The Foundation obtained a certificate of Golden Bain in 2015. In the photo, we’re getting Bikain prize. From left to right, Cristina Uriarte, former head of Basque Culture, President Iñigo Urkullu, Patxi Zubiaur, secretary of the Foundation, and Patxi Baztarrika, former deputy head of the Political Language Department.
It’s been more than two decades since the creation of the Leizaola Complex. Throughout this time, those of us who have participated in the creation of this organization have witnessed profound changes not only in the Basque society, but also the whole international structure, and our organization, which has a strong commitment to this service, has evolved and adapted itself to these modifications, without forgetting the reason for its being and the commitment it has taken to the principle of origin expressed in our States.
And it says, “The Basque language, Basque culture, Basque culture, Basque culture, and Basque culture, will promote identity among the people of any kind. Jesús María de Leizaola, also known as “the Zarra”, is one of the key figures of euskadi in the 20th century.
He thought of many values which excite our deepest admiration, and his open and interviewed manner would doubtless have made him a politician out of the series, had he been active in the present day. Besides, Leizaola always defended the Basque University, having been in the Basque classrooms for the survival and continuation of our language. Therefore, when we formed the Leizaola Society, we wanted to recover the essential identity of our nearest historical past, which contained many glorious principles and values worthy of our utmost respect and recognition.
With this knowledge, the Leizaola Society began its course in 1997, and today, in retrospect, those of us who participated in the creation of this project must express our deepest and sincere gratitude to all the organisations, corporations and individuals who have made it possible to consolidate this institution.
The continual growth and progress, which are the best tribute and recognition we can give to our supreme inspirer, Jesús María Leizaola, and all those who have or defend the historical and cultural heritage of their people, apart from their own thoughts.
In accordance with the example of Leizaola, we have devoted much of our activity to the young Basques through publications, activities, seminars. By means of these, we want to present certain realities to them, and we want to encourage them to reflect and participate in society.
We think it’s very important to consider our young people, because they are the future of our society, and we need to convey a message of illusion and hope to them, to inform them of the challenges of our time. In the forums we organize, in the publications we publish, there are always various sensibilities about the subject which we have set up at a certain point in time. Thus, in Leaving, we make a space, which allows us to express different points of view, and to point out different solutions to the same subject. The consequences are left to each tendency towards either point of view; for our task is to create reflection and debate, not to direct opinions to one or the other.
In the following pages the reader will find detailed information about our Organization and its activities, and as ours is fully open to participation, he will take all the suggestions or suggestions he wishes to convey to us.
I merely express my satisfaction, for all the data contained in this document is the result of almost a decade’s work and deduction, and it would not have happened without the decisive support of our partners and collaborators. We want to dedicate this job to all of them.