EuskoSare is calling upon 20 young people of the Diaspora to help in the construction of the Azkarate Castle from July 6th through the 27th

The town hall of Azkarate, a town close to Donibane Garazi (St. Jean Pied de Port), in lower Navarre, is driving the creation of an International Center for the Diaspora in the town’s castle; and EuskoSare is participating in the momentum of this initiative.

From July 6th through the 27th, participants will collaborate in the rehabilitation and restoration of the castle. This will be the second year participants are collaborating in the castle’s restoration as the first event was held in 2006.

EuskoSare will select 20 youth that belong to Basque organizations throughout the world who wish to participate as volunteers in this project during the month of July. The candidates will only need to pay their airfare; the rest of the costs will be covered by the organizers.

The work to be done in the castle and the recreational activities during the stay in the Basque Country will be headed by the Concordia Association – specialized in organizing such international collaborative programs, and by EuskoSare, respectively.

The program is organized in the following way:

Date: July 6th through July 27th 2007

Application Deadline: May 1, 2007, at midnight, Basque Country time. It’s recommended that you don’t wait until the last hour to submit your application to avoid any problems that may arise.

What the volunteer work consists of: Various tasks in the areas of cleaning, painting, transporting materials, construction of a wall, etc.

How much time: 5 hours daily, Monday through Friday.

Recreation: During free time, various recreational and cultural activities will be organized, including trips to Hegolade (southern Basque Country), Lapurdi, and Xiberoa.

Application Requirements: Must be between the age of 18-35 at the time of applying. Belong to a Basque organization outside of the Basque Country. Completion of forms provided by the organizers. Send a copy of your passport and plane ticket before June 1, 2007.

Costs: Participants must pay their roundtrip ticket to the Basque Country along with an additional 22 euros.

Lodging and Food: The Concordia Organization and the town hall will take care of lodging in the town (rural setting) and all food costs for the participants.

Those interested can send in their request for an application through EuskoSare’s Contact Form (Recipients: EuskoSare Global), and provide the following information in the body of the form:
• First and Last Name
• Drivers License or ID Number
• Passport Number
• Date of Birth
• Complete Mailing Address
• Telephone Contact
• What Basque organization do you belong to?
• Have you previously participated in a volunteer program?

EuskoSare will contact each applicant to send them the forms and to ensure that all application requirements are fulfilled.
Once these steps are completed and the documentation has been verified, EuskoSare will confirm with the applicant on the status of their application. If the number of applicants exceeds 20 spaces, EuskoSare will select the candidates (taking into consideration the diverse participants from different communities).

More information:
Azkarate is a small town located near Donibane Garazi (St. Jean Pied de Port), the capital of lower Navarre. This medieval castle will be converted into the future International Center of the Diaspora, which will house Basque descendents who wish to travel to the lands of their ancestors. It will be a place for cultural exchanges with the Basque Diaspora in which all kinds of Basque cultural resources can participate in.

2006 Participants