Òmnium Cultural

Òmnium Cultural
Motto Llengua, cultura, país
("Language, culture, country")
Founded July 11, 1961 (1961-07-11)
Founder Lluís Carulla, Joan Baptista Cendrós,
Fèlix Millet, Joan Vallvé, Pau Riera
Type Cultural institution
Location
Coordinates 41°23′30″N 2°10′09″E / 41.39167°N 2.16917°E / 41.39167; 2.16917Coordinates: 41°23′30″N 2°10′09″E / 41.39167°N 2.16917°E / 41.39167; 2.16917
Area served
 Catalonia
Members
 38069
Website omnium.cat

Òmnium Cultural (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈɔmnium kuɫtuˈɾaɫ] [1]) is an association based in Barcelona (Catalonia). It was originally created in the 1960s to promote the Catalan language and spread Catalan culture.

Over the years it has increased its political nature and as of 2012 it had evolved into a Catalan separatist[2] movement demanding self-determination for Catalonia.[3]

History

Òmnium Cultural was created on 11 July 1961 in the context of Francoist Spain when the institutional use of Catalan was forbidden. In 1963 the Francoist authorities closed down the association. Òmnium had to continue to exist as a clandestine association in 1963–1967. In 1967, after a long legal case before the Francoist courts, the association won its right to exist and was once again authorized.

In order to promote the Catalan culture within the many limits of Francoism, Òmnium was the main sponsor of creating various awards and literary contests for works published in Catalan, such as the Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes (1969). Then by the early 1970s it established the Nit de Santa Llúcia a festival of Catalan literature when three awards are granted: Premi Sant Jordi (novel), Premi Mercè Rodoreda (short story) and the Premi Carles Riba (poetry).

After the end of the Francoist dictatorship in 1975, Òmnium continued its work promoting Catalan language and culture. Once democracy was restored, Òmnium supported and defended Catalan self-government, specially since the Spanish Constitutional Court’s rejection of the new Estatut.[4] One million people marched on July 10, 2010 in Barcelona calling for national self-determination in a 2010 Catalan autonomy protest organized by Òmnium.[5]

Now it is one of the main civic organisations that are pushing Catalan politicians to hold a Catalan self-determination referendum despite this being unconstitutional according to the Spanish constitution.

Structure and funding

Òmnium claims to have more than 38,000 members and 30 regional offices besides the headquarters in Barcelona. At the 2014 election open for all of the association's members, 3,400 votes were polled.[6] The association is currently headed by Quim Torra.[7]

During 2005–2012 the association received up to 13 million euros in different grants from the Catalan regional government (Generalitat).[8] from which, 1.4 million were received in 2012 alone.[9]

In 2013 the association announced that it had resigned from its public money grant. The same announcement was made in 2014. Currently it claims to be receiving less than 10% of its budget in public money, from the local or provincial administrations while the rest of its operation costs are own funds.

In 2009 the Generalitat officially named Omnium as a public interest body, thus automatically conferring a more favourable tax regime for the association.[10]

Òmnium Cultural cooperates with other organizations that share similar goals in other Catalan-speaking territories: Acció Cultural del País Valencià [11](in the Valencian Community) and Obra Cultural Balear [12] (in the Balearic Islands).

It was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi by the Generalitat.

In November 2015 Òmnium was found responsible of unauthorized use and deficient custody of personal data for its activities, resulting in a 200,000 euros sanction imposed by the Spanish agency responsible for data protection.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Òmnium Cultural". Òmnium Cultural. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  2. ↑ Ediciones El País. "Òmnium adapta su ideario al secesionismo". EL PAÍS. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "What's going on in Catalonia?". Òmnium Cultural. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  4. ↑ Gaspar Pericay Coll. "Catalan News Agency - The Constitutional Court rejects the exclusion of its President requested by the Catalan Government". catalannewsagency.com. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  5. ↑ Catalan citizens protest for greater self-government (10-J). YouTube. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "El bluff de la societat civil". Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  7. ↑ "Quim Torra, nou president d'Òmnium Cultural". Òmnium Cultural. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  8. ↑ Antonio Fernández. Barcelona (6 April 2012). "La soberanista Òmnium Cultural ha ganado 13 millones en fondos públicos desde 2005". El Confidencial. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "El Govern hace pública una subvención de 1,4 millones a Òmnium Cultural". LA VANGUARDIA. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Muriel Casals releva a Jordi Porta al frente de Òmnium". Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  11. ↑ "Portada - Acció Cultural del País Valencià - ACPV". acpv.cat. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "OCB.CAT". ocb.cat. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  13. ↑

External links

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