Etxepare Basque Institute joins Euskaraldia in the role of ‘arigune’

Time for action! After two years, the new edition of Euskaraldia will be held from 18th November to 2nd December, and the Etxepare Basque Institute is once again taking part. We’ll take to the streets to make speaking Basque easier than ever. Participants registered in the roles of ´belarriprest´ or ´ahobizi´ will wear their respective badges, taking the activity to their towns, neighbourhoods and ´arigunes´, or spaces set aside for the use of the language.

‘Arigunes’ are places where people know they can practice Basque in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Everyone decides whether they are a ‘ahobizi ‘or a ‘belarriprest’ within the ‘arigune’.

The ‘ahobizis’ will speak Basque to all those who understand it. They’ll start a conversation in Basque when they’re not sure if the other person speaks the language and if they do, the conversation will continue in Basque. The ‘belarriprests’ decide when to speak Basque and with whom. They’ll always ask others to speak in Basque, even if they do not speak it well themselves.

Organisations can also participate in Euskaraldia, creating ´ariguneak´ or encouraging their staff to sign up for the roles of ´ahobizi´ and ´belarriprest´. The Etxepare Basque Institute will once again help promote Euskaraldia 2022 throughout Basque society and the world, becoming an ‘arigune’, while the staff will wear the ‘ahobizi’ badge.

Euskaraldia worldwide

The network of lectureships managed by Etxepare Euskal Institutua in various universities around the world will also join Euskaraldia. A total of 13 international universities have organised activities with the lecturers, and most of them will be face-to-face.

The University of Chicago, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Barcelona, the Freie Universität zu Berlin, the University of Cork, the University of Helsinki, the Universities of Venice and Bologna, the University of La Plata, the University of the Republic of Montevideo, the University of Poznan and the University of Leipzig are the universities that have organised a wide variety of activities. Basque speaking sessions, talks and round tables on the Basque language, presentations on Euskaraldia, literary readings, Basque film screenings, dance courses and short Basque courses, among others, are planned.

In addition, all the lectorats will be holding competitions on Instagram to celebrate Euskaraldia and Basque language day: a video competition aimed at the student, who will have to describe a place.