Publication Type: Poster
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: National identity and ingroup-outgroup attitudes (evaluation and affect) as well as the relation of these variables to age, gender and national group were investigated in 101 Basque children aged 7 and 11 years-old who belonged to 2 national groups: the Basque and the Basque-Spanish. It was found that older Basque children’s scores in the six dimensions of the National Identity Scale were higher than those of Basque-Spanish children at the same age, showing that national identification is more salient for 11 years-old Basque children than for Basque-Spanish children of that age. In relation to Ingroup-outgroup attitudes, it was found that, although both Basque and Basque-Spanish children show more positive attitudes (i.e. show higher positivity and likeability) towards their ingroup than towards the outgroups, the positive attitudes toward the ingroup showed by the Basque children are higher than those of the Basque-Spanish children. Moreover, Basque children’s attitudes towards outgroups in general and traditional enemies in particular are more negative than those of the Basque-Spanish children. Finally, it was found that while with Basque children certain dimensions of national identity correlate positively with positive attitudes toward the ingroup and negatively with positive attitudes towards traditional enemies, with Basque-Spanish children correlate positively with positive attitudes toward both the ingroup and the national outgroups. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: There have been several attempts by different Spanish governments to reach peace accords with the Basque terrorist organization, ?Basque Homeland and Freedom? (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or ETA), yet none have worked so far. Many Basques believe now is the time to reach an indefinite ceasefire and reach a peaceful solution to the conflict with the newly-elected (2004), Spanish-socialist government (Partido Socialista Obrero Español or PSOE) of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. After numerous arrests of ETA operatives (almost 170 this year), following the atrocity of March 11th, 2004, the illegalization of the leftist-Basque party, ?Unity? (Batasuna) and the general initiatives toward peace, the Basque-hardliners are more willing to create a peace process similar to Northern Ireland. Beyond resolution initiatives of this conflict and the sustainability of peace in the region, this paper will examine how ethnic minorities of Europe such as Basques will view nationalism in the future. Will Basques have rights in the European Union? How have Basques re-imagined their identity within this changing Europe? What does peace mean to the Basques after more than forty years of conflict?

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In cases of protracted conflict, the development of a peace process is often stymied by the fact that the search for the middle ground generally proves elusive as the extremists succeed in an ever escalating and polarizing outbidding contest for ethnic support. In the 1980s and early 1990s, attempts at a negotiated peace settlement to the Spanish/Basque conflict succumbed to such pressures. However, toward the end of the 1990s a grassroots movement in support of all-party dialogue, led by the group Elkarri, emerged. This movement has been successful in maintaining sufficient pressure on all parties to the conflict to keep a peace settlement on the political agenda. In this paper, I examine the emergence and evolution of the Basque Peace Congress fostered by Elkarri and its role in sustaining support for a peace process among all parties to the conflict.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In this new era, the apparent problem of Global Warming is bringing about many social
responses and opinions. Most of those social movements seem to be directly influencing into the politic structure as first step to change the law secondly.
I have recently observed how diverse NGOs and political parties are finding relevancy in their proposals not only in Basque Country but in the global socio – legal sphere.
Therefore, the presentation will basically be on the study of the role of the NGOs in the Basque Country as agents of social change and how they shape social and cultural practises that constitute legal consciousness in an organizational and institutional context.

Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Envisioning a violent conflict one tends to think about the “physical” aspects of the issue, focusing on the powerful images of destruction, lost lives, chaos and mayhem. However, what is often overlooked is that the language used to interpret such situations can play as important a role in perpetuation or ending the conflict, as these images themselves. The Spanish Basque Country is a good example here. Sides involved have completely different perceptions of what is at stake and a different language to express them. For the Basque political forces, for example, there is a political conflict resulting in violence. For the Spanish side, there is no conflict, but a problem, which is violence.

These different understandings have roots in the fundamental disagreements over the nature of the nation and the state. Rigid frames created around these concepts on both sides make a communication between them very difficult and position the discourse itself as one of the fundamental elements of a conflict.

The discourse is, by definition, a structure. However, the structure itself is not static, but dynamically changes its content reacting to the flow of events. Therefore the structure of discourse of all the involved parties in the conflict may alter to overcome political violence. Using concepts taken from discourse theories and cognitive linguistics this paper examines discursive structures representing the issue and the possibility of their transformation to create a more peaceful environment.