Burdeos Euskal Etxea wins ENE Saria prize

The Euskal Etxea from Burdeos has won the third edition of ENE Saria.  The panel of judges in charge of the announcement wanted to highlight their outstanding work in support of Euskara accomplished by this center throughout this year, the originality of their ideas and the use of new technology.  They also wanted emphasize the great merit of the other works presented.  In this edition, other interested associations that participated were from Argentina and Spain.

La Association des Basques – Eskualdunen Biltzarra was founded in December 1947 and it is located in the middle of the city at Palais de l’Ombriere Street, No. 7.  The objective when it was created was to lend a spirit of solidarity among Basques residents of the city and region, and to drive the use of ancestral customs, traditions and the love for our small homeland.  Today, it has around 600 members.

The panel of judges wanted to highlight the different activities carried out this organization in favor of Euskara, such as Euskara classes held every Monday through Wednesday for three hours each day.  Among the students are first, second and third generation Basques and others that have no particular tie to the Basque Country. But the common denominator among them is the love and interest in the Basque language.  Also held at this center are classes for very young children and different events to bring them closer to Basque culture, like the weekend field trip to Lesaka this past June or organizing concerts and conferences, etc.  This center publishes five bulletins each with 500copies each year.  In addition, every other Sunday, they have a 20-minute radio program.  Their web page gets 13,000 visitors each year.

This edition’s panel of judges was comprised of the following people:  Estebe Ormazabal, in charge of Euskara at the Brazilian Euskal Etxea in Sao Paolo, Kinku Zinkunegi, in charge of the HABE Special Program for the Diaspora and Josemari Velez de Mendizabal, General Manager for Eusko Ikaskuntza.

Eusko Ikaskuntza – Basque Studies Society proposed the celebration of a Euskara Day in 1948 and the first festival was celebrated in 1949 in various cities throughout the world.  This is the third edition of the ENE prize whose trophy is an iron reproduction of the ENE anagram designed by the Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea.

Visit the Burdeos Euskal Etxea website.