The Formentera Council's departments of culture and social welfare report that this weekend's programmed feature at the local cinema, the Javier Fesser-directed Campeones, is a dramedy whose cast includes Javier Gutiérrez and individuals with a diverse range of disabilities.

Proceeds from the scheduled Friday (9.30pm) and Sunday (9.00pm) screenings will go to benefit APNEEF, an Eivissa/Formentera-based association for individuals with special needs. This Friday, in a merchandise stand set up at the cinema's entrance, several children from APNEEF will be on hand to lend a hand with ticketing and ushering.

The human resources department of the Formentera Council reports that 85 individuals retained by the administration as public servants, albeit temporarily, will see their contracts become permanent now that they can attest to two years of uninterrupted employment.

The contractual retooling has been progressive, with contracts being rewriting individual contracts as expiry dates loomed. In the months ahead they intend to follow the model until the 12 remaining regularitzacions can take place, ultimately eliminating long-haul temporary employment contracts from the administration's playbook altogether.

The effort arose from a measure adopted in a plenary assembly December 16, 2016, when a cabinet proposal to make the change netted unanimous support.

Approval finally became a reality some months after a September 14 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union that termination packages for long-haul contracts were equivalent to those for permanent staff.

In the words of Vanessa Parellada, the CiF's secretary of social welfare, youth services and human resources, the change “adds security, quality and more expansive rights to those enjoyed by our administration's public servants”.

New sabbatical rights
One result of the measure is that workers previously ineligible for extended leave will now be eligible thanks to the change. To date, 12 temporary employees whose time on the Council's payroll exceeded two years have already availed themselves of this new right.

Yesterday marked the end of the tenth edition of a course on social and cultural integration. Eleven students successfully completed the twenty-hour course.


The classes are mainly geared towards immigrants, particularly those wishing to renew their residence permit, prepare for the CCSE citizenship test or demonstrate integration during the early phases of their stay in Spain. Topics covered included Spain's constitutional values, human rights and civil liberties, the Balearic Statute of Autonomy, the European Union and gender equality, among others. The course is designed to familiarise students with the various subjects and help them obtain the associated accreditation.

Formentera's Office of Social Welfare unveiled today the programme of the sixteenth Festa Intercultural. The gathering was attended by Vanessa Parellada, Maribel Jiménez, and Marta Clavelo, the island's social welfare secretary, the organiser of the event, and the chairwoman of one organising body known as Associació Intercultural.

With a title meaning “Multicultural Party” in Catalan, the Festa will take place Sunday, April 8. This year organisers have opted to hold the event in es Pujols's plaça d'Europa, where some twenty countries and Spanish provinces will have representation. In the words of Councillor Parellada, “the idea is to experience, feel and thoroughly enjoy the cultures here that make us richer”. Indeed, a handful of associated activities (regional dance classes and world storytelling, for example) have already provided islanders a taste of some of that cultural richness.

Ticket sales
With the Festa's move this year to plaça Europa, an open venue, admission to the event will remain open as well. Tickets, which can be purchased for four euros at two different vending stands, permit their holder to enjoy five sample dishes. Children under 12 will be offered a free ticket entitling them to three sample dishes.

Gastronomy
From 2.00pm to 3.30pm, attendees will be treated to an assortment of fine-dining flavours from the event's various stands. Among the signature world dishes expected to make appearances are asado, paella, couscous and nasi goreng.

Cuba, Chile, Italy, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Morocco, Argentina, Bolivia, Indonesia, Paraguay, Germany, Ecuador and Venezuela, plus Catalunya, Galicia, the Valencian country, Asturias, Castilla la Mancha, Andalusia and Formentera, are some of the twenty nations and peoples whose cuisines and cultures will be represented at the event.

Games for children
The Festa Intercultural begins at 12.30pm. Then, at 1.00pm, island youth will find a dizzying array of kid-friendly activities like workshops, inflatable toys, traditional games and even a pint-size gymkhana. Boots on the ground for the event will be provided by youth workers from s'Espurna on Eivissa and support from Fundació Obra Social “La Caixa”.

Musical performances
Many countries and regions will also stage musical performances at the event. There will be African dance, Formentera's own ball pagès, salsa, performer Ricardito (alias “el sabor de Cuba”), Venezuelan folk music, Galician gaiters, bachata, merengue, cumbia and a show-closing set by DJ Pharma.

Green practices and event security
Hoping once again to place special emphasis on being earth smart, the Festa's organisers are asking attendees this year's event to bring their own reusable plates and glasses (glass no, please—help avoid potentially dangerous accidents). Recycling bins and ashtrays will be arrayed around the grounds.

Organisers are also calling on islanders to participate by volunteering at this year's Festa. Interested parties can click here or visit the social welfare office (àrea de Benestar Social) for more information about volunteering at this and other events.