IV World Congress of Basque Communities, 2007
Zubigintzan”
The IV World Congress of Basque Communities, “Zubigintzan” (building bridges) has passed in Bilbao a Document of Conclusions that the Advisory Council of Basque Communities takes into account in order to elaborate the Four Year Institutional Plan 2008-2011. Every four years, the Basque Government, through the Directorate for Relations with Basque Communities, organizes this Congress to promote relations between the Basque Centers and Communities abroad and the Basque institutions.
This IV Congress, that has taken place from July the 9th to the 13th, 2007, has had the goal to promote and open new ways of relation among individuals, societies, companies and governments that can contribute to build multi directional bridges and communication channels that strengthen and narrow the relation between the Basque Country and the Basque diaspora. Throughout five days, around 120 participants have met in different working sessions that have included the discussion of more than twenty reports.
During the Closing working day, the delegates of the different countries have elected their representatives for the Advisory Council, consultative board where representatives of the Basque institutions and the Basque clubs and federations join and work together. Xabier Berrueta (from San Francisco, USA), Carlos Sosa (from Buenos Aires, Argentina), and Jon Zaballa (from Madrid, Spain) will represent the Basque Clubs and Federations from now on until the next Congress (V Congress) takes place in 2011. The main goals of this Advisory Council are to elaborate a Four Year Plan and propose the institutions of the Basque Autonomous Community to pass or include changes to the regulations that are ruling nowadays the relations with the Basque communities.