dijous, 31 de desembre del 2009

Mallorca decides Catalan Countries



780 years ago Catalan troops guided by the king Jaume I conquered the city of Mallorca. It was the beginning of the Catalan presence in the island because the Muslim propulation was replaced by a Catalan one. Some years ago the descendants of that population celebrate the conquest on 31.12.1229. It is time too to vindicate the right of self-determination. This year dozens of political and social groups united in the Platform 31D celebrated a demonstration in Palma. The slogan was "Spain and France are crisis. We decide Catalan Countries". About 4.000 people marched around the Palma's streets and burned Spanish flags. A concert finished the demonstration. About twenty years ago this march was followed only by a handful of people, about a hundred. A new generation of young people fully supports Mallorca's independence and the unity with the rest of the Catalan nation.


The march culminated two weeks of acts in almost every village of Mallorca's island in a big effort by several groups as Obra Cultural Balear (OCB) and the new born Esquerra Independentista de Mallorca (EIM) to popularize the celebration. Delegations from continental Catalonia as well as Galicia and Basque Country supported the actions.

dijous, 24 de desembre del 2009

Catalogne- Journal d’une observation internationale (Daniel Turp, Québec)


Daniel Turp is a politician in Quebec. He has served as Member of Parliament and as a member of the Quebec National Assembly. He gained a Master's degree at the Université de Montréal in 1978. He has worked for the Canadian International Development Agency, and was called as an expert for the Bélanger-Campeau Commission on Quebec's constitutional future. He has taught several law courses at the University of Paris X (1986-1996), The International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg (1988) and Harvard University (1996). He has also been a director of studies at the International law academy in The Hague (1995). After lengthy studies, he obtained a doctorate in law at the University of Paris II in 1990. He is also interested in international law and globalization and once worked as a specialist at Harvard University.
He was as an observer during the December 13th referendums in Catalonia. Turp exposes his opinions about the Catalan referendum in his political blog. It is in French language.

dimecres, 23 de desembre del 2009

BBC's video about Catalan traditions

http://www.vilaweb.tv/?video=5954

Catalan national selection wins over Argentina

Over 53.000 spectators at Camp Nou to view the match between national selections from Catalonia and Argentina. The weather was very cold, just in winter time. It was on December 22nd.
Catalonia won 4-2 in the first match with Johan Cruyff as a coach. Catalunya competes in friendlies against international teams but isn't permitted to play in official competitions. A full national selection was vindicated with the slogan "One nation, one selection".


dilluns, 21 de desembre del 2009

Catalan Parliament says “yes” to ban bullfighting (so far)

Last week the PLI to ban bullfigthing in Catalonia went over its first serious obstacle when the global ammendments to text were rejected in the Catalan Parliament. The amendments, introduced by the PSC, PP and Ciutadants, were rejected by 67 votes against 59. Now, the Catalan Parliament will debate the measures contained within the PLI, draft a law, debate it, and, eventually, the law will be voted upon and enacted by summer 2010.

The fact that the PLI has been approved is, indeed, a major step towards the final banning of bullfighting. However -and I wouldn’t like to be a wet blanket- this will be nothing more than an anecdote if the final vote is won by the pro-bullfighting sectors. And, to my mind, they have far more power and resources to have a majority in the Catalan Parliament when the right time arrives than those who seek to stop this cruel practice in Catalonia. They will have the support from Spain, its government, its main parties, its media and an endless flux of money to campaign, lobby and, if its necessary, coerce or blackmail members of the Catalan Parliament. It may sound exaggerated, and I hope I’m wrong, but to think the battle is won or that we are half-way through is plain and simple ingenuousness.

