euskalkultura.eus

An emotional moment occurred on Saturday night, during the dance evening, at the Semana Nacional Vasca Argentina 2015 in Macachin.  Josu Erkoreka, Basque Government spokesman, who led the delegation in Macachin representing the Lehendakari, paid tribute to Iñaki Unamuno, president of the hosting Basque club, by dance an Aurresku for him. 

J.E./Macachin, Argentina.  For some reason, the recently concluded Semana Nacional Vasca Argentina 2015 was characterized and was particularly beautiful especially due to the wonderful atmosphere created there.  Values and attributes like hospitality, generosity and being treated as family, participation, the teamwork and support, coming together for a common cause, by Basques and non-Basques alike cemented the success of the event.

Throughout the week the people of Macachin came together to provide the best of themselves with the most helpful attitudes and their biggest smiles, so that this attitude and this smile rise to the level of the event.  Iñaki Unamuno, president of the hosting club, Euzko Alkartasuna in Macachin, whose generosity and bonhomie perfectly personified the spirit of the entire event.

That is why Josu Erkoreka’s Aurresku was so appropriate on Saturday night, as he was expressly commissioned by Lehendakari Urkullu to represent him at Semana Vasca, and danced and paid tribute to Iñaki Unamuno and his entire team in Macachin, especially as it represents to reconoce the gamble they took organizing Semana Vasca (Macachin is a small village in the middle of La Pampa with less than 7,000 inhabitants) and the hard work they do not just now but every day during the year, for years; it is appropiate and important especially if it represents a gamble and equally generous attitude by the Basque Government to the Diaspora.  

The Diaspora needs Aurreskus, in fact it deserves them, in the heart of Semana Nacional Vasca as well as throughout the year, and specifically in this healthy and natural attitude as in the gala in Macachin where an extraordinary willingness and sprit of service shined through.  Someone said that the hosts of Euzko Alkartasuna, which means Basque solidarity, did nothing but pay tribute to its name, giving priority to its role as good hosts, and welcoming their friends as such, instead of just using it as a way to obtain the maximum benefit for the Basque club in the various activities.  They made people that work hard in their respective Basque clubs feel good and at home. More than one old adage comes to mind that alludes to Basque hospitality like “Etxe honetan dagoena bere etxean dago” (who is in this house is at home) or “Gure etxea zure etxea da” (our house is your house), sayings, moreover, that the spirit of solidarity of our Diaspora knows and has practiced ever since.

The Basque Country has a large Diaspora.  We have inherited the valuable asset of its existence and its contribution; it has enriched us and completes us as a people.  Every Basque should get to know it better, and our institutions should support that knowledge and provide its best support towards its aggiornamento and adaptation to the challenges of the new times, to provide it and provide us, the best possible future in our common interest.  With the same attitude that was prevalent in Macachin, our administrations should provide enough human and economic resources to take care of the Diaspora --to help them to take their own way-- as it deserves because there is a path that we have to walk together.

It was mentioned in Macachin that maybe the government of Navarre may also begin to get interested in its thousands of citizens and descendants that are grouped in dozens of Basque clubs that exist in Argentina and the world.  Maybe they will send representation to the next Semana Vasca next year November 7-13 in Necochea.