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The Etxepare Basque Institute has sent a letter to EuskalKultura.com responding to criticism by the member of the Associazione Culturale Euskara (ACE) of Rome in the interview published last week by our bulletin on the occasion of the delivery of the ENE Saria Award in Iruña-Pamplona. This is the letter sent by Etxepare.

Donostia-San Sebastian. Letter from the Etxepare Basque Institute to Alex Mendizabal:

The Associazione Culturale Euskara has been working in Rome around the teaching of the Basque language for many years, and it is therefore very pleasant news that its work has earned the association 2015's ENE prize, granted by Eusko Ikaskuntza.

In statements made by its director, Alex Mendizabal, regarding the award, he showed dissatisfaction with the relationship maintained with the Etxepare Basque Institute.

As regards the teaching of the Basque language, the same way HABE is responsible for managing the network of euskaltegis at the Basque centers in the world, the role of the Etxepare Basque Institute focuses on training at university level. In this context, the fact that in 2014 the Institute ceased to financially support the center of Rome UPTER was not in any case, as indicated Mendizabal, due to a decision come "without any kind of debate or reflection." The last payment was not made because the justification was not received. That very year, 2014, ACE also decided to begin teaching at the University Roma 3. This offer  means 18 hours per semester, out of curricula and open to anyone interested. Besides, these classes already have other means of financing, by HABE, that belongs precisely to the same department of the Basque Government as the Etxepare Basque Institute.

The Etxepare Basque Institute manages a network of teachers of Basque language and culture in universities around the world. And on that network we prioritize the classes included in the curriculum, following standard procedures in any university (promoting research, organizing conferences, collaborating with other departments, etc...) One of the objectives of the Institute is the optimal management its resources, which are inevitably limited. Year after year, the Institute seeks to improve, and therefore gives priority to the results, the academic excellence and curricular presence. In recent years, enrollment has increased by 52%.

The reasons for not supporting during the last two years other ACE project, the Libe publisher, are equally clear: in 2014, the publishing house submitted the documentation out of date; and in 2015 the budget of the call was not enough to fund all applications, and only projects that obtained a higher score were subsidized. However in 2013, Etxepare awarded grants to three publications of this newly created publishing house.

No doubt Etxepare should be demanded transparency; so it is required and that is the way the Institute always responds, providing all the details of his administration both to its Executive Committee and its Board of Trustees, as well as the Basque Parliament. Our accounts and activities are public and well justified: publicly. And the Institute will always have its doors open to answer any questions or to discuss any matter in a cordial way. Finally, we would like to congratulate the association on the award, confident that we shall have the chance to develop joint projects in the future.