by TONI ALBIR / EFE
Exactly one day after the Spanish government took action to strike down the new 9-N, ten famous personalities have signed a petition by Ara és l'Hora ("Now is the Time") asking that Catalans be allowed to vote. The list includes Nobel Peace Prize winner and Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, as well as Argentine pacifist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.
According to the document, "to prevent Catalans from voting appears to contradict the principles that inspire democratic societies". Eight other personalities have signed the statement: film-maker Ken Loach, Dutch sociologist Saskia Sassen (professor at Columbia University), prolific Irish writer Colm Tóibí, American literary critic Harold Bloom (professor at Yale University), producer and Irish activist Bill Shipsey (founder of Art for Amnesty International), historian and British Hispanist Paul Preston (professor at the LSE) and American diplomat Ambler Moss, former US ambassador.
They all insist that "the best way to resolve legitimate internal differences is to use the tools of democracy" and that's why they urge the Spanish and Catalan governments to "work together to allow the citizens of Catalonia to vote on their political future". In fact, all ten personalities agree that "a large majority of Catalans" have repeatedly expressed this wish and point to the Scottish and Quebec precedents as examples to be followed. The document is an initiative by a group of people led by Eduard Vallory --chair of the Unesco Centre of Catalonia-- who are active internationally.
LET CATALANS VOTE
A majority of Catalans have repeatedly expressed in different ways the
wish to exercise their democratic right to vote on their political future.
This strong demand to vote is the result of longstanding dissension
between the governments of Catalonia and Spain over the degree of
cultural, political, and financial autonomy that Catalans should enjoy,
despite several attempts to reach an acceptable solution.
Exactly one day after the Spanish government took action to strike down the new 9-N, ten famous personalities have signed a petition by Ara és l'Hora ("Now is the Time") asking that Catalans be allowed to vote. The list includes Nobel Peace Prize winner and Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, as well as Argentine pacifist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.
According to the document, "to prevent Catalans from voting appears to contradict the principles that inspire democratic societies". Eight other personalities have signed the statement: film-maker Ken Loach, Dutch sociologist Saskia Sassen (professor at Columbia University), prolific Irish writer Colm Tóibí, American literary critic Harold Bloom (professor at Yale University), producer and Irish activist Bill Shipsey (founder of Art for Amnesty International), historian and British Hispanist Paul Preston (professor at the LSE) and American diplomat Ambler Moss, former US ambassador.
They all insist that "the best way to resolve legitimate internal differences is to use the tools of democracy" and that's why they urge the Spanish and Catalan governments to "work together to allow the citizens of Catalonia to vote on their political future". In fact, all ten personalities agree that "a large majority of Catalans" have repeatedly expressed this wish and point to the Scottish and Quebec precedents as examples to be followed. The document is an initiative by a group of people led by Eduard Vallory --chair of the Unesco Centre of Catalonia-- who are active internationally.
A majority of Catalans have repeatedly expressed in different ways the
wish to exercise their democratic right to vote on their political future.
This strong demand to vote is the result of longstanding dissension
between the governments of Catalonia and Spain over the degree of
cultural, political, and financial autonomy that Catalans should enjoy,
despite several attempts to reach an acceptable solution.
As the precedents in Quebec and Scotland show, the best way to solve
legitimate internal disputes is to employ the tools of democracy. To
prevent the Catalans from voting seems to contradict the principles
that inspire democratic societies.
legitimate internal disputes is to employ the tools of democracy. To
prevent the Catalans from voting seems to contradict the principles
that inspire democratic societies.
Accordingly, we call on the Spanish government and institutions and
their Catalan counterparts to work together to allow the citizens of
Catalonia to vote on their political future and then negotiate in good
faith based on the result.
their Catalan counterparts to work together to allow the citizens of
Catalonia to vote on their political future and then negotiate in good
faith based on the result.
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