Òmnium Cultural

Òmnium Cultural was created on 11 July 1961 in the context of Francoist Spain when the institutional use of Catalan was forbidden. In 1963 the Francoist authorities closed down the association. Òmnium had to continue to exist as a clandestine association between 1963–1967. In 1967, after a long legal case before the Francoist courts, the association won its right to exist and was once again authorised.

In order to promote Catalan culture within the many limits of Francoism, Òmnium was the main creator and sponsor of various awards and literary contests for works published in Catalan, such as the Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes (1969). In the early 1970s it established the Nit de Santa Llúcia a festival of Catalan literature where three prizes are awarded: the Premi Sant Jordi (novel), the Premi Mercè Rodoreda (short story) and the Premi Carles Riba (poetry).

After the Francoist dictatorship ended in 1975, Òmnium continued its work promoting Catalan language and culture. Once democracy was restored, Òmnium supported and defended Catalan self-government.

It was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi by the Catalan government (Generalitat) in 1984 and named a public interest body in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://dogc.gencat.cat/ca/pdogc_canals_interns/pdogc_resultats_fitxa/?action=fitxa&documentId=242713|title=Resultats i fitxa|website=Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya}}{{Cite news|title=Muriel Casals releva a Jordi Porta al frente de Òmnium |url=http://elpais.com/diario/2010/03/21/catalunya/1269137245_850215.html |work=El País |date=21 March 2010 |accessdate=2015-06-23|last1=Serra |first1=Catalina }}

After the Spanish Constitutional Court's rejection of the new Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia in 2010, one million people marched in Barcelona calling for national self-determination in a 2010 Catalan autonomy protest organised by Òmnium.{{cite web|url=http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/the-constitutional-court-rejects-the-exclusion-of-its-president-requested-by-the-catalan-government|title=Catalan News Agency - The Constitutional Court rejects the exclusion of its President requested by the Catalan Government|author=Gaspar Pericay Coll|work=catalannewsagency.com|accessdate=23 September 2015}}{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0_J48VVurw&list=PL5u49XPks3PkEXpEB32tKn4GYBDbVGGjY&index=6 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/L0_J48VVurw |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Catalan citizens protest for greater self-government (10-J)|date=13 July 2010|work=YouTube|accessdate=23 September 2015}}{{cbignore}}

In December 2015, Jordi Cuixart was elected president by a large majority.{{Cite web|title=Jordi Cuixart és proclamat nou president d'Òmnium |url=https://www.omnium.cat/noticia/jordi-cuixart-es-proclamat-nou-president-domnium |website=Òmnium Cultural |accessdate=2017-07-25}} He was then re-elected in 2018. During Cuixart's arrest, the most visible member of the association was its spokesman Marcel Mauri.{{Cite news|url=https://www.omnium.cat/ca/el-portaveu-domnium-cultural-marcel-mauri-fa-una-crida-a-la-mobilitzacio-dissabte-per-exigir-la-llibertat-de-jordi-cuixart-i-jordi-sanchez/|title=El portaveu d'Òmnium Cultural, Marcel Mauri, fa una crida a la mobilització dissabte per exigir la llibertat de Jordi Cuixart i Jordi Sànchez|date=17 October 2017|work=Òmnium Cultural|access-date=6 December 2018|language=ca}} In 2022 Xavier Antich won the association's presidency with the 21,758 votes cast in an election where Antich was the sole candidate.{{Cite news|url=https://www.revistarambla.com/cuixart-pasa-el-relevo-a-antich-al-frente-de-omnium-cultural/|title=Cuixart pasa el relevo a Antich al frente de Òmnium Cultural|work=Revista Rambla|access-date=10 April 2022|language=es}}

Òmnium was one of the main organisations, together with Assemblea Nacional Catalana, supporting the Catalan self-determination referendum in 2017. After Operation Anubis, both the president of Òmnium, Jordi Cuixart, and the president of ANC, Jordi Sànchez, were sent to jail.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20171017/432132340676/sanchez-cuixart-soto-del-real-prision-anc-omnium.html|title=Sànchez y Cuixart se disponen a pasar su primera noche en prisión|date=17 October 2017|work=La Vanguardia|access-date=6 December 2018|language=es}} Since then, several organizations including Amnesty International, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, PEN International, the World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line Defenders and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers have asked for their release.{{Cite news|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur41/7308/2017/en/|title=Spain: charges for sedition and pre-trial detention against Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez are excessive|work=Amnesty International|access-date=2017-10-18}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.es.amnesty.org/en-que-estamos/noticias/noticia/articulo/actualizacion-de-la-situacion-en-cataluna/|title=Actualización de la situación en Cataluña|date=1 October 2018|work=Amnesty International|access-date=23 November 2018|language=es}}{{cite news |title=High Commissioner's global update of human rights concerns |url=http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22772&LangID=E |work=OHCHR |date=2018-03-07 |access-date=2018-03-08 }}{{Cite news|url=https://pen-international.org/news/statement-following-pen-internationals-visit-to-imprisoned-catalan-civil-society-leaders|title=Statement following PEN International's visit to imprisoned Catalan civil society leaders|date=8 August 2018|work=PEN International|access-date=9 August 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.omct.org/monitoring-protection-mechanisms/urgent-interventions/spain/2018/11/d25127/|title=Spain: Open Letter: End the arbitrary pre-trial detention of social leader Mr. Jordi Cuixart|date=22 November 2018|work=World Organisation Against Torture|access-date=22 November 2018|publication-place=Geneva}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/jordi-cuixart-pre-trial-detention|title=Jordi Cuixart in pre-trial detention |date=23 November 2018|work=Front Line Defenders|access-date=31 July 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/urgent_appeal_spain_human_rights_defender_in_pre-trial_detention_for_over_a_year.pdf|title=Spain: Human rights defender in pre-trial detention for over a year|date=23 November 2018|website=Front Line Defenders|access-date=31 July 2020}}{{Cite web|url=http://iadllaw.org/2018/12/iadl-calls-for-release-of-catalan-political-prisoners/|title=IADL calls for release of Catalan political prisoners|date=3 December 2018|website=International Association of Democratic Lawyers|access-date=30 December 2018}}

