Ada Colau

Ada Colau Ballano (Catalan: [ˈaðə kuˈɫaw]; Spanish: [ˈaða koˈlau]; Barcelona, 3 March 1974), is a Spanish left-wing representative and, since 13 June 2015, the current Mayor of Barcelona, the first woman to hold the office. Colau was one of the founding members and spokespeople of the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) (Platform for People Affected by Mortgages), which was set up in Barcelona in 2009 in response to the rise in evictions caused by unpaid mortgage loans and the collapse of the Spanish property market in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Early life

Ada Colau was born in Barcelona and grew up in the Guinardó neighbourhood. She went to school at the Santa Anna and Febrer Academies, and went on to study philosophy at the University of Barcelona but lacks the pertinent degree due to leaving her studies before completion, precisely by one subject, which she claims was due to economic instability in her family.

Platform for People Affected by Mortgages

Ada Colau was one of the founding members of the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) in 2009, and acted as the organization's spokeswoman until 2014. Colau rose to national prominence after calling a representative of the Spanish Banking Association "a criminal" while representing the PAH at a parliamentary hearing on the housing crisis in February 2013. Colau supports the use of escraches, public protests outside the homes of government officials. That same month, a Popular Legislative Initiative proposed by the PAH and supported by over 1,400,000 signatories was debated on the floor of the Spanish Congress. This was followed by a speech to the European Parliament Committee on Petitions in Brussels. In March, Madrid Government delegate Cristina Cifuentes of the People's Party accused Colau of supporting the Basque radical nationalist party Bildu. Colau is coauthor of the book Mortgaged Lives, based on her experiences of grassroots campaigning and direct action with the PAH.

Barcelona en Comú

On 7 May 2014, Ada Colau announced her resignation as spokesperson of the PAH. Since June 2014 she has been the main spokesperson for Barcelona en Comú (formerly known as Guanyem Barcelona), a citizen platform standing in the May 2015 Barcelona municipal elections. She won a simple majority in the elections and on 13 June 2015 she became mayor with the favourable vote of an absolute majority of councillors.

Awards

• 2013 - Award for Human Rights, Barcelona Human Rights Film Festival
• 2013 - Award for Defenders of Social Rights, Colau Ada and Rafael Mayoral, representing the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) (Platform for People Affected by Mortgages), for their continuing struggle for the legal right to a decent home, for their capacity to mobilize and citizen participation, and for their example of solidarity. Award from the media "Human Journalism".
• 2013 - European Citizens' Prize (with the PAH)
• 2013 - United Women Prize from the Artistas Intérpretes, Sociedad de Gestión (AISGE).

• (This prize will be awarded to a personality or a group whose life and work has been intricately linked with the defence of human rights). Toni Navarro, director of the Festival, gives the award of Human Rights to Ada Colau, 26 May 2013
• Entrevista a Rafael Mayoral, El desahucio es un problema colectivo, El País, 6 July 2011
• Defensores de Derechos Sociales, Ada Colau y Rafael Mayoral en representación de la PAH (Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca), Periodismo Humano, 3 May 2013
• Ada Colau y la PAH galardonadas por los Premios Defensores de Derechos otorgados por 'Periodismo Humano', Europa Press, 3 May 2013
• "Spain's anti-evictions lobby wins EU prize A man belonging to the PAH anti-evictions lobby protests against home evictions regime in Barcelona. Photo: Josep Lago/AFP Spain's anti-evictions lobby wins EU prize". The Local Spain. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2014. 
• Pilar Bardem entrega a Ada Colau el premio de los actores ‘Mujeres en Unión’, elplural.com, 5 June 2013

Publications

Books

• 2012 - Ada Colau and Adria Alemany, Mortgaged Lives. Foreword by Gerardo Pisarello and José Coy, English Translation by Michelle Teran
• 2013 - Ada Colau and Adria Alemany, Yes you can! Chronicle of a small great victory. Editorial Destination Collection Imago Mundi, 19 April 2013, ISBN 978-84-233-4690-5, 96 pp.

Articles

• 2011 - Ada Colau, How to stop an eviction, Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), July 2011.
• 2014 - Ada Colau, Making the democratic revolution happen, Diario Público, 5 December 2014.

• Ada Colau, cuatro años de pelea por el derecho a una vivienda digna, La Marea, 20 April 2013
• Y Colau también estará en Sant Jordi, 19/4/2013, eldiario.es cat