Tramas è un'organizzazione indipendente che ha due obiettivi:
1) mettere in rete giovani sardi, studenti, ricercatori e
professionisti, operanti nelle città e nei paesi della Sardegna, in continente e all'estero;
2) mettere in cantiere iniziative di analisi e azione per lo sviluppo
della Sardegna.


domenica 12 giugno 2011

Sardinia - an outsider's first impression (di Barbara Grosse)

I had heard about Sardinia before. It was supposed to be beautiful, with people speaking another language than other Italians, who look differently even, very kind people who eat the best food on earth (or at least in Europe), and who don't cherish much the values of public transport (according to friends who had tried to travel the island via the public bus system and ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere).

From what I was told, I imagined the Sardinian people to be immensely proud of their great past as successors of the mysterious Nuraghic people, and their rebellious quest for independence, no matter how enduring and opressive their occupiers were.

I expected this self-confidence to be visible in particular through a use of the language: Sardinian. Soon I found out it was not so. The use of Sardinian among the majority of Sardinians seems to be restricted to ordering the "Ichnusa" beer, thereby preserving the ancient name of the island. I come from a country, Austria, where the public use of a minority language has been a major concern for minorities for a long time, a right enscribed in a State Treaty and in the constitution. The contentious issue here was whether the criterion for determining the bilingual character of a village which requires the authorities to install bilingual place signs, should be set at 10%, 17,5% or 25% of minority population (currently the second option prevails). Sardinians on the other hand would have hardly any difficulty argueing that they constitute the majority of people living in Sardinia . But there seems to be no interest by the authorities to even encourage the use of the language. What is the reason for this lack of awareness and this carelessness? Why is there no public interest like in Ireland , where people almost forgot their own ancient language, but are nowadays encouraged, through schooling and cultural initiatives, to practice their language?

Likewise, I expected Sardinians to be experts in the culture of the Nuraghic people, and was surprised to learn that no, there are no school trips organised to the astonishingly well preserved ruins of the Nuraghic settlements, and there are no adventure trips organised at full moon with bonfire and spiritual experience guaranteed. The Nuraghic vestiges could be a Stonehenge for Sardinia , only that there is even much more of it available around the island. How can it be that I had never even heard of the Nuraghic people in my life before coming to Sardinia ? Noone had spread the word.

Likewise, I expected Sardinians to be experts in the culture of the Nuraghic people, and was surprised to learn that no, there are no school trips organised to the astonishingly well preserved ruins of the Nuraghic settlements, and there are no adventure trips organised at full moon with bonfire and spiritual experience

2guaranteed. The Nuraghic vestiges could be a Stonehenge for Sardinia , only that there is even much more of it available around the island. How can it be that I had never even heard of the Nuraghic people in my life before coming to Sardinia ? Noone had spread the word.

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