Draft report of the listening process in Busturialdea-Urdaibai - Agirrecenter

image inform — Draft report of the listening process in Busturialdea-Urdaibai

This Wednesday, July 23rd, Agirre Lehendakaria Center presented the first report resulting from the listening process developed in the region of Busturialdea-Urdaibai. These are the main conclusions:

Plurality. The first conclusion of this first phase of the listening process is that participation is very plural and active. We have already collected more than 500 narratives and identified another 400 people through the snowball process who will be interviewed in the coming months. Most of these narratives can be read in full on the digital platform set up for this process, anonymously and with the express permission of the participants. We sincerely appreciate the trust these people have placed in the work of the Agirre Lehendakaria Center and deeply respect those who did not wish to participate. Our goal is to try to understand in depth the opinions of both sides and to ensure that their perspectives are reflected in this report.

Methodological bias. The listening process has so far identified five main narratives. Although the sample we are working on is already significant, it is very important to remember that these preliminary results do not mean prevalence. The snowball process allows the opinions of the most interested and active people to be collected in the first phase, which may distort the final result. Over the coming months, we will see whether these perception patterns are confirmed or whether we need to introduce nuances and corrections. In our opinion, we still need to gather more opinions from migrants, better understand the perspectives of younger and older people, and of the main cultural actors in the territory.

Collaborative governance. The five narratives identified agree that there has not been enough information about the project and that the way in which this type of initiative is approached needs to be rethought. Both those in favor and those against, and especially those who do not express a definite opinion, consider that they do not have the necessary information and ask the Basque institutions to share it in real time. They believe that transparency could dispel doubts about the different steps that are already being taken.

This demand suggests a deeper debate on how large-scale strategic projects should be approached. Specifically, there is a need to incorporate a "collaborative governance" approach in which institutions engage in dialogue with social partners, businesses, and knowledge centers throughout the process, not just at the beginning or end. In the same way that new forums for collaborative governance have been opened to discuss the transformation of the Basque healthcare system, the energy model, and security policies, this type of strategic initiative should follow a similar model of action.

Need for further analysis. As in all social debates that generate conflicting opinions, the narratives collected suggest that there may be some difficulty in expressing public opinions on this issue and that the listening process should make a special effort to identify these possible hidden narratives.

Sustainable Human Development. Despite the differences and nuances, all narratives are built on a commitment to Sustainable Human Development. People who have been working for decades to promote the biosphere reserve believe that there has been a very positive evolution in the region. Previously, the declaration of a biosphere reserve was seen as a possible brake on economic development, and this narrative has evolved positively.

Today, there are opinions for and against the expansion of the museum, but above the different narratives there are common perception patterns and the arguments used to construct these narratives are similar: (1) it is necessary to combine special protection of the environment (due to its nature as a nature reserve) with the socio-economic development of the area, (2) we must commit to a model of tourism that takes into account the negative impacts it generates, especially on the quality of employment, the direct impact on rising housing prices, and the saturation of transportation systems. There is broad consensus on this issue and, to date, it is noteworthy that we have not encountered any narratives that deny climate change or that position themselves outside the framework of values associated with sustainable human development.

The development model. Most of the perception patterns identified share the view that the underlying debate is related to the region's development model. So far, the listening process and the work related to the strategic plan for the region's development have run in parallel, but in the future they could be interconnected.

These voices are calling for a new model of tourism and concrete solutions to the housing and transportation problems generated by the current model. All narratives agree that over the last 10 years, the way Basque society understands the value of tourism has changed, not only in Urdaibai. A decade ago, attracting visitors to a developing region was seen as a positive thing, but today there is a much more critical view of the real impact it has. What was once synonymous with prosperity now raises doubts and resistance because of its direct impact on housing, mobility, services, and social cohesion.

Location as a symbolic element. The possible location of the museum is a central issue. The listening process has shown that there is no outright opposition to the possibility of developing new cultural infrastructure. However, the location in Murueta is challenged by several narrative patterns and has become a symbolic point of friction, charged with environmental, historical, and emotional significance for the community. Rethinking the location, size, and nature of the possible sites for the museum would allow the debate to be restarted.

Added value. The most specialized narratives in the cultural industries demand greater clarity and definition of the art and museum offer. They consider that the building project has been presented, but little has been said about the potential added value and relevance of a new art infrastructure of this kind. Those interviewed so far show a need for the local community to identify with the project and to link it to the Basque identity. In the opinion of these sectors, specialization in art and nature should not be at odds with a greater presence of avant-garde Basque contemporary art.

Contradictions. Naturally, all narratives contain contradictions. We demand environmental commitments that we do not apply in our daily lives. We criticize the tourism model but then benefit from it as much as we can, in our own environment or when we visit other places. This listening process allows us to visualize these contradictions and accept them naturally, with the aim of enabling public discussion to help us accept the truth that exists in the opinions of others and be more self-critical of our own positions.

Feedback. This process is not binding, but it is helping to identify questions and suggestions that are both legitimate and reasonable. It will be up to the institutions to assess them and communicate their impressions and possible future actions. The deep listening approach does not replace decision-making, but it provides a basis for designing public policies that are sustainable over time because they make a special effort to understand the frameworks of meaning of citizens. At a deeper level, this debate allows us to talk about what model of development we want for the region (and for the whole of Euskal Herria) and how collaborative governance processes with a strong community perspective should be activated.

Report

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Preliminary report URDAIBAI - The listening process