This Tuesday, the Galician capital received the visit of the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, the second of three days during which the 10th Culture and Citizenship Forum is taking place, promoted by his department. In this tenth edition, the event proposes, as an important step, a retrospective of the last decade – a review of the “achievements and leaks”, said Urtasun – and a look at how the cultural panorama could, or should, evolve over the next ten years. years. On the eve of the European Day of Languages, he made a Valorization of the linguistic heritage of Galicia and claimed a “necessary defense of minority languages”, which he described as support for the “sustainability and cultural health” of the territories, specifically mentioning Galician. At his side was the branch councilor, José López Campos, who linked this issue to the “inclusivity” that they offer to their inhabitants; Precisely, one of the axes of improvement studied by the autonomous law on cultural accessibility which is being dealt with in Parliament.
“Culture is above all a call to the community and its forms of diversity, notably linguistic. We are in Galicia, proud owner of a minority language that is a guarantee of sustainability and cultural health”, In addition to the language, the minister stressed, “four great poets who, in less than a decade, have received the National Poetry Prize”: Pilar Pallarés, Olga Novo, Yolanda Castaño and, in the edition that failed last week, Chus Pato.
“They spoke to us about what the Galician language means for the future of this country (…), they put words and reflection on this necessary defense of minority languages,” Urtasun acknowledged. An inherited commitment to which the Ministry of Culture subscribes “with more intensity and conviction than ever” and which is reflected in the Cultural Rights Plan in which he works, designed as “a framework for political action and citizen participation” for guide the design of future campaigns, initiatives and products aimed at cultural dissemination.
López Campos’ speech emphasized the importance of preserving and coexisting languages as co-official. The different languages are, he said, “a tool, a bridge between territories,” and Based on this key, he will work this Thursday with representatives of the Government, from Alicante, design a strategy that improves their employment and offers them more spaces.
The advisor also praised the work of the Xunta in the pursuit of a “decentralization” of culture make it accessible throughout the territory, especially in areas that suffer from geographical or demographic limitations – a large part of rural Galicia – and for the population at risk of social exclusion – the elderly, people in situations of dependency, etc. – . This is the case of the CulturON summer campaign, which has brought together a programme of activities in more than 200 municipalities; or the Adival Network, which will be launched this year. But above all, López Campos mentioned the autonomous law on inclusive and accessible culture, “a pioneer in Europe”, which It continues its process after the rejection of the amendments presented by the PSOE and the BNG on Tuesday in Parliament.
Where are we going?
In reference to the event in which he participated, Urtasun stressed that, “in times of volatility and ephemeral connections”, the Culture and Citizenship Forum was the one that “kept the pulse of the present for a whole decade”. Its tenth edition, attended by more than 600 cultural professionals, is “a review of the past, present and future of the cultural ecosystem”; an assessment of the “changes, drifts, achievements and advances” of the last ten years and of the “trends and possible routes for [realizar] a future action among all. López Campos thinks the same, who considered it an “intelligent” step for its dissemination to have brought the event to Galicia. And he conceded to the minister that the “proximity” and “closeness” that he advocates “are the form of connection and understanding that administrations must have.”
