THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE CATALAN HIGHLIGHTS THE MAJOR NATIONAL ISSUES YET TO BE SOLVED IN SPAIN
For the first time, an initiative born out of Society 2.0 (Web 2.0) using new technologies, such as social networks like Facebook, is realising an initiative via a virtual community.
Catalan civil society, through all its cultural, sports and civic institutions, is carrying out several initiatives to claim back our right to self-determination as a people. The "Deu Mil a Brussel·les per l'Autodeterminació" (Ten Thousand in Brussels for Self Determination) is trans-partisan, born and based on the active participation of civil society. Our aim: to demonstrate in Brussels on March 7th under the cry of "We want a Catalan State", claiming independence for our country. Getting self determination on the international agenda and Catalan political parties to declare they are in favour of sovereignty and on their programmes.
Spain has always been reticent about full recognition of its multiple national diversity. Catalonia has seen recent Spanish central governments closing the autonomous political system and leaving the regions as mere decentralised administrations with no sovereignty or even any federal recognition for the Catalan nation. With the Constitutional Court's forthcoming sentence on competencies of the new Statute of Autonomy approved by referendum in 2006, which all analysts expect will be adverse, Spain is attempting to make any sign of sovereignty for Catalan democratic institutions without effect. It refuses to accept any form of federal or confederal treaty for its historical nations such as Catalonia. And worse yet, the Spanish constitutional system refuses point-blank the right to self determination. It explicitly bans any region or historical nation from calling or organising referendums for its citizens to decide on their future democratically. That is why we are going to Brussels in order to claim our international and democratic rights, for the self determination the Spanish State refuses us.
We live in a globalised world with major migratory fluxes. In this context, Catalans see our productive and economic model endangered, but we also see risks for our model of an open, integrating, welfare society for all our citizens, without distinguishing among gender, race or origin. With a tax deficit unparalleled in any European region or state, which experts style continuous fiscal plundering, Catalans are ever more conscious of the need to endow themselves of the same instruments as sovereign nations in order to face necessary structural reforms with any guarantee. Without sovereignty and the resources needed to solve our problems (which are currently managed by the Spanish central government), the very survival of Catalonia as a distinguishable nation is endangered. We are going to Brussels in order to claim our right to become a State, with the same mechanisms of political sovereignty to administer our own resources like any other European country.
This initiative via Internet is not connected to any particular political party, although we have secured the support of several politicians, and most support comes from citizen platforms, cultural organisations, social collectives of all sorts and writers, like ex-member of the General Council of the Judicial Power of Spain, notary Alfons López-Tena, author of polemic "Catalonia under Spain: National Oppression in Democracy" (Catalunya sota Espanya. L'opressió nacional en democràcia - Dèria editors-La Magrana 2007), a blockbuster in Catalonia.
The European Parliament has repeatedly refused full recognition of our language, which is our national identity as a people. And even though it is a millenary language with over 10 million speakers and a literature of world significance, it is not recognised as an equal of other European languages with less than half its number of speakers and minor literatures, simply because we have no state. That is why we want to go to Brussels, to the European Parliament and the Commission to let them know, following their indications, that we want to become a sovereign State within the European Union.
The Catalan Nation is a nation without a state with over one thousand years of history, most of whose territory is now within the Spanish State. It has an official population of 13 million inhabitants, 80% of which speak the Catalan language, with its broad, extensive literature with worldwide recognition, a service- and industry-based economy generating a GDP of $482 bn. which represents 30.5% of Spain's GDP and a per capita GDP of over $37,000.
Since Catalonia lost its independence as a result of the War of Succession of 1704-1725 almost 300 years ago, the Catalan people have unceasingly striven to recover their freedom. Even through war, political persecution and the 40-year fascist dictatorship, stifling its language and culture, Catalan identity has remained firm and forceful enough to demand its recognition as a State within Europe.
Barcelona, February 19th 2009
Press Relations - Deumil.cat
Website: http://deumil.cat/
Press: premsa@deumil.cat
Other links of interest:
Posts
Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy.Overnight Escorts It is a developed country with the twelfth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP, and very high living standards (20th highest Human Development Index), including the tenth-highest quality of life index rating in the world,London escorts as of 2005. It is a member of the United Nations, European Union, NATO, OECD, and WTO.
ReplyDelete