On 23rd and 26th June, Dr Igor Calzada presented his new book entitled PostIndependentzia > #HanIzanikHonaGara (PostIndependence > #BeingThereWeAreHere) in ELKAR bookshop in St. Sebastian published by TransLoKal Academic Entrepreneurship for Policy Making. The book gathers some of the most relevant conclusions of his three-year research on Regional and Social Innovation Studies at the University of Oxford. The original and first edition is in Basque language. In Europe, milestone changes are taking place in which the right for territories to decide their own future and democratic choices for devolution and independence are becoming issues. This book aims to visualize the Basque Country from the outside, from an international point of view by proposing its real choices and contradictions in a constructive, transformational and entrepreneurial manner. And what if we were an independent country? What if, starting today, we began to think about independence the very next day and started on a plan of action? That is what PostIndependence is. To that end, the author believes that it is essential that relations with other countries and projects should be bolstered, a place that we would like in the world, to start working on a united strategic action. The launch event was on 23rd June at 11AM in Elkar Bookshop in St. Sebastian where it was presented the book by the author and the Basque journalist, Mariano Ferrer. This event that was forwarded to media will be completed with another event on 26th June at 7PM in the same venue. This second event that aimed to open the floor to discussion and conversation around the book, was conducted entirely by the Basque journalist, Mariano Ferrer. The book has been published by TranLoKal Academic Entrepreneurship for Policy Making - Ekintzailetasun Akademikoa Herrigintzarako new organization. The book contains the preliminary conclusions from the research project entitled "Benchmarking Future City-Regions" carried out by Dr Calzada at the University of Oxford and Ikerbasque. More info please contact: info@translokal.com

2.
SYNOPSIS
The Basque writer Bernardo Atxaga coined the literary metaphor ‘Euskal Hiria’
(understood as an inclusive city-regional configuration of the Basque territory) to
challenge us to imagine the natural path by which we would be able to work out our
inner contradictions. This remains an unfinished business, an imaginary unachieved and
thus a reality unresolved. We have not materialised the metaphor and fully come to
terms with the diverse and socially complex nature of the Basque geographies.
Quarrelling and short-sightedness remain the daily rule in Basque politics, and dealing
with this provokes a mess entangled in a contradiction that paralyses any forward-
looking attempt at strategic policy-makings.
While Atxaga might not have succedded in this attempt, however, Joseba Sarrionandia,
another prominent and still highly relevant Basque writer from the same generation as
Atxaga, may have managed to show the way some time ago, when he suggested the
TransLoKal mantra, #BeingThereIAmHere. A territory where the inner and outer
dynamics have merged together has contradictions that should be faced and accepted,
contradictions that are equally ours, one's own, and lived by others. In the age of
globalisation, what is the role that ‘Basqueness’ should play? Or, alternatively, what
should be the contribution of ‘Basqueness’ to the world at large? Moreover, how can a
contemporary internationally constructed Basqueness be fixed to keep up and stay
relevant to the challenges that lay ahead?
This issue becomes one of goals and methods alike. Which TransLoKal territorial
strategy should be pursued? Should it be pursued through networking among
individuals in a self-established hybrid merger of local and global territorial locations?
What is the role of the official Basque institutions regarding their current work and
contribution to the TransLoKal entrepreneurial aim as a way to promote the Basqueness
abroad? And is it possible for us, when defining territorial strategies and policies at the
local level, to turn the role of social entrepreneurs and activists into promoters of
progress rather than victims of stagnation?
This core idea of this book is that the Basque Country, due to its own intricacies rather
than merely as a consequence of its being kidnapped and held captive by the old-
fashioned Spanish and French state legal frameworks, has come, over the years, to
develop many points of inertia that are inherent in its territorial policies and strategies.
In short, this work starts from the thesis that the territory, the people, the imaginary,
indeed Basqueness itself has now reached a turning point.