diumenge, 20 de desembre del 2009

Catalan club Barcelona officially the best team of the world


Striker Mauro Boselli had put the Libertadores Cup holders ahead in the 37th minute, Pedro equalised in the 89th and Messi struck with 10 minutes remaining in extra time to hand the European champions the world crown for the first time.
The first clear-cut opening fell to the Argentine underdogs in the fifth minute. Juan Sebastian Veron, who was bringing out all his midfield mastery from years gone by, dinked a delightful ball into the path of Enzo Perez, with Victor Valdes coming quick off his line in order to snuff out the opportunity and Carlos Puyol eventually blasting the ball away to safety.
Barca had a golden opportunity to open the scoring through their star playmaker Xavi. Following good link-up play between Dani Alves and Zlatan Ibrahimovic down the Barca right, Xavi found himself in a one-on-one opportunity with Damian Albil in the Estudiantes goal.
However, rather than take on the shot, the Spanish midfielder attempted to play in Thierry Henry who was arriving late from an acute angle. It, inevitably, proved to be the wrong decision and the chance fizzled out to nothing.
Estudiantes fashioned a heart-in-the-mouth moment in the 27th minute for the Barcelona fans, as a corner delivered by Leandro Benitez was not properly dealt with, and Veron let fly from the edge of the penalty area with a shot that went agonisingly wide of Valdes' far post.
Ballon d'Or winner Messi had been quiet throughout the opening exchanges, and it was to be his team-mate Xavi who would again be involved in another major talking point for Barcelona just past the half-hour mark.
Ibrahimovic again turned provider, hoisting the ball into the Estudiantes penalty area which Xavi chased down, only to be clipped by the on-rushing Albil. The contact appeared slight, but Barcelona had a case for a penalty which was not awarded.
Three minutes later, the breakthrough for Estudiantes came out of nothing. Boselli beat Puyol and Eric Abidal in the air, to power home a pinpoint cross from the left by Enzo Perez and give Estudiantes a lead at half-time which, although their efforts merited, was still something of a surprise. Barcelona's players came out with Pep Guardiola's words still ringing in their ears and, consequently, began the second half with real purpose. Ibrahimovic came the closest with a sweetly-struck left-footed shot that flew just past Albil's far post. The talented Swede had spotted the gap, and was desperately unlucky in his failed attempt to execute.
However, as the time continued to pass, the frustration continued to mount for Barcelona. When they finally managed to fashion some space to allow for the creative talents of Messi and Xavi, Dan Alves failed to finish off the move. The ball eluding the Brazilian full-back, just after the hour mark, when any sort of meaningful contact would have given Barcelona an equaliser.
The sense of impatience from the Barcelona bench was becoming tangible. Guardiola had sent on Pedro for the disappointing Seydou Keita at the start of the second-half, and he was prepared to freshen up his attacking options once more as Jeffren took the place of Henry down the left-flank.
Immediately, Barcelona looked a different proposition and the South Americans were powerless to prevent a Barcelona equaliser coming with just one minute of normal time remaining.
Xavi chipped the ball into the box, and Gerard Pique managed to get his head to it. The tall centre-back directed the ball into the path of Pedro who calmly lobbed Albil from just a few yards out.
The Catalans started the first-half of extra-time positively and Messi, who had hardly sparked this final alight, smashed the ball wide when played in by Ibrahimovic.
But he was to make amends ten minutes before the end of extra time, when he chested in Alves' deep cross after ghosting in between Diaz and Cellay with Albil flapping at thin air.Barcelona had finally taken the lead 110 minutes into the match, and for all Estudiantes' efforts in fashioning an equaliser - including a glancing header from Boselli which just went the wrong side of the post following a delightful Veron delivery - they were unable to do so.
Thanks to Eurosport

divendres, 18 de desembre del 2009

Catalonian parliament edges towards bullfighting ban

Today’s result puts in motion a parliamentary process that will take place during the first half of 2010. Future votes could result in extending the Animal Protection Law, which will effectively result in the enforcement of a ban on the cruelty of bullfighting.
WSPA has backed Plataforma ‘Prou’ (‘enough’ in English) who have campaigned for an end to the inhumane treatment of bulls and horses in bullfights. Prou is made up of Spanish citizens who have ‘had enough’ of the parliament’s refusal to acknowledge their wish for a ban.

Huge local support
The Prou campaign led a Popular Legislative Initiative (PLI) in favour of a ban on bullfights in Catalonia and, within the allotted time, collected 180,000 signatures from Catalonian citizens.
This is over three times the required number to force a vote in the regional parliament.
“By voting in this way, MPs have acknowledged and respected the views of over 180,000 Catalonian citizens who have expressed their wish for bullfights to be banned.
“WSPA would also like to praise Catalonians for voicing their views and forcing their political representatives to act on an important issue like the protection of animals from cruel and inhumane practices,” said Alyx Dow, WSPA’s anti-bullfighting progamme manager.

