Things by their name.

Editorial magazine Convit/e No. 0.

We are the only animals capable of talking and cooking. This makes us special, unique. We modify the elements to feed ourselves and we do it in a social way. We gather to celebrate a birth or to share the pain of death, and we make cooking and eating a social act in our daily lives. We are also the only ones who speak and name things to define their identity.

The name molds and shapes things; it defines our imprint on the world, revealing our vocational and professional potential. It is the key to our soul and defines our mission in life. The name is part of us and our personality.

The word mescladís finds its origin in Aranese and means 'that can be mixed'. We resort to a minority language in Catalonia to name ourselves, knowing that the quality of a democracy is measured by how minorities are treated. Mescladís vindicates miscegenation as much in what is possible as in what is desirable, and values the diverse society in which we live.

Likewise, the word convite has the meaning of 'action of inviting' and comes from the Catalan: convit, derived from the Latin convitare ('to invite'). It refers to the action and result of convidar, to offer or invite someone to eat or attend an event as a gift. Convit embraces Spanish by adding an "e" that coexists with the different languages and cultures present in our city. The synonyms are banquet, agape, guateque, party, party, collation, comilona, feast, cocktail, refreshment, sarao. In one of its meanings, in Venezuela, it is understood as agreement, and we like this meaning because only on the basis of broad agreements we will be able to face and overcome the great challenges of our society.

Convit/e magazine is presented as a showcase for projects and initiatives with a vocation for social transformation, where projects such as Brotes, ventures such as the cooperative L'Olivera or VER AGUAS and artists such as Nadia Hafid, Pedro Strukelj, Sonia Pulido, Román Yñán or the unforgettable Miguel Gallardo have a space for expression. Convit/e invites intellectuals such as Gabi Martínez or Gemma Pinyol-Jiménez to reflect and share their way of understanding the society in which we live in order to generate new questions. This combination of art, action and reflection is fundamental to face the social and environmental challenges we have as a global society. The design of a migration management model that promotes equal rights and non-discrimination, the expansion of equity and social justice, the increase of diversity within organizations and communities, as well as actions that help alleviate climate change and promote a sustainable environment, are the axes of our magazine.

From Convit/e we intend to call things by their name. Not to do so is to make them invisible, to hide them and to deprive them of the possibility of making amends. In the field of migration, the discourse is filled with euphemisms and makes language a tool of manipulation and change of meaning until it deforms and camouflages reality. Reality is turned upside down and the unjust seems fair. But even blurred and deformed, the thing is still there, waiting to be seen in a fairer and more accurate way. Whoever names things as they are will speak the truth; that is our goal.

We're counting on you! Welcome to the party!

Martin Habiague

Photography Román Yñán