The Basque geographies are at a clear strategic crossroads. As Keating has argued
(2001, 2005, 2009), globalisation and European integration have led to a resurgence of
post-nationalism, beyond that of the nation-states. Territories are making their way
forward, but not every route is the same. This is why the contribution of social
innovation is essential, so that we can strategically research, observe and prepare these
democratic processes. Here, therefore, the Basque Country is compared with the seven
other City-Region territories that make up the focus of research in the project
http://www.cityregions.org: Catalonia (Spain), Dublin (Ireland), Iceland,

3.
Liverpool/Manchester (UK), Oresund (Sweden and Denmark), Portland (Oregon) and
Scotland (UK).
Each of the territories studied has its own peculiarities as well as its own strategy and
policies. The goal here is to relativise the Basque Country and then look to an
understanding of how Basque Country is conceived in these other territories rather than
by the administrative hindrances and institutional confines of Spain and France. How is
the Basque Country seen from the outside? And how can that inform our own route?
Looking forward, what exactly is to be done? It is clear that the world and also the
Basque Country, is at a threshold of new geopolitics and a novel geostrategy, so how
might we take advantage of the opportunity to become in a national community with an
internationally perspective?
A variety of factors inform the possible new TransLoKal territorial strategies. These
include, among others, the ending of ETA's activities, political normalisation and
opportunities for a peace process; the failure of the socio-economic and territorial model
of the Spanish state and the need for a new constitutional order; the ageing of the
nation-state model, real administrative division and the emergence of city-regions as
urban-based geographical units; the importance of migration movements of all kinds
(socio-economic and political, intraregional and transnational, etc.); very specifically,
the perpetuation of the inertia of cultural politics rooted to the decimononic medieval
ground of feuding Oinaz and Gamboa clans, and very generally, the need for a socially
balanced post-crisis economic model.
All of the above should be material for formulating questions about the territoriality of
the Basque Country. We should avoid the temptation to provide theoretical answers,
however, and should rather strive to introduce into our society a democratic policy-
making and its realisation in action. The Basque Country, it is argued, requires a new
kind of political culture based on building bridges and finding agreements between
diverse positions. This is characterised as a rationalised dialectic working toward an
original contemporary, city-regional and local/global PostIndenpendentist politics.
Indeed, the other researched territories mentioned are all city-regions in the sense that
they are developing territorial strategies and policies in order to work out their right to
determine their own territorial subjectivity. The Basque Country should prepare its
democratic process with the highest degree of social innovation possible by comparing
with other territories instead of going it alone. This is why the book is called
PostIndependence, in reference to a future scenario, to the right to decide for this
hypothetical independent territory of tomorrow and the need to prepare, research,
implement and disseminate territorial strategies and policies.
Implicitly, it is assumed and accepted that the independence or devolution processes
(OECD, 2001) are essentially democratic processes, as shown by some of the EU cases
and elsewhere around the world. However, in this preparatory work, it is vital that other
territories should be observed, linked, compared and benchmarked. Indeed, the
transnational identity of the Basque Country should be constructed relatively in
connection with others rather than be based solely on self-identification.

4.
In the period ahead, the Basque will need to work on its recognition, including from
other territories, TransLoKal strategies and policies will be crucial here. Firstly,
international territorial issues should be addressed by systemically merging them with
internal territorial issues; and secondly, TransLoKal entrepreneurs - meaning
enterprising indivuals, social activits and progressive small organizations - should be
given a leading role, without, that is, having to depend on the blind and burdensome
dominance of traditional institutions and their management structures. Entrepreneurs
must go before, with the support and coordination of institutions. This is actually the
opposite of what is happening: institutions are smothering the initiative of the few
entrepreneurs and social activists and bringing everything to a halt, thereby dampening
dynamism, blocking social transformation and encumbering the system overall.
#BeingThereWeAreHere is a tool to gradually prepare the future scenario for
PostIndependence in a serious, systematic and strategic way in order to gather
strength from within and withough. Otherwise, provisional acts lacking prospective
could leave the territorial development in an exposed, aimless position. The Basque
system needs a stimulus in which public institutions, private firms, academia,
technological centres, trade unions, social and economic agents, civil society and
individuals (entrepreneurs/activists) are all included.