An end in sight …
A successful PLI in Catalonia would not only lead to 100 less bulls being inhumanely slaughtered in the ring every year, it could also lead the way for the rest of Spain and other bullfighting countries to embrace a modern culture without cruelty.
The anti-bullfighting movement is experiencing growing support throughout the world, with a surge of towns and regions across Europe and Latin America declaring themselves ‘anti-bullfighting’ in the last two years.
“WSPA has collected the signatures of over 85,000 concerned people from over 140 countries, all supporting Prou. With this added encouragement from the international community, WSPA hopes Catalonian MPs will feel confident in boldly speaking out against the cruelty displayed in bullfights in the next votes,” said Dow.
Thanks to the World Society for the Portection af Animals (USA) for its kindness.

dimecres, 16 de desembre del 2009

Castelló Norms: 77 years and going on


A common standard of Catalan language was an extraordinary effort by linguist Pompeu Fabra. Catalan is divided in two main dialects: Western (spoken in Lleida and València for instance) and Eastern (spoken in Perpinyà, Barcelona or Mallorca).


Some people in the Western dialect doubted about the standard’s work in spite of the Fabra’s will to write the language similarly as Western Catalan is spoken. After a short discussion an agreement was reached on 1932. It was signed in Castelló by Catalan and Valencian linguists.

These Castelló’s norms suppose the main base for the unity of the language in spite of the efforts by some Spanish-speaking people who defended that Catalan and Valencian were two separated languages. The common normative is nowadays accepted by everybody.

To celebrate such an important event next December 19th is convoked a demonstration in Castelló. Every year a similar action is done in the city with hundred of demonstrators. The event is convoked by Maulets, a youth organisation, as well as other groups. More actions are announced by other political parties as Bloc.

dimarts, 15 de desembre del 2009

Answer to Liberation from Emma Collective (in French)

Votre article du 14 décembre (“Le ´oui´ raté pour l´indépendance de la Catalogne”) semble vouloir suivre la ligne fixée par les journaux espagnols, qui s´appliquent à nier toute importance aux référendums organisés ce weekend en Catalogne. En ce faisant, il s´éloigne nettement des points de vue exprimés en général par la presse internationale, qui s´étonne plutôt du succés d´une initiative strictement populaire, financée avec des contributions de particuliers et menée à terme avec une organisation enviable par des centaines de volontaires. Il faut souligner qu´au début cette initiative n´avait même pas l’appui des partis soi-disant nationalistes, alors que le parti socialiste, la radio et la télévision publiques et les principaux journaux de Barcelone ont fait de leur mieux pour la passer sous silence. Amener dans ces conditions là 200.000 personnes aux urnes pour une consultation purement symbolique n´aurait pas de précédent en Europe, et devrait être considéré une victoire éclatante, dont le gouvernement espagnol et les forces politiques catalanes auront sûrement pris bonne note, même quand ils veulent faire semblant de l'ignorer.
This information was supplied by M. Cabré

Anti-Spanish sentiment in Catalonia can run very high (NYT)

Published by New York Times:
Catalan Villages Vote for Independence
A smattering of villages and towns in rich, independence-minded Catalonia gave a lukewarm embrace to the idea of breaking away from Spain in a rare vote Sunday at the grassroots level.

