FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 94 - ENGLISH

44 FERNANDO BUESA BLANCO FOUNDATION “COMPASSION TO TRANSFORM. MEMORY TO BUILD” FERNANDO BUESA AND JORGE DÍEZ WERE REMEMBERED ONCE AGAIN IN FEBRUARY IN VITORIA- GASTEIZ, 26 YEARS AFTER THEIR MURDERS BY ETA 26TH IN MEMORIAM FOR FERNANDO BUESA BLANCO AND JORGE DÍEZ O n 21 February, the 26th In Me- moriam was held in memory of Fernando Buesa and Jorge Díez, under the meaningful title “Compassion to transform. Memory to build. Errukia eraldatzeko. Eraikitzeko, memoria”. The concepts of compassion and memory were the central themes of this year’s event, through the calm and moving reflections of Sara Buesa and Alejandro Ruíz-Huer- ta, in a ceremony hosted, once again, by the journalist Eva Domaika. In a moving opening address, Sara Buesa recalled how violence can change your life with a devastating force that causes intense pain—a flash of pain that remains forever etched in the memory—but which must not prevent life from continuing with plans and hopes for the future. She ad- dressed the men who murdered her father, referring to themby names, those who have recently been granted parole, and expressed the hope that their time in prison had led them to reflect on the immense harm caused to their victims. She lamented the lack of empathy on the part of a section of Basque society that defends the rights of imprisoned perpetrators, forgetting the pain of the victims of their actions. Sara advocated for the need for a broad social embrace, one that allows for the building of community, overcoming the polarisation of ‘tribes’ entrenched in exclusionary identity-based criteria. An inclusive community is needed, based on human rights and, in the words of Fernando Buesa, on the condition of citizenship. The concepts of compassion andmem- ory were the central theme of a sincere dialogue that subsequently took place between Sara Buesa and Alejandro Ruiz-Huerta. Alejandro is survivor of the massacre of the labour lawyers at Atocha, which Alejandro himself prefers to call ‘The Night of Atocha’. Ruíz-Huerta has just published an es- sential book, entitled Violence. Com- passion. Memory . It is a personal reflection that introduced points for discussion into the dialogue between the two. It offers a perspective on the turbulent years of the Transition, with its various manifestations of violence, and of hopes and democratic commit- ment, in which the murderous attack at Atocha created an indelible, frozen memory, a pain that never goes away, and which Alejandro has sought to cope with through ‘non-violence’, writ- ten as a single word, an almost Gandhi- an way of rebuilding a life shattered by barbarism. ‘Nonviolence’ is more than just saying no to violence; it demands great courage and personal effort to overcome aggressive feelings. ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS