Law, economics, politics, ecology, science, linguistics… There is plenty to do during the six days of the Catalan summer university in Prades! From July 17 to 23, the town is the site of an important event for defenders of Catalan culture and Catalanists. A week to exchange around the Catalan language and culture.
An appointment that had been missing for two years. Due to the Covid pandemic, many conferences had to be organized remotely and activities cancelled. The university is therefore back to its usual routine: the Vallroc castle and the Le Lido cinema will welcome academics for debates. The Jean-Cocteau room will host Catalan lessons. Finally, free entertainment will take place on the church square in Prades.
A week of learning…
Sabrina is a bookseller in Perpignan. She is present at the university to sell her works written in Catalan. For her, “this meeting is important. There are professors, who are references in their field, who come to give lessons, but it is also a meeting place for the inhabitants of the Catalan countries“.
And Catalans, there are some, like José and Louis. Both came from Catalonia to attend this university. They already have a small program in mind: “I want to participate in the course on natural science. It is important to get closer to nature in this time of global warming”, for Jose. As for Louis, he makes no choice, “history, philosophy, economics… Everything interests me!”
All meetings are obviously in Catalan. A difficulty for the curious French who would come to take a look. But nothing to discourage Mireille. She is from Alsace and she moved to Prades in 2016. Since then, she has participated in university several times, always with the same desire, _“open up to another way of seeing the world and another culture than mine”_. She wishes to participate in the astronomy class, but she admits it, “Sometimes they talk so fast that I don’t understand anything. Luckily there are photos I can hang on to!”
…and defense of the Catalan language
Through this university, the organizing foundation Catalan Summer University also hopes to raise awareness of the issue of regional languages. For its president, Joandomènec Ros, “As in Spain, France is not aware of its linguistic richness.” According to him, regional languages must become everyday languages, “why not at the National Assembly, with simultaneous translation?”. The risk, otherwise, “is to lose this wealth”._
This year, the event is focused on links between Catalonia and its Spanish and European neighborswith, among other things, lectures on “The place of stateless nations in Europe and globalisation” Where “The Catalan country: end of course or last refuge?” The question of the independence of Catalonia is assumed. With, as guest of honor, the former Scottish Prime Minister Alex Salmond. He was the first, in 2004, to organize a referendum on independence in his country. The “no” had won at 55.3%.