Skeptics called the nonbinding vote an exercise in futility for the proud region centered around Barcelona, which boasts a distinct cultural identity and accounts for about one-fifth of Spain's economy but says it get does not get enough in return.
But an umbrella group of civic organizations behind the referendum saw it as a way to assert the distinct identity of what they regard as a country within a country and to pressure politicians in Madrid and Barcelona to pay more attention to them.
The vote was held in 167 pro-autonomy hamlets, villages and towns in Catalonia, home to about 7 million people.
In the end, with more than 90 percent of the votes counted -- people as young as 16 and immigrants were also allowed to take part -- 94 percent favored independence, and turnout was about 25 percent, according to Ana Arque, a spokeswoman for the referendum organizers.
A massive 'yes' vote had been widely expected because the referendum was staged in pro-independence towns. The turnout figure was about half that of a vote in 2006 on a statute that gave Catalonia broad new powers of self rule.
Organizers of Sunday's vote had set a goal of 40 percent turnout. Still, they played up the result as a success.
''The people of Catalonia have chosen to form an independent state,'' said Carles Mora, mayor of a small town that held a similar refendum back in September.
Catalonia, along with the Basque country, is a prime example of a region oppressed under the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, which made it a crime to speak in their regional languages in the interest of promoting Spain as a unified country run from Madrid.
Since Franco's death in 1975 and the restoration of democracy, Spain has gradually granted a large degree of self-rule to regions such as Catalonia.
Catalonia won even more self-rule in 2006 with the new autonomy charter, gaining control over judicial, infrastructure and other issues and an indirect proclamation of Catalonia being a nation.
But conservatives immediately challenged the charter, and Spain's highest court is now believed to be close to issuing a verdict that might strike down parts of it. Critically, it is said to oppose the idea of Catalonia being a nation.
Angst over this pending decision was a major reason for Sunday's vote. Organizers say they plan a similar one in Barcelona and other big cities early next year.
Anti-Spanish sentiment in Catalonia can run very high. Next week the regional parliament will debate a bill to ban bullfighting. That probably has as much to do with concern over cruelty to animals as it does with a pastime associated with traditional Spain.
Sunday's paper ballots were counted by the organizers themselves, with monitors from places such as Corsica, Quebec and Northern Ireland, which have their own independence movements.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Friday ''in all honesty, initiatives like this lead nowhere.''
School coach Maria Teresa Montserrat, 54, said Sunday she voted for independence as a way to assert the distinct identity that many Catalans feel. ''We are not better or worse than anybody else, we're just different,'' she said.
Beside her, townsfolk grilled ''butifarra'' sausages, a regional specialty, and drank white wine out of miniature wooden barrels.
Metal worker Enric Flores, 49, sheltered from the cold and rain under the stone arcade of a street market in the town of L'Arboc, population 5,000. Loudspeakers blared Motown songs in Catalan.
''Seen from the outside, life here looks very good, but we feel discriminated against,'' Flores said. Although the vote is nonbinding, ''the government in Madrid must take this referendum into account,'' he added.
Antonio Duran, 53, a traveling salesman, dismissed the whole thing as nonsense.
''Catalonia is an important region of Spain, but that's all,'' he said.

dilluns, 14 de desembre del 2009

Fabregas called up by second county

Catalonia coach Johan Cruyff selected the midfielder, who also plays for Spain, in his 20-man party to play Argentina on December 22.Wenger said on Friday: "We don't allow players to play in friendlies because we have too many games.
"There is a demand for Cesc but there is a demand for five or six other players. We play on December 27 and I didn't rest the players against Olympiacos (to then) let them play a friendly."A club statement said Wenger had tried to contact Cruyff, but had been unable to speak to him personally.It is understood that, as the game is not sanctioned by FIFA, clubs are not obliged to release their players.World Cup-bound Argentina, who will be without banned coach Diego Maradona, play Catalunya at Barcelona's Camp Nou.
The Catalan squad features six Barca players including Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and Xavi.
Last December the Catalans beat Colombia 2-1 at Camp Nou, and lost 1-0 to Argentina the previous May.
Reuters.
This new is reproduced by Yahoo in its first page with the mysterious text:
Fabregas called up by second country Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been called up for his second 'national' team. Who are they?.



Catalan independece consultations: 94'88 % say yes !

As expected 166 Catalan villages voted on December 13th.
No incidents and a high turnout next to 30 % were the news.
The organization was almost all popular without any support from the institutions. Only a few countries can organize a consultation by this way.
The results were scandalous : a 94'88 % of the votes were yes (sí) in favour of independence.
You can follow the complete results in Decidim.cat, an independentist local councillors's web.

diumenge, 13 de desembre del 2009

A Public Reply to the Daily Telegraph by Emma Collective

Your report of December 11 (“Catalonia holds referendums to push for independence from Spain”) offers a good account of what’s at stake in the largely symbolic referendums on independence that will be held across Catalonia on December 13 and of some of the reasons behind them. Once again, however – we already pointed that out with respect to an earlier story ("A Public Reply to the Daily Telegraph"), where exactly the same photograph was used – the picture accompanying the text doesn’t represent the spirit or the reality of the local consultations. The pro-independence movement in Catalonia is certainly not the affair of a bunch of raving flag-burners, but the quiet expression of the will of a peaceful people. A much better illustration of this weekend’s events would have been a photograph of a little old lady casting her vote.

