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Madrid, Spain.  Madrid’s Euskal Etxea celebrated the International Day of Euskera with a complete program of activities last Thursday.  Even though the official celebration is set for December 3^rd, the Madrid club pushed up its celebration in order to allow the most members to participate as possible. Special guest, Lurdes Auzmendi, Deputy Minister of Language Policy of the Basque Government, was also present. 

Auzmendi began her visit with the club president Julio Elejalde.  During the meeting Elejalde and Auzmendi, in this instance on behalf of HABE, renewed and signed the agreement of collaboration for the teaching of the Basque language.  Thanks to this agreement, HABE will economically support 2,456 hours of teaching at the Basque club during the 2011-12 instruction year.  The club currently has 16 groups, totally 148 students, in addition to another two groups of children in the Haurren Txokoa (Children's Corner). 

Conference and bertso-dinner

Teacher, Errukiñe Olaziregi informed the Deputy Minister and HABE’s Kinku Zinkunegi about the activities and the status of the entity’s euskaltegi.  Olaziregi informed them of that the club needs more teacher training and more materials for the intermediate levels, among others.  Lurdes Auzmendi stressed the importance of their work and promised to make every effort to respond to their needs. 

Following, Lurdes Auzmendi and Kinku Zinkunegi gave a talk entitled, “Euskara Munduan: gaur egungo egoera “(The current status of Euskera in the world).  The Deputy Minister talked about the legal framework of the Basque language, language policy and the “Munduoro Euskaraz” campaign. On his part, Zinkunegi analyzed the current and future challenges for the “Euskara Munduan” program. 

After the conference, nearly 50 members got together to enjoy a bertso-dinner with the bertsolaris Julen Zelaieta and Unai Gaztelumendi.

2011 ENE Prize

A great start to the day, the euskal etxea was told Thursday morning that it had been named the winner of Eusko Ikaskuntza’s ENE prize for 2011 (ENE, Euskararen Nazioarteko Eguna, International Day of the Basque Language).  The jury assessed the great work that the Center is doing with its classes, the number of students enrolled, its library as well as its parallel activities organized by the intuition to promote and publicize the Basque language in Madrid.

-More information about the award here
-Madrid’s Euskal Etxea site here