Structurally, the book is divided into two sections. The book aims to be an
entrepreneurial essay. That is to say, on the one hand, it begins with free narrative style
presented entirely from a personal point of view but informed by an academic
systematic, systematic rigour, and it concludes with a comparative and prospective
proposal, which is the main contribution. Overall, it is proposed as operational outcome
the platform www.PostIndependence.org in order to self-manage these communities on-
and offline.
The first section, entitled #BeingThereIAmHere (a quotation from Joseba Sarrionandia),
offers a personal and experiential essay style. The guiding principle is clear: what is
territory and what Basque territoriality would be like in a forthcoming geopolitical,
geostrategic, and TransLoKal context.
In the second section, entitled #BeingThereWeAreHere, the author puts aside his
personal position and takes on the role of researcher in presenting a scientific and
entrepreneurial academic essay. Rather than providing a prescriptive work and a recipe
of answers to be applied, the goal is to foster discussion by identifying questions that
may lead towards policy-making projects. Special effort has been made to open up the
way towards having a solid and rigorous discussion.
This section is sub-divided up into four subsections - Maps, Names (& Beings),
Territories, and Strategies – each of which, in turn, is further divided into four parts.
The goal is to reach the PostIndependence section first by explaining and then by
working through in reverse order, the following parts: Critical Social Innovation, Smart
City, We (& The Others) (comparison with the seven territories), City-Regions,
Communities and TransLoKal.

5.
SINOPSIA
Atxagak Euskal Hiria metafora literarioa bota zuen Salzburgoko adar moduan putzura
eta hondotik, kristalez disdiratsu moduan aterako genuela irudikatu zuen. Ez da hori
gertatu. Euskal geografiak, beren gizarte konplexutasunean eta aniztasunean ulertu eta
gauzatu behar genuen metafora ez dugu gauzatu. Ez gara gai izan kategoria sozio-
ekonomiko eta politiko-instituzional zabalak epe luzeetan prospektibaz eraikitzeko.
Hika-mikak eta epe-motzak agintzen du euskal politikan eta horren kudeaketa kategoria
kontrajarrien paralisian kateatutako mataza da.
Atxagak ez, baina agian Sarrionandiak bidea ireki digu aspaldi ordea:
#HanIzanikHonaNaiz. Lurraldea, barruko eta kanpoko dinamikek osatzen dutenean,
kontraesanak azaleratuz onartu beharrean dira, gureak, norberarenak eta besteenak.
Globalizazioaren aroan beraz, zein da “euskal” adierak jokatu beharko lukeen rol-a?
Zein bestalde “euskal” adierak mundu globalari egin beharko lioken ekarpena? Eta bien
bitartean, nola eratu nazioartearekin batera euskal adiera eguneratu bat, hurrengo bost
urteetako erronkei aurre egiteko? Horretarako, zein lurralde estrategia translokal
bideratu? Alegia, pertsonen arteko lurraldetasun global eta lokalen hibridotasunean
autoeratzen diren sareen bidez? Zein da euskal erakundeak erronka hauen aurrean duten
kokalekua eta beraien egungo lanaren islada? Posible al dugu, baita ere, lurraldegintza
dinamiko baten estrategia eta politikak herri mailan definitzerako orduan, ekintzaileak
(pertsonak) erakundeen estankamentuaren biktima baino suspertzaile bilakatzea?
Ezkuizkribu honen hipotesiak, Euskal Herria, ez soilik Estatu Espainiar eta Frantsesaren
eskema zaharkituen ondorioz bakarrik, baizik eta bere baitan, garatu dituen inertzia asko
direla eta; bere lurralde politika eta estrategietan inflexio puntu bat behar duela
sostengatzen du haseratik. Horretarako galderak erantzunak baino gehiago proposatuz.
Euskal geografiak, barru nahiz kanpokoak, abagune estrategiko garbi batean daude.
