Gallery

Another Spain

Neus Carañana and Joan Pedro

These pictures try to portray 'the other Spain', that is a reality (peoples, situations, concerns...), which does not fit the establishment's discourse even if sometimes it is far from being of a radical nature. But, neo-liberal globalisation is the enemy of variety. That is why the selected pictures reflect Spain's 'otherness' in the sense of different proposals such as recovering the memory of the Second Republic, or threatened lifestyles like that of the peasants who now oppose urban speculation, without forgetting the fast-growing immigrant community. Because of its importance and trajectory, social movements deserve to be considered and analysed.

Taking a brief look at the Spanish history from the 20th century onwards, one observes that repressive forces brought with them popular struggles that were occasionally successful. An example of this struggle was the passion and conscience displayed by the popular forces during the Civil War. In particular the role of feminine symbols of the resistance and revolutionary spirit spring to mind, such as the historical leader of the Communist Party 'La Pasionaria' (The Passionflower) who, during the defence of Madrid, coined the sluagh-gairm '¡No pasarán!' ('They shall not pass!'). There was Rosario 'The dynamiter' who after loosing her hand continued to fight without pay for the Republic, and anarchist Federica Montseny who was the first female Minister in Western Europe during the Second Republic.

But, perhaps, the most notable demonstration of revolutionary consciousness translated into practical experience was that of 1936 when workers and peasants seized and collectivised agrarian lands, running them under an anarchist conception as libertarian communes. Urban transports and factories were also under the worker's control. George Orwell described the situation in Catalonia, where more than 70 per cent of the rural areas followed this self-managed economy, writing that 'in theory it was perfect equality, and even in practice it was not far from it' (Homage to Catalonia).

If we jump in time to the 21st century, we may say that amidst the generalised ideological passivity, the forces opposing to injustice still occupy a relatively important social niche. It was during the Popular Party's (PP) government that social movements hatched. Aznar followed out-and-out neo-liberal precepts and adopted an authoritarian conduct disregarding society's views. He joined Bush and Blair in the war in Iraq, and society replied with some of the most massive demonstrations in Europe.

Due to the 70th anniversary of Franco's uprising against the Republic, the parliament declared 2006 as the 'Year of Historical Memory' which the PP opposed. This is a noteworthy initiative partially applauded by the left which may put an end to the 'Pact of Silence' imposed during the transition, but there have not been enough institutionally-promoted events that commemorate the resistance of the past.

However, social organisations are doing a valuable work recovering the memory of those killed and repressed by the dictatorship, and the progressive and lay idiosyncrasy of the Republic.

Nevertheless, social movements have serious difficulties to transmit their messages or achievements because of the gross inequalities in access to mainstream media sources. For example, in the recent political visit of the Pope to Valencia very little coverage was given to the 'Jo no t'espere' ('I'm not waiting for you') campaign. Even more worrying was the assumption by the mainstream media that all citizens were welcoming the Pope, thus siding with his views on family, gay marriage, abortion, conservatism, etc., using such generalised terms as 'the eager Valencian People', 'the families are delighted' or 'income for Valencia'.

The Popular Party government of Valencia has spent around €30 million during the less than two days that Benedict was in Valencia. Since its election, the PP has invested heavily in creating a new image of the city, which has sought to portray Valencia as a modern city. However, in our view the monuments on public display are both ostentatious and fatuous and they abandon the needs of the 'less visible'.

This photo-essay tries to augment the visibility of the doomed to silence, thereby giving a different image of what happens in Spain to the mainstream. Poet Luis Cernuda referred to Spain in 1949 as 'now desert, now oasis', the pictures here are meant to add a few drops to the increasingly thirsty oasis.