solidarity

More than 200 associations come together to promote Catalonia as 'home' for refugees

November 29, 2016 07:03 PM | ACN

“Catalonia has always been a welcoming land”. This is the leitmotiv of the campaign launched today by 200 Catalan associations and NGOs and a hundred cultural companies and citizens. The initiative ‘Our home, your home’ seeks to promote the reception of refugees in Catalonia through a wide range of activities aimed at raising awareness among society. The movement arose from a group of Catalan volunteers who worked in the informal refugee camps in northern Greece, until the refugees were evicted and moved to premises under military control. “We felt ashamed of being accomplices to the policies of our Government and we promised we would do something to change their [the refugees] situation”, explained Ruben Wagensberg. Although Spain has to receive 10,500 refugees according to the scheme of distribution of the European Commission, it has only welcomed 516 to the date. The main goal of the initiative is to ensure that Catalan institutions act, ignoring the inaction from Spain, and start welcoming refugees. 

Puigdemont “will do the same” as previous Government regarding the 9-N consultation

September 15, 2016 06:42 PM | ACN

Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, stated this Thursday that he “will do the same” as the previous Government did regarding the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, which took place in 2014. “If the Government has to make decisions in a comparable situation, we will do exactly the same and assume responsibility before those who believe that the Rule of Law is not reinforced by participation but through the Court”, he said. Puigdemont made this statement, joined by Catalan Vice President, Oriol Junqueras, after meeting with former Catalan Minister and Catalan Democratic Party (PDC) spokesman in the Spanish Parliament, Francesc Homs, who is due to testify before the Supreme Court for co-organising the 9-N symbolic vote on independence.

Elderly couple from Catalonia among the 23 victims killed in Tunisia terrorist attack

March 19, 2015 05:13 PM | ACN

The terrorist attack in Tunis' Bardo National Museum that took place on Wednesday killed 23 people, 20 tourists and 3 locals, and injured more than 40. Among the fatalities there was an elderly couple from Barcelona, who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Antoni Cirera, aged 75, and Dolors Sánchez, aged 73, were given a cruise trip by their children to celebrate the special occasion. Their family is already on their way to the North African country. Neighbours preferred not to talk to the press out of respect for the family. The Catalan Government and Barcelona City Council have expressed "a fervent repulsion" to the attack and have paid tribute to the victims in Sant Jaume Square on Thursday. In addition, the Spanish PM, Mariano Rajoy, expressed his sorrow "for the Cirera-Sánchez family" and announced that members of the Spanish Police specialised in counter-terrorism have travelled to Tunisia.

Catalans support victims of Jihadist attack against ‘Charlie Hebdo’

January 8, 2015 03:35 PM | ACN

On Wednesday evening, spontaneous demonstrations were organised in front of the French Consulate in Barcelona and in other places across Catalonia in solidarity with the victims and in condemnation of the Jihadist slaughter that killed 12 people in the Paris headquarters of the weekly satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’. On Thursday morning, hundreds of citizens gathered in front of the main Catalan town halls as well. Furthermore, Catalan authorities have also paid tribute to the victims on the day after the massacre. The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas; the Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias; and the political groups of the Catalan Parliament all stood in front of their office buildings and observed a minute’s silence to pay homage.

Supermarkets and charities work together against food waste in Catalonia

November 29, 2014 01:50 PM | Nell English

Catalan supermarkets and charities are working together to fight against the 1.18 million tonnes of food wasted each year in Catalonia. With 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted each year worldwide, the issue of excess food is becoming increasingly important. Of the global figures, 89 million tonnes come from the EU, while 8 million come from Spain, making it the 7th highest in Europe. Of Catalonia’s share, the equivalent of 34.9 kg is wasted per person on an annual basis. One approach in reducing this figure is being undertaken by supermarkets, which are responsible for 16% of total excess food in Catalonia, equivalent to 41,600 tonnes of food a year. Approaches vary from locking bins to reducing prices, and relabeling food products. Moreover, Catalan charity Banc dels Aliments has been active in the campaign against wasting food, running a six-year long annual event of redistributing donated food.