Keating-ek dion moduan (2001, 2005, 2009), Globalizazio eta Europear integrazioaren
ondorioz, Estatu-Nazioen barruan postabertzaletasun baten biziberritze bat areagotzen
ari baita. Lurraldeak beraien bidea hartzen ari dira. Baina bide guztiak ez dira berdinak
eta ez dituzte emaitza berdinak izanen. Hor, Gizarte Berrikuntzaren ekarpena
ezinbestekoa da, prozesu demokratiko horiek estrategikoki ikertu, behatu eta aurrez
prestatu ditzagun. Eskuizkribuan autoreak, Euskal Herria www.cityregions.org
proiektuan ikertzen diren gainontzeko 7 Hiri-Eskualde diren lurraldeekin alderatzen
ditu: Dublin, Portland, Oresund, Islandia, Liverpool/Manchester, Eskozia eta Katalunia.
Lurralde bakoitzak bere berezitasunak eta baita bere estrategia eta politikak izanik.
Helburua, Euskal Herria bera erlatibizatzea da. Bere burua besteen bidez defini dezan
aurrerantza begira, eta ez noski Estatu Espainiar eta Frantsesaren baldintzagai
administratibo-politikoen eta koordenada cul de sac etengabeetan. Hori iragana beharko
luke izan.
Nola ikusten da Euskal Herria kanpotik? Eta barrutik ere bizi eta sentitzen dutenek, zer
ikusten dute? Zer egin hemendik aurrera? Argi dago, geopolitika eta geoestrategia berri
baten atezuan dagoela mundua baina baita ere Euskal Herria. Nola aprobetxatu
abagunea, izatera iritsi nahi duen Komunitate Nazionala izatera iristeko? Faktore batzuk

6.
eman dira, Lurralde Estrategia TransLoKal berriak eskatzen dituenak. Besteak beste
abagune berri hau honako faktoreak definitituta etorri da: ETAren borroka armatuaren
amaiera, normalizazio politiko eta bake prozesu baten balizko egoera, zatiketa
administratibo erreala, Estatu Espainiarraren eredu sozio-ekonomiko eta territorialaren
porrota, Estatu-Nazioen eredu zaharkitua, konstituziogintza berri baten beharra, hiri-
eskualdeen unitate geografikoen gailentzea, migrazio mugimenduen garrantzia,
iraganeko oinaz eta gamboa inertzia kulturalen perpetuazioa, eredu ekonomiko postkrisi
jasangarri eta sozialki orekatu baten beharra, etab. Hauek guztiek, Euskal Herriaren
lurraldetasunerako galderak sortu beharko lituzkete. Baina ez erantzun teoriko bat
emateko bueltan. Baizik eta hain beharrezkoa dugun policy-making kultura politiko eta
demokratiko bat gizarteratzeko. Horrexegatik, zubigintzan oinarritutako eztabaida eta
kultura politiko berri bat behar du Euskal Herriak, eskuizkribu honen arabera.
Zubigintzan eta akordioetan oinarrituko den Politika PostIndependentista moderno,
eguneratu eta nazioartearekin etengabeko loturak dituena.
