Òmnium Cultural

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Omnium Cultural was founded in 1961 and works to maintain and promote the Catalan language and culture. It's a politically non-aligned, independent association which has as its motto "Language, culture, country". Its goal is to defend and promote the language, culture and national identity of Catalonia. Òmnium Cultural has over 150.000 members in Catalonia and other Catalan-speaking areas and 27 regional delegations.

[edit] History

Founded on 2 July of 1961. Between 1963 and 1967, it was banned by the Francoist regime and hence the organisation got to work clandestinely.

Now Òmnium has adapted to today’s society. It's achievements have won recognition from the Catalan institutions and, for instance, it was awarded the Cross of Saint George by the Generalitat, the Catalan autonomous government.

Òmnium Cultural carries out activities which reaffirm the cultural and national reality of Catalonia. It offers different courses for everybody: history, language, etc., taking into account the high level of immigration to Catalonia.

Òmnium Cultural stimulates discussion, participates actively and takes a stand on the issues affecting Catalan civil society at the present time. A few examples: the European Constitution, Catalonia's Statute of Self-government or the violation of the language rights of Catalonia.

Over more, Òmnium strives to restore Catalonia's language, culture and identity to a normal situation. A few examples: supporting Catalan-language education in the schools or putting pressure on the government to call for products to be labelled in Catalan.

On Catalonia's National Day, it organizes the non-official event that draws the largest crowds:

the Freedom Festival:

- over 400 000 participants

- presence of personalities from the worlds of politics and culture

- commemorative tribute, exhibition of associations, children's festival, outdoor feast, reading of a manifesto, youth concert.

[edit] Projects

*Language: Òmnium Cultural promotes community cohesion by means of two programmes entitled "Voluntaris per la llengua" (volunteers for the language) and "Quedem?".

Quedem?

- 3.500 participants

- Language, leisure and social cohesion.

- Leisure activities for all the Catalunya's citizens, no matters where they come.

- Tool of relationship and knowledge of the environment.

Catalan-language volunteers

- 200 participants a year

- Exchanges between Catalan speakers and those learning to speak Catalan.

- One hour's conversation a week for 10 months.

- Mutual cultural enrichment.

*Culture:

Òmnium Cultural promotes Catalan culture: music, theatre, literature, dance, etc. It's organizes a festival of Catalan literature- the "Nit de Santa Llúcia" - and it grants two of Catalan culture's most outstanding awards: the Sant Jordi Prize and the Honour Award for Catalan Letters.

--> Sant Jordi Prize. A few of the winners: Julià de Jòdar, Emili Rosales, Carme Riera, David Castillo, Jordi Coca, Miquel de Papol, Emili Teixidor, ...

--> Honour Award for Catalan Letters. A few of the winners: Baltasar Porcel, Josep Termes, Feliu Formosa, Joan Francesc Mira, Josep Maria Espinàs, Teresa Pàmies, Miquel Martí i Pol, Pere Calders, ...

*Country: promoting the projection of the national identity of Catalonia as a nation.

[edit] Education

Òmnium works to promote Catalan language in schools. It has 21 partners and 7 local groups who work with a specific area of Catalan Culture.

Òmnium Cultural works with other organizations that share the same objectives, such as the Futbol Club Barcelona, Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Acció Cultural del País Valencià and Obra Cultural Balear.

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