On 14th May Alicante, Spain, holds Euromeeting, an annual event organised so that European residents in this part of Spain can share their cultural experiences. Euromeeting’s aim is to encourage a model based on the diversity of cultures and respect between different nationalities.
This is the third time the province of Alicante organizes Euromeeting. Alicante has more European residents (165,000) than any other region in Spain. According to the provincial goverment which sponsers Euromeeting, Alicante should aspire towards “full integration, forming part of a single society that we would like to see more open, more united, democratic and integration – a modern day reflection of our history where we all become citizens, neighbours and people from Alicante”.
Tomorrow’s Euromeeting 2005 gathering will be held in Villa Marco, El Campello, Alicante. The programme is as follows:
12.00: Official opening ceremony, chaired by the President of the Alicante Provincial Government, Jose Joaquin Ripoll
12.
15: Alicante, Europe for Everone. A commemorative act celebrating how citizens ferom different European counrtires live together
12.30: Opening of Info-Point:
A multilingual cultural information area about the Province
Representation of traditional professions carried out in the province of Alicante
Authentic traditional music from Alicante districts
Traditional Alicante dances
14.00: Lunch, giant paella made from ingredients typical to the province of Alicante
17.00: Closure of the 3rd Euromeeting
And throughout the day the following attractions will be on offer:
- Musical performances
- Sampling of local products
- Refreshments
- Gifts for all participants.
In Almeria, sadly, there is no such event, either at the diputación or the local level. No ‘Día de Europa’, no support for getting the Europeans on the padrón, etc.
The daily newspaper, La Voz de Almería, puts the British residents here at 2.000, the British Ambassador claims 25.000 (Jan ’05) and El Indálico, a newspaper from Mojácar and sympathetic to the Europeans, puts the entire EU group of full-time residents at 30.000.
La Voz de Almería, quoting the ‘asociación de residentes Live in Spain’ (who?) and the ‘Instituto IESE Bussiness School de la Universidad de Navarra (sic)’ claim on May 15th as their leader article that the European property owners in the province are ‘typically professionals and second home owners’ and that the rate of foreign owned homes has increased this year ‘by 400%’.
There is a long way to go in Almería…
Lenox Napier: http://www.theentertaineronline.com