Interview — Koro Segurola, Basque academic: “Basque has stagnated. Firm steps must be taken for its knowledge and use.”

The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, has presided over the International Basque Language Day and has stressed that Basque also needs its place in the digital sphere “among other languages, so that it lives and advances. It is a new challenge, typical of the times we live in.” “We are working on it and we are also moving forward in this new challenge,” he said.

Also participating in the event held in Tabakalera, in Donostia, were the Minister of Culture and Linguistic Policy, Bingen Zupiria, the First Vice President and Minister of Security, Josu Erkoreka, the Minister of Public Governance and Self-Government, Olatz Garamendi, and the Minister of Development. Economic, Sustainability and Environment, Arantxa Tapia, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Pedro Azpiazu, the Minister of Education, Jokin Bildarratz, the Minister of Health, Gotzone Sagardui, and the Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies, Nerea Melgosa. Also present were the president of the Basque Parliament, Bakartxo Tejeria, and the mayor of Donostia, Eneko Goia, as well as other representatives from the world of Basque and Basque society.

In his speech, the Lehendakari highlighted that in the 21st century Basque “has new challenges ahead.” “Many of these challenges have to do with education. The educational system has been the most effective, most prosperous way we have had to revitalize Basque. It will continue to be like this from now on,” he defended. Urkullu added that “we want educated citizens, people with judgment and criticism who have adequate tools and resources to face a future that we do not know. And it is clear that languages will be an important tool, both for day-to-day relations and for external and international relations.”

He has also highlighted the importance of the presence of Basque in the digital sphere. “A new world is coming and we want to find our place in that new world. As Koldo Mitxelena said, Basque also needs its place among other languages, so that it lives and advances,” he stated. As he highlighted, this year's International Basque Day “presents us with a new world, the digital one. It is a new challenge, typical of the times we live in. We are working on it and we are also advancing in this new challenge.”

This year's event focused on the GAITU campaign launched by the Department of Culture and Language Policy. As stated in the Action Plan for Linguistic Technologies-GAITU- 2021-2024, to advance in language technologies and place Basque among the European languages with high technological development, it is necessary, among other things, to increase the presence of Basque. in the digital sphere.

This is the objective of the GAITU-Common Voice campaign, which consists of creating a database of audio recordings through which any company or entity that develops language technologies can develop its products in Basque. Under the motto 'Batu ditzagun gure ahotsak', Basque speakers are asked to enter the gaitu.eus portal to record their voice and thus contribute to the development of Basque. The more voices and recordings, the broader the database and material with which the new technologies will work.

Currently the 'Common Voice' project has 205 languages, of which 131 are underway, that is, making recordings, including Basque, and another 74 in preparation work. Since the GAITU campaign was launched in October, Basque is the twelfth language that accumulates the most recording hours worldwide (in a list of 131 languages), surpassing languages such as Italian and Japanese. In total, 171,149 phrases have been located, prepared and uploaded to the platform. 8,232 speakers have participated in the recordings and in total, 518 hours have been recorded (the number of hours recorded has tripled in two months).

'The voice of Basque-speaking people'

The Basque Government has published an institutional declaration on the occasion of International Basque Language Day, under the motto 'The voice of Basque-speaking people, a vehicle for the dissemination of Basque. The Basque speaker, the main agent for the digital dissemination of Basque, highlights the need to increase the presence of Basque in the digital world.

“A new digital era has begun for the dissemination of Basque, the time has come to act through personal and community involvement. Let us assume the responsibility of adapting the tools that come from the route of artificial intelligence so that they work in Basque, let us teach the essential digital world of "and our daily activity to work in Basque," he points out.

The text adds that the Basque community “is forced to make decisive advances in its empowerment process, as is the case of the needs generated by digitalization” and highlights the need to share this challenge with all the people who are approaching the Basque “so that the entire Basque community, multilingual in its essence, experiences the digital progress of Basque in solidarity, with pride and with full awareness.”