Izan ere, aztertzen diren beste lurraldeetan, guztiek dute amankomunean zerbait: guztiak
dira Hiri-eskualdeak. Alegia, guztiek garatzen dituzte beraien erabakitze eskubidea edo
lurraldetasun subjektiboa lantzeko estrategia eta lurralde politikak. Horretan ez dago
ezberdintasunik. Euskal Herriak, zentzu horretan, bidea bakarrik egin beharrean, bere
prozesu demokratikoak ahalik eta Gizarte Berrikuntza altuenarekin egiteko prestatu
beharko luke beste lurraldeekin trukatuz irakasgaiak. Horri deitzen zaio
PostIndependentzia: biharko balizko lurralde independiente horren erabakitze-
eskubidea gauzatzeko, lurralde estrategia eta politiken alorretik gaurtik prestatu,
landu, aztertu, ikertu eta gizarteratzen joateko eszenarioa litzateke. Onartutzat
ematen baita, independentzia edo devolution (OECD, 2001) prozesuak, prozesu
demokratiko osoak direla, Europar Batasun eta mundu mailako lurraldeetan gertatzen
ari den moduan. Hala ere, prestaketa lan horretan beste lurraldeak behatu, konektatu,
benchmarking-a egin eta konparatzea ezinbestekoa da. Izan ere, Euskal Herriaren
nazioarteko nortasuna ezin da autoidentifikazio batean soilik oinarritu. Beste lurraldeen
errekonozimendua landu beharrean dago Euskal Herria datozen 5 urteotan. Balizkoak
zaizkion estrategia eta politika TransLoKal zentzu horretan ezinbestekoak ditu. Alegia,
bat, kanpora begira jartzea, barrukoarekin txertatuz oso modu sistematikoan eta bi,
ekintzaile translokalei bere paper protagonista emanez, erakundeen dominantzia itsu eta
geldoetatik at. Ekintzaileak aurretik joan behar dira, erakundeak babesa emanez, atzetik.
Eta ez gertatzen dena, hain zuzen alderantzizkoa: erakundeak estaltzen duela, ekintzaile
gutxi batzuen iniziatiba, guztia geldiaraziz, dinamismoa itzaliz, aldaketak oztopatuz,
sistema itoz.
#HanIzanikHonaGara, PostIndependentzia eszenarioa prestatzen joateko tresna
bat da, apurka apurka baina maila sistematiko, serio eta estrategikoan. Kanpoa
naiz barrua, barrua naiz kanpoa uztartzen joateko. Bestela, inprobisazio eta
prospektibarik gabeko behin behineko ekintzek lurraldegintza bilutsik utzi ahal dute,
noraezean. Euskal sistemak susperketa behar du. Eta susperketa horretan, erakunde
publiko, enpresa, akademia, teknologia zentru, sindikatu, eragile sozial eta ekonomiko,
gizarte zibil eta gizabanakoak (ekintzaile/aktibistak) ezinbestekoak dira.

7.
Eskuizkribua, bi ataletan banatua dago. Saiakera ekintzailea izatea du helburu. Alegia,
maila pertsonaletik idatzia dago modu librean, baina kutsu eta sistematika akademikoa
izanik ere, bukaeran proposamen prospektibo eta konparatibo batekin amaitzen da.
Emaitza operazional gisa, www.PostIndependence.org plataforma,
PostIndependentziarako Komunitate Translokal horiek modu offline eta online batean
auto-antolatzea izanik proposamen konkretua.
Lehenengo atalean, #HanIzanikHonaNaiz, autorea, Joseba Sarrionandiaren aiputik
abiatzen da. Saiakera pertsonal esperientzial baten estiloarekin hasten da. Ardatza
garbia da, zer da lurraldea eta zer litzateke euskal lurraldetasuna testuinguru geopolitiko
eta geoestrategiko translokal batean.
Bigarren atalean, #HanIzanikHonaGara, autoreak postura pertsonala alboratu eta
ikertzailearen rol-a hartzen du, saiakera zientifiko ekintzaile bat proposatuz. Galderak
darabilzki, erantzun sortak proposatuz. Beti ere preskripzioa baino, eztabaida lerratzea
delarik helburu bakarra. Ahalegin berezia egina dago, eztabaida sendo eta errigorezko
bat irekitzeko. Atal hau lau azpiataletan dago banatua: Mapak, Izenak (& Izanak),
Lurraldeak eta Estrategiak. Azpiatal bakoitza aldi berean lau zatitan banatzen da.
Helburua, PostIndependentzia atalera iristea da, lehenago; Gizarte Berrikuntza Kritikoa,
Smart City, Gu (& Besteak?) 8 lurraldeen konparaketa, Hiri-Eskualdeak, Komunitateak
eta Translokalak azalduz, atzetik Aurrera.
Igor Calzada, PhD
June 2014 Ekainak
#HanIzanikHonaGara #BeingThereWeAreHere