File:Seu Nacional d'Òmnium Cultural.jpg

Òmnium Cultural is one of the biggest organizations in Catalonia, claiming more than 190,000 members.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dbalears.cat/horitzons/2019/02/26/324547/omnium-bat-record-supera-barca-nombre-socis-catalunya.html|title=Òmnium bat el rècord i supera el Barça en nombre de socis a Catalunya|date=26 February 2019|work=dBalears|access-date=28 February 2019|language=ca}} It is based in Barcelona with regional offices in 52 other municipalities.

Òmnium Cultural cooperates with other organizations that share similar goals in other Catalan-speaking territories: Acció Cultural del País Valencià{{cite web|url=http://www.acpv.cat/web/|title=Portada - Acció Cultural del País Valencià - ACPV|work=acpv.cat|accessdate=23 September 2015}} (in the Valencian Country) and Obra Cultural Balear{{cite web|url=http://www.ocb.cat/|title=OCB.CAT|accessdate=23 September 2015}} (in the Balearic Islands).

Between 2005 and 2012, the association received up to 13 million euros in grants from the Catalan regional government (Generalitat).{{cite web|url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2012-04-06/la-soberanista-omnium-cultural-ha-ganado-13-millones-en-fondos-publicos-desde-2005_226979/|title=La soberanista Òmnium Cultural ha ganado 13 millones en fondos públicos desde 2005|first=Antonio |last=Fernández |date=6 April 2012|work=El Confidencial|access-date=30 April 2022}} from which 1.4 million were received in 2012 alone.{{cite web|url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20120221/54258137724/govern-subvencion-omnium-cultural.html|title=El Govern hace pública una subvención de 1,4 millones a Òmnium Cultural|date=21 February 2012|work=La Vanguardia |accessdate=23 September 2015}} In all, in the 2011–2016 period Òmnium could have received more than 20 million euros from the Generalitat (2.9m euros in 2011, 3.2m euros in 2012, 4.5m euros in 2013, 6.6m euros in 2014, 5.6m euros in 2015 and 4.4m euros in 2016).{{cite web|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20171010/431957368275/omnium-recibe-20-millones-en-ayudas-desde-2005-para-la-secesion-segun-abc.html|title=Òmnium recibe 20 millones en ayudas para la secesión, según ABC|date=10 October 2017|work=La Vanguardia|accessdate=15 January 2022|language=es}}

In 2013 the association announced that it would no longer receive funding from the Catalan government, but the organization does not publish its accounts. In 2016, different local authorities gave grants to Òmnium, basically for local cultural activities, for a value of €144,404.12, out of a total income in 2016 of €4.4 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.omnium.cat/sites/default/files/gestio/02_qui_som/04_entitat/05_balanc/6672_omnium_cultural_20161.pdf|title=Audited accounts of Òmnium Cultural 2016|author=Faura Casas, Auditors Consultors|date=16 June 2017|accessdate=25 July 2017|archive-date=20 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920030928/https://www.omnium.cat/sites/default/files/gestio/02_qui_som/04_entitat/05_balanc/6672_omnium_cultural_20161.pdf|url-status=dead}}

According to the Spanish Civil Guard in 2018, 98% of Òmnium Cultural's budget came from private contributions and it did not receive funding from the Catalan government in relation to the 2017 independence referendum.{{Cite news|url=https://cat.elpais.com/cat/2018/11/30/actualidad/1543603159_742470.html|title=El Govern no va subvencionar Òmnium durant l'1-O, segons la Guàrdia Civil|date=30 November 2018|work=El País|access-date=28 February 2019|language=ca}}

In November 2015 Òmnium was condemned by the Audiencia Nacional for the unauthorised use and deficient custody of personal data, after its data had been stolen by a hacker.{{cite web|url=http://www.ara.cat/politica/Assemblea_Nacional_Catalana-ANC-Omnium_Cultural-atac-Estat-multa-sancio-9-N-gigaenquesta_0_1471053079.html|title=Cop de l'Estat també a l'ANC i Òmnium: multa de 440.000 euros per la 'gigaenquesta'|date=20 November 2015}} This led to a €200,000 sanction imposed by the Spanish agency responsible for data protection.{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/cataluna/2015/11/20/564eedcc268e3e8b058b45f3.html|title=Protección de Datos sanciona a la ANC y a Òmnium por la 'gigaencuesta'|date=20 November 2015}}

• 2010 Catalan autonomy protest

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Category:Catalan advocacy organizations

Category:Culture of Catalonia

Category:Cultural promotion organizations

Category:Organizations established in 1961

Category:1961 establishments in Spain

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