Original bases

A present priority is the development of Euskal Herria's specific identity in the midst of the countries and states making up today's Europe.

The opressive influence of globalization everywhere calls for the development of alternatives in different parts of the world based on different local conditions and the progressive organization of such alternatives along geographical lines.

We therefore perceive a special need for organizations that encompass all of our country and are capable of analysing the situation and stimulating action in a variety of areas. Such organizations will support the overall process while respecting whatever model for the construction of Euskal Herria is approved the country's citizens.

A large number of individuals and organizations share these ideas and concerns and are making efforts to further understanding of and contribute to such a movement in various areas of the economy and society. Unfortunately, the territorial fragmentation to which we are subjected often impedes the development of such efforts. The resulting lack of coordination has so far made it practically impossible to project a comprehensive and systematic view of the whole economic and social reality of Euskal Herria.

These circumstances have motivated the creation of GAINDEGIA, the OBSERVATORY OF ECONOOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF EUSKAL HERRIA. GAINDEGIA has the following foundational aims:

  • In addition to its own research, to study, collect, process, support and make known throughout the entire Basque territory research carried out in official institutions, government bodies, unions, private companies or academic institutions related to economic, social or infrastructure issues.

  • To promote initiatives to strengthen the development of organizations to support Basque social and economic construction (such as professional groupings and associations, chambers of commerce, business associations etc.) that address the Basque territory in its entirety.

  • To encourage discussion of issues of strategic importance to the social and economic development of Euskal Herria.

In accordance with these objectives, GAINDEGIA could be the germ of an organization or forum bringing together future agents working across Euskal Herria today in the field of Economy and Society. However, we wish to make it very clear that GAINDEGIA has not come into being for its own sake as a primary objective, but rather with the ambition of constituting an effective instrument for pursuing the aforementioned goals and capable of adapting to different stages of development in the course of time.

In order to fulfil these aims, GAINDEGIA undertakes to structure itself along the following lines:

  • The group of individuals originally promoting this initiative declares that it intends to be a free and independent agent, while rejecting externally promoted so-called protection or vigilance contrary to whatever is freely and democratically decided within the organization itself.

  • This will adopt a structure based on the pattern of a civil non-profit organizations open to private individuals of various backgrounds (in political, ideological or religious terms; from various unions, political parties and so on), provided their area of work or affiliation pertains to economic development or social construction and they share the organization's chosen identifying characteristics, aims and purposes.

  • GAINDEGIA undertakes to work towards cooperation with other institutions, whether these pertain to the economic, social or administrative spheres, as well as any other organizations basically dedicated to economic and social development. Consequently it does not at this time aim in any way to compete with or replace other organizations with similar goals. Rather, it aims to fill the notable vacuum that exists at present in the area referred to in its objectives.

  • The members of GAINDEGIA will be private individuals with an equal say in its decisions on the basis of "one person one vote".
    Membership of members of the Basque diaspora is particularly encouraged.

  • The management of GAINDEGIA will be basically self-financing and will above all aim to serve the organization's structural and functioning needs. It is hoped that this principle will ensure the organization's autonomy and independence while avoiding any form of subservience to administrative institutions of one kind or another that might limit its decision-making capacity.

  • Given these founding principles of GAINDEGIA and the aforementioned aims and identifying characteristics, this organization solemnly states its commitment to these, to its foundational cause, and to the citizens of the territories that form part of Euskal Herria at the outset of the twenty-first century and the third millennium.

Iruñea, 29th of May, 2004