Thanks to Martí Cabré for sending this reply.

Article by "Daily Telegraph"

Catalonia holds referendums to push for independence from Spain

Hundreds of thousands of people living in Catalonia will vote in referendums on Sunday they hope could be the first step to winning independence from Spain.
Around 160 municipalities across the northeastern region will stage unofficial polls asking their citizens whether they are in favour of breaking away.

The 700,000 votes are not legally binding but demonstrate the strength of a movement that threatens to rupture Spain.
Chief among those leading the revolution is Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona FC, the club that has become synonymous with Catalan identity and the struggle against perceived oppression.
When he is not on the sidelines at matches, Laporta has been travelling between towns in Catalonia urging residents to participate in Sunday's vote.
"The time has come for us Catalans to seize our destiny, to stand up and demand what is our right. We are a nation and as such we deserve the right to self-determination," he told residents on Thursday in Tárrega, a town 80 miles southwest of the region's capital Barcelona.
Unlike some other independence movements, Catalan nationalism has little to do with ethnicity. More than a third of the inhabitants, who make up almost 7.4 million of Spain's 46 million population, were not born in Catalonia, and many eager nationalists have roots elsewhere.
"Being Catalan is not a question of ethnic identity – its emotional identity. If you live and work in Catalonia – you're a Catalan. It's as simple as that," states Laporta.
As chairman of Barça he highlights the symbolism the club holds for the Catalan struggle. "When we say Barça is 'more than just a club', we mean it represents the rights and freedoms of the Catalan nation – it did so during the time of Franco and it continues to do so today.
"Catalonia has no official national team because of the Spanish state. Our rights are denied because Spain bans our participation in official competitions (such as the World Cup)," he said.
Laporta holds the view that Catalonia's continued position within Spain is detrimental to its interests – and not just in terms of football.
"The Spanish state doesn't serve our social, economic or cultural needs – we'd be better off if we broke away and developed our own path." he explained.
It is a belief shared by a growing number in Catalonia, where frustration has simmered over the way the autonomous region is treated by Madrid.


During the dictatorship of Gen Francisco Franco, the Catalan language was banned, its national flag prohibited, and its population diluted through forced immigration from the rest of Spain.
Since Spain's transition to democracy following the death of the dictator in 1975, Catalonia has enjoyed more autonomy than any of the 17 regions that make up Spain, with complete control over its own health and education policies.
But residents in the prosperous region complain that their taxes have long been used to subsidise the rest of Spain, while their views were steamrollered by Madrid.
The polls on Sunday take place as Spain's constitutional court considers rejecting the region's new statute, a charter negotiated with the central government which was approved by the Catalan and Spanish parliaments as well as in a regional referendum three years ago.
The controversial statute, outlining Catalonia's relationship with Madrid, begins with a preamble defining Catalonia as a "nation" – a term that could be blocked by judges following complaints by Spain's conservative opposition party.
The initiative to hold referendums across Catalonia follows a similar plebiscite in Arenys de Munt, on September 13, where 96 per cent of those who voted favoured independence. The event in the small town north of Barcelona was dismissed by detractors as a flawed publicity stunt after only 41 per cent of the town's 6,500 population turned out to vote.
In Tàrrega where residents are among the 700,000 Catalans invited to cast their vote on Sunday, organisers admit that the result is unlikely to reflect the true proportion of those in favour of secession from Spain.
"This referendum is an opportunity to show we are ready to face the challenge that lies ahead," said the town's deputy mayor, Jordi Ramon. "If enough of us demonstrate our desire for independence then the opportunity to legally decide will surely come – and it will come soon."
Article by Fiona Govan, Telegraph

