Joan V. Agustí

I can confirm that this is the most democratic sport in the world! Literally! What I saw impressed me deeply. Of course, it all looks very unsafe, even dangerous. But these people have trained very thoroughly and know well what they are doing. Every step, every movement is developed in advance through lengthy training sessions. Yet the main takeaway is that this is how Catalans learn to mobilize together very quickly, to completely rely on one another, and to find a shared balance in a single breath, level by level, closer and closer to the goal. Families, friends, children, parents, and grandparents, Catalans of all nationalities and races unite this way. The stability of the tower is built on universal mutual reliance and trust. It is genuine, true human democracy, a manifestation of family and universal values without loud words, with a real sense of shared effort. The casteller movement is extraordinarily popular across Catalonia. Here might lie the answer to the Catalan secret: the ability to mobilize very quickly, to cooperate productively and successfully to achieve great and beautiful goals. They have been learning and practicing this for decades, even centuries. Few sports in the world can be so unifying for people of all ages, genders, and nationalities at once. I think this tradition will allow Catalans to build their tower to achieve the highest goal. They know what it means to have a shared shoulder, common stability, trust, and the courage to climb toward very complex summits. Castellers are ready for it in literally a couple of minutes. Nothing characterizes a nation better than its shared passions and traditions. The casteller movement is an impressive and beautiful testament to the Catalan spirit. As I mentioned before: for the Balts, the choir movement was the mobilizing force; for Catalans, these clubs undoubtedly build the spirit of national unity. Casteller competitions and performances are admired by anyone who has had the good fortune to see them in person. It is only the fifth day of my trip, and once again I am truly amazed. From this day on, I look upon the castellers as heroes. Notably, another tradition popular in Spain - bullfighting - has been banned by law in Catalonia for several years. Madrid is trying to force Catalonia to lift this ban. But Catalans do not want to allow an elaborate show of animal killing in their land. In the Catalan view, this is a brutally cruel practice unworthy of a civilized European society. The Spanish authorities disagree. Interestingly, Spanish media interpret this ban as politically motivated. In fact, several years ago, non-political animal welfare organizations requested the ban on brutal bullfighting. Seeing public support for this initiative, the Catalan Parliament banned this terrible medieval tradition. Their choice is the remarkably democratic casteller movement. Such clubs are everywhere in Catalonia; hundreds of people from other countries come to learn, and the @BBC and other major world media dedicate special films to this unusual tradition. Shoulder to shoulder, level upon level, shared calm, shared balance, shared trust, a shared goal, shared courage, shared summits, and hearts in a single rhythm. That is the story of the Catalan castellers. That is Catalonia!