 |
 he
real diversity of living cultures constitutes a richness of
the Catalan identity, it doesn’t exist alone but in multiple
forms of Catalanity. In this way the Catalan sentiment doesn’t
depend on knowledge of the language, it is good enough that
it is being strengthened and made public. A Catalan family tree
does not justify a Catalan sentiment, a number of Catalan descendants
have their roots outside of Catalonia and have forgotten their
origins. Under these conditions the free access to Catalanity
is simple; an interest in the Catalan symbols, the history,
the cuisine, the rugby, the land, the literature, the values
or the art is sufficient to pave the way towards a more general
feeling shared between all.
 |
The
‘new Catalans’, recently installed, are naturally given to sharing
the values and the lifestyles of the region: a sporting victory,
an economic crisis, a climatic disaster are things which would
play with the Catalan synergies – and eliminate all considerations
of origins, binding all residents around a common cause. This
doesn’t replace the necessary course for attaining this collective
Catalanity, the methods of entering the collective are diverse
and all Catalans, by birth or adopted, have contributed to it
for more than a thousand years. The absence of constraints at
the foundation of the Catalan spirit can astonish the visitor
used to a union proved by strict rules and which are obeyed
for the most part by states intent on defending their culture.
The Catalan social reality demonstrates its power of integration
and its modernity, and thus it assures the survival of a culture
threatened but living. It is powerful at its foundation, enriched
by contributions from outside and ready to adapt itself with
the coming maturity of France, Europe and the world.
|
|
