The Debagoiena Commonwealth, marking 45 years since its establishment, is embarking on a new phase with a collaborative governance model and a renewed corporate image. Under the slogan 'Herriz herri; aurrez aurre' (village by village; face to face), the administration shared by the region's 8 municipalities will implement a governance model based on public-community collaboration and proximity as fundamental pillars starting this September.
At an event held yesterday at the HUHEZI (Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences) campus in Aretxabaleta, the eight mayors of Debagoiena, along with representatives from the business sector, social and educational agents, and citizens, affirmed their commitment to the new 'Herriz herri; aurrez aurre' strategy.
The Commonwealth will now delve deeper into three strategic axes: the social, economic, and ecological spheres. The President of the Commonwealth, Dorleta Elkorobarrutia, highlighted that these three dimensions are closely linked: «There is no solid economy without the well-being of people. There is no well-being without a healthy environment. And there is no ecological transition without a strong community».
This new model aims to foster collective leadership and collaboration to jointly address current challenges, such as climate change, digitalization, and social inequalities.
Reflecting this transformation in governance is the launch of the Commonwealth's new brand. The new logo, designed to be «light and easily identifiable», incorporates graphic elements embodying the region's identity: a circle symbolizes community, a leaf refers to nature, and curves evoke the river that crosses the region and connects its municipalities.
In the words of the president and mayor of Leintz Gatzaga, Dorleta Elkorobarrutia, this renovation goes beyond a simple image change: «What we present today is a new brand, yes. But today we have not come to talk only about logos or colors. We have come to talk about Debagoiena».
She added that this new visual identity reflects «a direction, a way of working, and a commitment to the future».
During the event, enlivened by the music of Inés Osinaga, various regional agents spoke to testify to the collaboration promoted by the Commonwealth. Speakers included Aritz Otxandiano Kanpo (Debagoiena 20230), Carla Añón Hernández (Enpresare), Aitziber Zubillaga Murguiondo (Batuz Social Foundation, formerly Emaús Foundation), and Garikoitz Aiesta Etxaniz (Deba Garaia, Rural Development Association for Debagoiena). They emphasized the importance of the region's «human capital» and collective projects.
To conclude the event held at Ideienea, Dorleta Elkorobarrutia encouraged attendees to see yesterday's event as a «starting point» for continuing to collectively build the future of Debagoiena: «Debagoiena is not what it is today by chance. It has been built thanks to the work of many people. Village by village, face to face» she emphasized.