divendres, 11 de desembre del 2009

13th December Referendum on independence in Catalonia

The 13th September 2009, the inhabitants of the Catalan town of Arenys de Munt voted in a referendum proposing Catalan independence from Spain. The terms of the question that was asked in the poll were: “Do you agree that Catalonia becomes a social, democratic and independent state of right, member of the European Union?”. About 40 percent of the town’s 6,500 eligible voters participated in the poll and more than 96 percent of votes were in favor of Catalan independence.
Although the referendum was not binding, it was very important. First, because Spain’s laws do not recognize Catalonia’s self-determination right; and second, because it was the first time in history that thousand of people in Catalonia were able to fill in a ballot that allowed them to freely decide whether they wanted their country to be independent.
The referendum in Arenys de Munt also showed the world the darker side of the Spanish state and its transition to democracy. The Spanish State attorney charged the town hall for having approved a motion of support to the referendum, and the judge banned the use of a municipal public room to hold the referendum. It had to be held in a private room. On the contrary, a demonstration organized by the fascist party Falange, commanded by the dictator Franco until his death, was authorized in the same day of the poll. During the campaign, it was also discovered that the State attorney had been a candidate of this fascist party in a 1998 election.

The day after the referendum, hundreds of towns across Catalonia began the path to organize similar consultations. The movement has been coordinated under the leadership of the organizers of the first referendum in Arenys de Munt and with the participation of several associations and civil platforms in favor of Catalan independence such as Plataforma pel Dret de Decidir (www.tenimeldretdedecidir.org), Sobirania i Progrés (www.sobiraniaiprogres.cat), Deumil.cat (www.deumil.cat) and many others.
More than 160 towns will hold referendums on the 13th December 2009 on the same terms of Arenys de Munt’s consultation. Each town holding a referendum has formed a local platform where members of political parties, NGO’s and local villagers with no membership are working hard to achieve good results in their poll.
The nationwide coordination uses the website www.referendumindependencia.cat, provides logistic and technical support and campaign materials, and organizes promotional events alongside the country. The 13th December referendum is considered a first step towards a large-scale referendum backed by the Catalan Parliament.

dijous, 10 de desembre del 2009

First wave of independence consultations

Next December 13th more than 700.000 Catalan people will have the chance to vote if they want a Catalan independent state. The consultation will have no legal effects but symbolical. Spanish state forbade a legal referendum without arguing any democratic reason. So it is called “consultation”. A strong movement has emerged to organize this event supported by many political groups as CUP, ERC or CDC. Some CiU (alliance between liberal CDC and demo Christians UDC) local sections, not many, have not supported it but some PSOE local groups, a few, have.


Spanish government forbade local governments to use their official buildings to vote. The first village to organize such a consultation was Arenys de Munt. Spanish government opposed then the use of the local government offices by means of a lawyer. This lawyer was a fascist person with a past linked to the pro-nazi Franco’s dictatorship. Arenys organized the consultation in another building and more than 41 % people voted: 96 % voted in favour of independence. This was the first ever consultation of this kind but its success was as high as unexpected. On December 13th more than 160 villages will follow its example.

dilluns, 7 de desembre del 2009

New independentist movement in Mallorca


On December 6th was launched the new political platform Esquerra Independentista de Mallorca (EIM, Mallorca’s Independentist Left). This new group is formed by a students union, a young movement and two political organizations. Its aim is to spread the independentist ideology into the Mallorca’s island society and to defend the Catalan culture. About twenty people presented the platform as well as the 31st December celebrations. On that date Catalan troops conquered the city of Mallorca on 1229. After that the island population is formed by Catalan people. Celebrations will take place from 16.12.09 to 30.12.09 in many villages and will finish with a demonstration in the main city of the island.

divendres, 4 de desembre del 2009

Survey shows Catalan independence would win


A recent survey published the first week of December showed that 83 % of the population in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia thinks that Catalonia deserves to decide its own future. Only 15 % thinks that Catalonia doesn’t have this right. The surprise was that 50,3 % would vote for the independence, meanwhile only 17,8 % would vote for the “not”. Another important aspect is that the independentist option is defended by “rational” reasons while the unionist reasons are almost all “sentimental”. The survey was conduced by a university (UOC) with more than 2.600 interviews.

Free Catalonia

Free Catalonia has born with the aim to collect the news about the Catalan national liberation movement for English-speaking people. Catalonia is a nation of Europe with a long history of more than a thousand years, a strong language with almost nine million speakers and a unique culture. The aim of many Catalan people is to regain the independence lost three centuries ago. They organize in political parties, civic associations, cultural movements, trade unions.