Donostia,
Friday, 23 March 2007 by Edu Lartzanguren
As
snow still covers the roadsides, supporters of the Basque language
(Euskara) have been running through the cold night on the mountain
roads between Bizkaia and Araba provinces. The race will go on,
non-stop, night and day, for ten days. It will pass through all
provinces where Basque is spoken. In all runners will cover 2150 km.
The
15th edition of the Korrika, a popular relay-race in support of
Euskara (Basque language), started yesterday in the western end of
Bizkaia and will end on April 1st in the city of Iruñea (East).
According
to some accounts, the Korrika originated following a dinner held by a
group of teachers of AEK, the school organization that teaches Basque
to adults. After some drinks, they started brainstorming on a way to
promote the language and, at the same time, to raise funds to help to
create more Euskara evening classes.
That
was 26 years ago. The first Korrika took place in 1980. A small
wooden sculpture was made as a baton for the front runners to pass
from hand to hand to show that the race does not stop until the
finish-line is crossed. The race is now organized every other year.
Thousands of people, young and old, have taken part every year since.
Three
generations at the start line
Karlos
Santisteban is an Euskara writer from the town of Karrantza. He was
the second relay runner yesterday evening. He received the baton from
his mother, ran a few metres and passed it on to his daughter.
The
Korrika has a strong symbolic aspect, and for 2007 AEK wants to
highlight this. The main theme of Korrika15 is the transmission of
the language and, especially, the role that Basque women have had in
language transmission to the young. "We wanted to recognize the
strength and determination Basque women have shown over the years to
overcome the obstacles", said Edurne Brouard, the chief
coordinator of the race, yesterday.
As
examples of those efforts AEK mentioned the women "that created
Basque schools under Franco's dictatorship or today under the
centralist French State".
The
baton in the hands of the front runners is hollow. Inside there is a
rolled up piece of paper where a message has been written for the
2007 Korrika. The message will be only unveiled at the end of the
race. However, AEK has hinted at what the message may say: "The
future of Euskara must be in the hands of the Basque people, over any
imposed discriminatory law. But for that, commitment is necessary
-personal and collective commitment".
But
the Korrika also has an economic side. It's a fundraising effort
where a lot of merchandising is sold: t-shirts, sweaters, CDs,
books... But the main source of money comes from the sale of
kilometres. People buy the "privilege" of carrying the
wooden sculpture for a certain distance. One kilometre sells for 485
euros. They can be bought on an individual basis, but most are bought
by groups, at the factory, school or in the neighborhood.
The
Korrika is also an international event. Small scale races have been
organized by the Basque diaspora all over the world.
A
virtual Korrika is also running in the Internet. In this so-called
Ziberkorrika virtual batons are sold at 50 euro each.
With
the money raised by Korrika15, AEK has promised to open two new
night-schools, one in Baiona and the other in Iruñea.
Critics
of the Korrika argue that the race is too media-oriented and does not
actually help the language. Coordinator Brouard answers that after
every edition many people enrol on Basque courses. "If the race
had no effect we would not organize it. I am sure that one day the
Korrika will not be necessary, but for now it is".
(Eurolang
2007)
