Òmnium recognizes Eliseu Climent, the trench intellectual who has disobeyed the contempt for language

BarcelonaA trench intellectual, resilient, imaginative, and stubborn. With these words, and many more, Mònica Terribas has defined the Valencian Eliseo Clemente (Llombai, 1940) who this Saturday at the UPF received the first Òmnium Award for National Commitment, granted by the board of Òmnium Cultural. A cultural activist and defender of the national framework of the Països Catalans, Climent is the founder of the weekly magazine The Weather, co-founder of Acció Cultural del País Valencià, promoter of the October Awards and founder of the Tres i Quatre bookstore and publishing house. "The country has completely captivated me. I have become completely obsessed with saving it in order to generate a future for our nation. I maintain this obsession. To put it as Espriu would say, I will always remain faithful to these people," said Climent upon receiving the award in front of an excited audience, Aragonés, and the Minister of Language Policy, Francesc Xavier Vila.

During his speech, the activist and intellectual recalled that he has been collaborating with Òmnium Cultural for over sixty years to "structure the country through language." The Òmnium Award for National Commitment is the only honorary recognition that the board of directors can grant and has never been awarded before. It is reserved for people who have made an outstanding contribution to the country and the language, as is the case of Eliseu Climent.

Before the award ceremony, Mònica Terribas, a board member of Òmnium, praised Climent, thanking him for his dedication. Beyond his work as an editor, the journalist highlighted his ability to "disobey silence." Climent has made ideas sprout. When everything seemed quiet, he watered the dry land. He created institutions, spaces for dialogue, physical or media-based, on the street or in schools," the journalist summarized.

"There are feats that are not achieved with swords but with books, words, and dignity," Terribas concluded, recalling that Climent "has made a unity that others cannot achieve."

For his part, Xavier Antich, president of Òmnium Cultural, stated that one of the organization's goals is to make Catalan available to everyone, everywhere. "We have to live up to those who came before us," he emphasized. "We have to rethink the country we want, and we have to do it bravely and with mature debates," he added.

During Òmnium's General Assembly this Saturday, Jordi Pujol, Xavier Trias, and Jaume Padrós were also presented with a commemorative pin for fifty years of association with the organization.