PROFONDEUR STRATÉGIQUE Victimes, mémoire et vivre-ensemble au Pays Basque

Abstract

After studying the negotiations conducted by the Spanish state with ETA over two decades, the background to the peace process in the Basque Country, the disarmament of this armed organization, and the major role played by local elected officials and organized civil society in the peace process that happened in the Basque Country, it is time to examine the role of victims, memory and coexistence in this process. This is especially true since, from the outset, its promoters have been fully aware of the need to address these issues of the conflict. Indeed, the aim is to offer truth, justice, and reparation to all victims, whether their suffering was caused by armed organizations, such as ETA or Spanish paramilitary groups, or by law enforcement, while building an inclusive memory that promotes coexistence.
This article shows that this requires, in particular, the creation of a comprehensive map of the suffering endured, a task undertaken by the Permanent Social Forum ; Recognition of the victims, which notably implies a recurring reference to them by the actors involved in the peace process in each of their speeches, declarations, and press releases; initiatives taken to promote coexistence, including the meeting ‘‘To Build Our Coexistence’’ organized by Bake Bidea and the Artisans of Peace on June 7, 2019, in Biarritz; and the recommendations made by the Social Forum to build coexistence on sound and, consequently, solid foundations. Once again, organized civil society plays a leading role.