The Formentera Council's patrimony department reports that from Monday October 1 and extending to Friday, a week-long programme of conferences in which scholars disseminate findings from estudis locals—literally, “local studies”—or research, conducted on and about the island, will return for the eighth time. Seminars will be staged in the department's conference hall, the Sala d'Actes, from 8.00pm.

In the words of department chief Susana Labrador, “Formentera's cultural heritage is crucial to understanding our island's history and evolution. That's why we began organising this series in 2011, to promote research in this area”.

The following speakers have proposed talks for this year's series:

• Almudena García-Rubio Ruiz, doctor in physical anthropology, head of the effort to exhume human remains at a mass grave at Sant Ferran de ses Roques cemetery.
• Francesc Josep Torres Tamarit and Maria del Mar Joan Marí, the former a doctor of cognitive sciences and language, the latter holder of a bachelor's in translation and interpretation. The pair were awarded the Formentera Council's 2016 research grant for “Trets en canvi en el català de Formentera: una aproximació al parlar de la gent jove”.
• Glenda Graziani Echávarri and Antoni Ferrer Abárzuza, an archaeologist and doctor of history, respectively, and the researchers behind the Can Ramon historical archaeological study.
• Martí Serra Riera is a graduate in history and the researcher/author behind La Segona República a Formentera 1931-1936.
• Miquel Mayordomo and Antoni Manonelles, researchers/authors behind Ball pagès: orígens.

The series will take place as follows:

Monday 1 Exhumaciones de fosas de la Guerra Civil en la España del siglo XXI. El caso de Sant Ferran, Formentera (“Exhuming the unmarked graves of the Civil War in 21st-century Spain. The case of Sant Ferran, Formentera”)
Almudena García-Rubio Ruiz

Tuesday 2 Actituds lingüístiques entre els jóvens formenterers i canvi lingüístic (“Attitudes about language: How young people on Formentera think about language and 'the linguistic pivot'”)
Francesc Josep Torres Tamarit and Maria del Mar Joan Marí

Wednesday 3 Can Ramon: estudi històric i arqueològic (“Can Ramon, a historical and archaeological study”)
Glenda Graziani Echávarri and Antoni Ferrer Abárzuza

Thursday 4 Una societat en transició: la Formentera de la II República (“A society in transition, Formentera during the Second Spanish Republic”)
Martí Serra Riera

Friday 5 Ball pagès: orígens (“The origins of Formentera's homespun dance forms”)
Miquel Mayordomo and Antoni Manonelles

Since the lecture series is part of the educational catalogue of CEP, Formentera's resource centre for teachers, the Balearic ministry of education will provide recognition for it to individuals who attend.

This morning Formentera was the scene of a meeting of the Consell de Govern, or “Council of Government”, which ended in approval for a draft bill key to the island's environmental and economic stability.

After the gathering Formentera Council chief Jaume Ferrer hailed the Council of Government's decision to back legislation which, if it receives the go-ahead of the Balearic parliament, would regulate incoming vehicles on the island.

“Now political forces in the Parlament must debate the measure and decide what its entry in force will look like”, said Ferrer, who said he was confident the initiative would ultimately score definitive approval. “This law will give Formentera a say about how many vehicles can circulate on the island”, he said, and called the support already secured “very encouraging”, confiding: “What we've seen today is that the Balearic Islands support our initiative to retain control of our own land”.

At a gathering last year of the first ministers, or presidents, who represent the distinct islands in the Balearic archipelago, Ferrer said individual islands should have more clout when decision being made directly impact them specifically.

At a 2014 meeting of the Consell d'Entitats, a council of representatives from the local community, Formentera residents identified a preponderance of vehicles as a threat to the island's model of existence and the quality of life of its inhabitants.

Ferrer, who celebrated the fact that “today our two pleas have been heard simultaneously”, also thanked regional first minister Francina Armengol and the rest of Formentera's neighbours in the Balearics for the hand they played in the process.

Lastly, addressing the people of Formentera at large, Ferrer said “when the requests are fair, well-reasoned and people are willing to roll up their sleeves, work together and get their hands dirty, we get results”.

Sa Senieta

The Formentera chief sat down with Fanny Tur, the minister of culture, participation and sport in the Balearics, to sign an agreement whereby the Council, as the title holder of the property, grants the regional agency use rights for Sa Senieta at no charge. The Palma department pledges in turn to oversee restoration and upgrades to equip the facility with an exhibition space for the future Formentera museum.

Today's agreement was preceded by the Council of Government's green-lighting of €500,000 in financing for the building's purchase.