The President highlights the “commendable” work of the communities abroad for “keeping the flame of our people alive”

• Iñigo Urkullu chaired the institutional event of the International Day of the Basque Diaspora this afternoon, which was held simultaneously in various parts of the world
• The World Congress of Basque Communities Abroad will address changes to adapt diasporic policies to new realities in December 

The President highlighted the “commendable” work of the Basque communities abroad for “keeping the flame of our people alive” and reaffirmed the Basque Government's commitment to continue working “side by side” to adapt diasporic policies to new realities. This afternoon in Guernica, Iñigo Urkullu chaired the institutional event of the International Day of the Basque Diaspora that was held simultaneously in numerous parts of the world. He wanted to pay tribute to the different Basque communities created over the years and also to the new diaspora. 

He recalled the moments of great difficulty that the Basque Country has suffered as a result of the pandemic, which has meant that changes in social relations and international mobility have accelerated. As he explained, the Basque Government is analysing these new realities and, in particular, he referred to the “HAN-HEMEN” initiative that aims to analyse and contrast the different Basque migrant realities to arrive at a digital platform that offers services and information for all Basques around the world. 

He also reported that the Basque Government is working on a new legislative proposal to update the 1992 law, which provides for and includes new realities of the Basque diaspora “that allow us to address the present and anticipate, in a certain way, the future,” he said. 

Finally, he announced that all these issues will be shared at the next World Congress of Basque Communities Abroad to be held in Donostia in December, under the slogan “Eraldaroa” (transformation era). 

Theatrical staging and exhibition 

This year, the Day of the Basque Diaspora was celebrated in the gardens of the Euskal Herria Museum in Guernica in an event open to the public that was streamed to the rest of the Basque communities abroad. Together with the President, the directors Josu Erkoreka, Olatz Garamendi, Arantxa Tapia, Jokin Bildarratz and Nerea Melgosa, as well as the Director for the Basque Community Abroad, Gorka Álvarez, attended on behalf of the Basque Government.

Through the musical-theatrical work Mundu bat inguruan (around the world), the two realities of the Basque migratory past and present have been staged. In addition, the Euskal Herria Museum has inaugurated the exhibition “Basques in Australia” which takes a tour of the different phases of Basque emigration to this country. 

At the same time, the Euskal Etxeak (Basque clubs) of Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the United States, France, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela... as well as other Basque entities in the world, have commemorated this day with different activities.