OUR PEOPLE, OUR STRENGTH

Catalonia deserves Independence. It's an every day more accepted demand. The idea of Independence seems quiet normal nowadays. On December 1st, thousands of people took Catalonia's capital streets, Barcelona, in order to demonstrate. We demanded our right to manage our own infrastructures (railways, airports, highways, sea ports) in accordance with citizens needs. We want to be masters of our future. We want to decide our own politics and policies, not being subordinated to Spanish politicians with an agenda that places Catalonia not at the top, but as a secondary rank, even though, Catalonia is a net contributor to Spanish public finances.  

This blog will inform to English readers about the progress of Catalonia progress towards Independence. Unfortunately, most of Catalan Independentists webs do not include links in English in order to translate its content. I think that's bad, because English readers from all over de world that do not read Catalan, are deprived of sensible information about our fight. Even worst, they are misinformed by Spanish media, or by Spanish Foreign Services, both of them strongly committed to the political, economic and cultural subordination of Catalonia.

From time to time we will post news related to public and private initiatives in order to empower Catalonia's demand for Self-determination and Independence. In this sense, it is worth to mention that there is a trend that is gaining support in order to fix a date to celebrate a kind of Referendum on Catalonia's future. The chosen data, but not officially yet, is September, 11th, 2014. 

The reason to chose this day is symbolical. It was in September, 11th, 1714, that is three hundred years ago, that with the fall of Barcelona, Catalonia lost its Political Liberty, its political institutions, rights, and constitutions, some of them originated in the Medieval Age. Since then, the Spanish state, in its successive regimes (Monarchy, Republic or Dictatorship) has tried to assimilate us both culturally and linguistically, and to demote Catalonia to a provincial status (by the way, province, came from Latin language, and means defeated territory).

Right now, it is difficult to say if this referendum will be taken on that date. May be yes, or may be no. May be later, or may be sooner, if things precipitate. But one thing is crystal-clear established. Catalan people is assuming that the current subordination (economic, political, cultural) to Spain is a growing threat to our well-being and our identity. Independence, as a consequence, is not silly idea, it is a top need. It is a necessity if we want to face the challenges and risks that globalisation poses to all the nations. 

We know that to battle for Catalonia Independence, only Catalans are prepared to. We expect no one will help us to carry out the stuff. But it is obvious that the International Community has a say in order to accept a new member. In this sense, our task will be to provide information to global media, news agencies, the blogosphere and the like. If the International Community receives such information, we have no doubt that our independence will be closer and closer. After all, most of the current states are the outcome of an Independence Process. 

We also expect that this process will be developed in a democratic way, respecting Human Rights and according to International Law. Spain has a current low mark in issues such a Torture, Corruption, and Fair and Trustfully Justice, and a past history of military coups, dictatorship, and in fact is the only state where Fascism has not been defeated by military means. That has deep cultural and psychological consequences. 

One of them is the rejection of diversity: a political culture rooted in homogeneity makes impossible the acceptance of a multilingual, multicultural Spain. From this perspective, Catalan language must be considered as a legal second-class language, even though, it is more spoken that official european languages, such as danish, slovene, among others.

Also, there is a rooted culture of fear in most families. Fear to express your opinion, to defend your rights and liberties, fear to take political stances... And that because the legacy of the Dictatorship is still living at home. A legacy that implies that to do politics, to express publicly will earn you problems, so better stay quiet, and obey authorities orders. 

But as past generations of Catalan patriots, we don't fear to express ourselves. We are committed to the Catalan Independence, to found a Republic of Catalonia independent from Spain, and including all the Catalan-speaking territories. That is our end, and we wish that this vision of Liberty will be shared with each day more international observers. To this we will do our best.