Googaz

Googaz is a movement created by non-conformist Millennials which aims to encourage the young people of the Basque Country into action and be the owners of their own lives. This movement commenced in 2017. Three editions have been held so far and in each one the Basque youth has worked on one social challenge.

Googaz returns for another year with a new challenge, emancipation. This edition receives the support of BBK Kuna, the Bizkaia Provincial Council and several town councils.

In 2019, the average emancipation age of the Basque population was around 30. This average emancipation age is four year higher than the European average. In addition, due to Covid-19, the situation has deteriorated.

What are the reasons behind all of these data? What view do young people have about this? How can they be helped? What ideas do they propose? We want to learn about the reality of young people, listen to their needs and encourage them to seek answers to the current situation, turning them into active agents for change.

In order to achieve this goal, Googaz will implement the following process:

Phase 1.: municipal events. From 26 March to 29 May, we will travel through several municipalities with the Devil’s Games. Young people between the ages of 18 and 30 may participate in the Googaz event in teams of 3 people. Registration must be carried out on the googaz.eus website.

Phase 2.: territorial cups. The town team winners will have the chance to participate in the territorial cup. On a morning in June, these young people will seek solutions to the emancipation problems identified in phase one by developing different projects.

Phase 3.: life experience. The cup winners will travel to Africa and will develop different competencies through the Africa Basque Challenge programme.

This Googaz edition gives a nod to Basque culture and traditions. The Devil’s Games are based on Basque mythology, specifically the legend of Mari de Anboto. The legend about Mari, tells about a family that could not have children and that the devil allowed them to have a daughter. He gave them one condition, when the daughter turned 20, he would take her with him forever. However, the couple decided to go ahead and have the daughter. When Mari was about to turn 20, they put her in a glass box to protect her from the devil, but on her birthday, the devil appeared, and removed the her from the box, and took her away to Anboto forever. All of us young people are protected by our family in a glass box. Until we take that step, and leave the box, which makes us free and begin to travel down our own road.

In order to play the Devil’s Games, the young participants have to enter the boxes in teams and play traditional childhood games. It will be a contest between teams.

Will you be able to get out of the box? Will you manage to make the devil help put you through to the cup? Are you ready to have fun and win?

Welcome to the gen Z and Millennial revolution.

 Let the game begin!