A SCENARIO FOR PEACE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

1. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

Speaking about peace in the Basque Country means speaking about something seldom seen in our country’s History. Therefore, speaking about peace in the Basque Country needs a strict position in the analysis and in the proposals, as well as a great political responsibility.

It is starting from these points that Batasuna wants to make clear its point of view concerning a stable scenario of peace for our People.

Speaking about peace means, according to us, as a previous need, to take a look at the latest history of the Basque Country, in order to build in a different way the future of our country. A future that we would like to begin from today on, with no more delays, and no more excuses.

Our People has been living more or less the last 200 years without enjoying peace, for proof: repressive consequences of the French Revolution, the matxinadas, the consecutive carlist wars, the two world wars, the fascist coup in 1936, labour and popular struggle against franquist dictatorship and finally the reality of the nowadays political conflict... which draw the actual overview in which we have been managing non-stop our political and social lives.

Therefore, since the XVIIIth century, every generation so far has suffered war, torture and prison. This reality is the one giving a historical, political and tragical aspect to the conflict we are living.

In this brand new century, violation of the rights is part of the everyday reality in the Basque Country. This non-stop violation is the cause of the political conflict and of its consequences, such as deaths, arrests, torture, prisoners, refugees and illegalisations of organizations.

In fact, this is the tragedy that our People are living: the denying of the Basque Country’s mere existence, and as a result, the violation of its corresponding rights. This is what is actually the root of the conflict we are suffering in our Country: the French and Spanish states do not recognize us as a Country and therefore, don’t recognize us the universal rights acknowledged to any other country in the world.

These are the circumstances that the Basque Country must change. This is our duty and responsibility. Over any other thing, our priority is that our People get to know peace and justice and build its future freely.

2. TO BUILD PEACE MEANS TO TALK ABOUT RIGHTS

For Batasuna, building of peace means speaking of rights and work in favour of these ones, that means, to create a scenario which allows the full and integral exercise of the rights we deserve as Basque citizens.

Peace means according to us, the acceptance and the respect of all rights. Peace for Batasuna, is based on the respect and democratic and peaceful bring to bear of our rights.

Another basic thrust to develop an efficient dynamic in the search for peace is that one that consider that the peace scenario has to be based on the whole Basque Country’s citizenship.

3. DIFFERENCE MUST BE DONE BETWEEN PEACE AND POLITICAL AGENDAS

In order to develop an efficient political action in favour of a peace scenario, Batasuna considers that it is essential to make the difference between everyone’s political agenda and the peace scenario to build.

This way, a previous condition is essential to allow an efficient dynamic for the construction of a stable and long term peace scenario for the Basque Country and it lies on the express renounce of any imposed political agenda.

This is precisely what the Spanish and French states do not respect. The origine of the conflict that our country is suffering is no more than the freezing of the Spanish and French states in order to maintain a political strategy based on the no recognition of the Basque Country, and both states are the one imposing their political agenda to our people.

Batasuna, basing itself from its democratic position, states clearly that has abandoned, abandons and will abandon the idea of imposing its own political agenda to build a peace scenario in the Basque Country. So claims the necessity to create a democratic model in the Basque Country which will guarantee the development of all political agendas in equality of conditions. In fact, the Basque Country must have the word and the decision.

4. TO BUILD PEACE MEANS TO TALK ABOUT THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION.

For Batasuna, the Self-Determination Right’s recognition is the keystone to build a peace scenario in the Basque Country.

The Self-Determination Right is the juridical, political and democratical tool that allows the rights equality in the Basque Country.

The Spanish and French states’ acceptance of this right is essential to start building a future in freedom and in peace for our People.

The actor of the Self-Determination Right is the Basque Country and it’s up to all the Basque citizens to practice it.

The Self-Determination Right cannot be used as an aggressive tool against anybody, but as a guarantee to make possible our political coexistence, as we are talking about a tool for peace. That means that Self-Determination is the tool that guarantees the rights equality.

5. TO BUILD PEACE MEANS TO RESPECT PLURALITY

The scenario for peace must be built from the respect to our People. Batasuna wants to declare clearly and strongly its deepest respect to the Basque Country’s plurality considering it as a determining factor of cultural and political enrichment.

When we talk about our country’s diversity, the starting point is obviously the existence of the Basque Country from the Ebro through the Aturri river; taking into account the historical territories with their own particularities, political distinguished parties and projects and a community sewed by its diversity perspectives and different levels of feelings towards their mother Nation. There is no doubt on our society’s plurality.

We would like to asset from Batasuna that the denial of such a basic fundamental right as the Right to Self-Determination, supposes the greatest attack against the reality of plurality of the Basque Country, and with the same strength would like to affirm that the recognition of the Right to Self-Determination has to be considered as the issue that would bring peace and democracy to the above mentioned plurality.

6. TO TALK ABOUT SELF-DETERMINATION MEANS TO TALK ABOUT A HUMAN RIGHT

To claim for Self-Determination means to claim for a Human Right.

Fighting for this right means to fight for peace and freedom. And proclaiming this right means the recognition of the Basque Country as a political subject.

Self-Determination must be taken as a right suitable for all the Basque citizens, it has to be a heritage shared by all of us. The Right to Self-Determination cannot undermine anybody´s rights and cannot be considered as a threat to the contrary.

The acceptance of such a fundamental right would wild open doors to a steady and lasting peace, but also would bring a change on the nature of the conflict that opposes the Basque Country to the Spanish and French states.

The approval of the Right to Self-Determination would mean:

The Basque Country would earn its right to organise its own political, social, economical, linguistical and cultural future.

As a consequence, all kind of violent demonstration that has been present in the political life of the Basque Country should disappear.

This reality would bear the release of prisoners of war on one hand, and the guarantee of the right to live freely in the Basque Country for all those refugees who are far away from their homes and beloved ones.

This scenario would allow a peace and freedom situation so much desired by the entire Basque People, being also the best heritage we could leave to the future generations.

The Basque Country, setting for a demilitarised scenario.

The Basque Country would have in its hands the real choice to build a dynamic scenario that allows the progressive demilitarisation of the conflict.

In this sense, the two states would renounce to the use of violence in order to keep by force the negation of our Country´s rights and would start the withdrawal of their armed forces based in the Basque Country.

CONCLUSION

This document reflects Batasuna’s political position and must be understood as a contribution to the dynamic search for peace for our People. This way, we want to keep an open mind regarding all the reflections, proposals and contributions done for the peace process.