Raising a child speaking two languages at risk of extinction: Basque and Gallura. This gesture of cultural courage and affection for their roots earned the Azzena Santiago family the 2025 Ondras Prize, a European award dedicated to minority language activists. The ceremony will be held on Friday, December 5th at 6:00 PM at the Manifattura Tabacchi in Cagliari.

The family, residing in Iruñea— historic Pamplona—is made up of Riccardo Azzena, 35, a Sardinian who moved to Navarre; his wife, Ainara Santiago Langarika, 34, of Basque origin; and their one-year-old son, Aratz. Despite living in an environment dominated by Spanish and Italian, they have decided to raise their child in Gallurese and Basque, with the prospect of later adding the majority languages.

"The Azzena Santiago family embodies the values of linguistic pluralism and European diversity," explains the Ondras Prize jury, composed of Mauro Carta, Giuseppe Corongiu, Maria Antonietta Piga, and Nicolò Migheli. "Their example is more important than any political proclamation: it demonstrates that minority languages are preserved in everyday life, through concrete, everyday gestures."

Ainara, a Fine Arts graduate and active in promoting Euskara, and Riccardo, a graduate in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation and now a Systems Administrator , have transformed their family into a laboratory of linguistic pluralism, a small but powerful message of cultural resistance. "We want our son to know his roots and understand the value of diversity," they say.

The Ondras Award, conceived by Crei Acli in collaboration with the Fondazione di Sardegna and the Sardinia Region , celebrates not just individuals or initiatives, but testimonies that keep languages and cultures alive that are often invisible to institutions. The evening will feature speeches by figures from the worlds of politics and culture, and the musical component will be provided by musician Matteo Leone.

Ondras, which means "recognition, honor" in Sardinian, continues its mission: giving voice to those who passionately keep minority languages alive and forging links between Sardinia and Europe.

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