This series of workshops were provided by the Basque Government's visiting team of instructors that traveled to the communities of Mountain Home, ID; Elko & Gardnerville, NV.  Thanks to them and their gracious hosts it was another successful series.

NABO's "Gurea Educational Workshops are efforts to address the needs of our member organizations. We are fortunate to count on the support of the Basque Government to pay for the flights which is always the biggest hurdle. With their ongoing support--and the willingness and generosity of host clubs--we hope to continue these annual programs.

ESKERRIK ASKO:  Thank you to the hosting clubs!

Visiting instructors sponsored by the Basque Government of Euskadi
Natalia Ruiz n-corres@ej-gv.es	The 'N' Team Visiting team of Basque Country instructors Last year we had the "A" team of Aimar & Asier; for Summer 2011 we had Natalia & Nora, our N or neska team	Nora Unzueta n-unzueta@ej-gv.es

The series of workshops presented various aspects of Basque culture ...

for all ages.

The workshops rotate because we try to keep this moving around to try and touch as many communities as we can based on 1) the time that our guests have to travel here and 2) the number of clubs that step up and host. So while it might not be possible to have something every year, perhaps every other year we can help to arrange something for member organizations somewhere nearby, because that's the purpose of N.A.B.O.: to help clubs help themselves to keep Basqueness alive.

The "N Team" of Natalia & Nora with host community organizers in Elko, NV

For Basque culture to endure we'll need to find a viable balance between the fun of being Basque (e.g., festivals) and knowing something more about what being Basque is about.  That is why N.A.B.O. is following the motto Celebrate + Educate = Perpetuate.  N.A.B.O. has developed the GUREA Cultural Literacy program.  Gurea is Basque for "it's ours."  This program aims to develop and implement some effective methods to sustain "Basqueness:" Basque culture and identity--something that all of our Basque organizations have a shared interest in developing.   It's two major components are the Gurea Educational Workshops and Entertainment Tours.

"If Mohammad can't go to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammad."

As the above saying states, it makes sense for us too.  If people are not able to attend N.A.B.O. events, then we have to develop initiatives where we bring the action closer to them.  The key is to create some events where families can get together because one of the main things that Basque culture has to offer--what we have to "sell" sort of speak--is that we do things across the generations.  In our society, that is not usually the case.  Teenagers hang around their own age group, senior citizens with their own etc.  So the more we do things like this, the better chance we have of showing what special things Basque culture possesses.