This article was translated by John R. Bopp
As has been the case on every Easter Sunday since 1932, today is a special day for Basques around the world, those both inside the Basque Country and out.
It’s the Aberri Eguna, a day of celebration and commitment for all Basques and friends of Basques. It’s a special day for all those who carry in their hearts the words that woke up a people and made them conscious of their existence and destiny.
Euzkotaŕen Abeŕia Euzkadi da. The Basque Country is the Homeland of the Basques
To all those who, from whichever ideology, love this People and desire it to control its own future. To all those who dream of a free Basque homeland of free Basque people. To all of you, compatriots, who on this day dream of the Resurrection of our Homeland: we want to send you our warmest wishes, and we can’t think of a better one than this:
Health and a Basque republic!
And, as we have every year, we restate this declaration of principles, which we still subscribe to, point by point.
A declaration on Aberri Eguna
2. We Basques of the six territories constitute one people, united by their origin and by their will, owners of themselves, not recognizing or accepting any other sovereignty.
3. The language of our people is Basque, and its recovery and implantation is an absolute priority for each one of us.
4. Freedom and justice are the basis of our society. We will never accept tyranny or serfdom, just as our forebears never did.
5. Nobody is greater than anybody, and we must all respect each other’s ideas, decisions, and actions. The only discrimination we will accept is positive discrimination in favor of those handicapped by birth or unexpected circumstance. The human quality of our society must be measured especially by the consideration given to those among us who are least gifted or most fragile.
6. No people is greater in dignity than another. We reject racism, the oppression of one people by another, and we defend the right to be, to exist, and to live according to their will, character, and the values of our people and of any other.
7. We reject the use of violence for any cause, except in elemental defense should our people be attacked by armed forces.
8. Also a priority for us is the recover and care of our environment, our towns, our mountains, fields, rivers, forests, and streets.
9. We will accept as a brother any person, wherever they may be from, who wants to share with us the destiny of our people.
Whatever our differences in education, creed, ideology, economic level, or social level between us, what unites us is our being Basque, our instinct and will to save and protect our people and our language, and the determination to breathe life into this tremendous historical change.
This is our oath, which we say aware of what protecting it has cost in blood, exile, and prison for so many of our forebears, and which we promise to protect above all our individual suffering and historical change.
Gora Euzkadi Azkatuta!
Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country
