• To be a living house that foments encounter and seeks the transformation of critical thinking on the basis of practice. Where good living is fostered from horizontal living together, feminism, eco-socialism, food sovereignty…
• To be a community house for the encounter of migrant and autochthonous “activists/defenders of rights”, whether in transit or permanently living there, whether guests or not. A solidary refuge that provides them with rest and serves as their rearguard, refuge and voice. Additionally, it is a space of training and reflection on how to achieve a just reception for migrants and refugees. And a school of experiences for learning new practices through contrasting and comparing the work of human rights defenders and diverse activisms, creating itineraries and circuits.
• To be an active space that foments encounter and seeks the transformation of critical thinking based on practice. Therefore, it is a space for the meeting of movements; a transversal school of the different social movements, which serves to advance in both theory and practice towards a new activism in the present context. For the confluence and encounter of social organisations – exchanges, meetings, workshops, courses, talks, congresses… Also workshops on agro-ecology, health, reception, civil disobedience… A permanent popular school that interacts and collaborates with other schools and workshops that have been working in popular education for some time.
• To be a junction-house where activism and people from Arratia and its surroundings can interact. A house where activism and the people of the valley/surroundings can come together naturally. And a space for coordinating the Artea Sarea network.
Main features and goals of the crowdfunding campaign
Basoa intends to enter into the philosophy of good living, combining solidarity and political practice with enjoyment and care. It will be a living house that will foment the transformation of thought on the basis of practice.
Basoa will be the community house of the defenders of human rights. It will provide them with a solidary refuge, rest, and the time and care needed to recover their voices, following the attempts to silence them in their lands of origin. We will protect the defenders of human rights with solidary action, but also because this is a form of confronting the system and making visible and denouncing the causes that have brought about the persecution or expulsion of these people.
Basoa wants to transform society, but it is also necessary to investigate, reflect on and divulge how it is to be transformed. To that end, it will be a permanent school for training new activism, based on popular training. It will be a space for the meeting of social movements and reception networks, for the exchange of experiences amongst those who meet there. Meetings, workshops, courses and talks will be held… and there will be a coordination space for Artea Sarea. Basoa will draw nourishment from the defence of human rights, civil disobedience, ecofeminism – which will be the fertilizer for our trees. The resulting forest will favour confrontation with the system, but not out of simple opposition, but instead by offering and experimenting with alternatives.
Basoa is located in Arratia and also wishes to dedicate the fruits of its trees to Arratia. Basoa aims to be a junction for activism in the area: a meeting point between agents and people from Arratia and its surroundings. Rooted in Arratia, it will focus on Euskara and Basque culture, but its goal will be cultural diversity.
Why this is important
Aimed at all people, migrants, refugees, defenders and activists, wherever they live. Although the house is physically located in the valley of Arratia in Biscay, its vocation is to cross physical, mental and symbolic frontiers.
We want to reach all those people, organisations, communities and social movements that want to combine radical social transformation with an open challenge to established power, with the construction of liberated spaces and forms of life articulated from below, and by those below, in order to sow silent rebelliousness, outside the state and outside the market.
A free territory for building utopias, here and now.
Team and experience
Our previous experience in the provision of reception is very big because our network, or team, in this project includes the people from the Artea Network, a network that has been receiving immigrants and refugees in different houses since 2016. At present they are currently managing the village’s tavern, which has a bar, a restaurant and a hostel. This hostel, together with a network of houses in Biscay, has cared for and provided shelter to over 700 people in recent years. That is why our experience in providing shelter is a broad one.
In addition we have an assembly and a working team distributed in different committees (finances, defenders, logistics, communication, calendar of events, energising team) that is made up of people with a wide experience of activism in social movements and organisations.
Channel 
