad. and will enormously facilitate their Morales from the University of the The aim over the next three years is search for information on Basque Basque Country, and José Marcilese to create a photograph archive with topics," she added. from the National University of the 50,000 pictures which bear witness to Carolina Elisabet Iribarne is South. The presentation resulted in the presence of Basque people around originally from Necoechea but is the green light for the initial phase the world. Also in the preparatory currently a student living in Tandil. She of the project, providing a basis for stages is an oral history archive and a is a member of the Necoechea Eusko participation by Basque centers and major video library of audio-visual Etxea and teaches Basque dance to the universities from other countries. documents (films, video, etc.) youngest members of the Gure Etxea in pertaining to Basque-related events. In Tandil. Her job, as she explains, is "to DIGITALIZATION PROCESS. Each of November the international federations concentrate explicitly on newspapers, the digitized documents comprises two of Basque centers, in collaboration so that the information can then be parts. The first is a factsheet or index with the Directorate for Relations with categorized." card with basic information on the Basque Communities, will launch a Her interest in 'things Basque' was publication: type of media, date, website where interested parties can what prompted her to take part in the geographical names, people's names, share and make use of the various project. But she also points out that etc. The second is a digital photograph documents. The website will be a “it's a great way for students to earn a of the document in question. The powerful research tool for scholars of bit of pocket money. It's pretty difficult criteria followed in the selection of Basques around the world and will here to be able to work and study at 8 Euskal Etxeak Euskal Etxeak 9 the same time." Carolina is pleased with the work-study combination. "I'm thrilled to be involved in the project," she said. Florencia Bossié is from La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Working with the Public Library of the National University of La Plata, her job is to coordinate the people carrying out the fieldwork in La Plata and Chascomús (Buenos Aires Province). Florencia feels that the work being done is "important for recovering the historical memory of the Basque community." Although she is not a member of the Basque club, Florencia explained that she was very interested in the subject. "I feel proud to be taking part in the recuperation of historical memory, to help bring to the forefront the history and collective efforts of the Basque people, and to enhance research efforts on the diaspora," she added. 8 Euskal Etxeak Euskal Etxeak 9.