Last year, in this same theater, the Princess told us that, as Honorary President of the Foundation, one of her responsibilities is to understand and value what the winners contribute to society. A society, he stated, “where many generations live together with the idea of ensuring that those who need it most have the opportunity to improve their livestheir education, their health. A society in which science, culture and environmental protection “are,” he continued, “a priority.”
Doña Leonor is part of a generation of Spaniards who have had to mature in a complex moment of history and at the same time exciting because of the speed and transformation represented by some of the advances that humanity is experiencing. Our commitment is to accompany that generation, in this transition, in their desire to know, to perceive reality in its diversity, so that they can face their challenges and assume responsibilities.
This is our goal: to recognize the intellectual and humanistic legacy of brilliant personalitiesrecognize the principles of cooperation and solidarity, of working for the common good that are personified in the work of our winners. With the aspiration that they be a stimulus, that they contribute to generate thought and progress for present and future generations. We look to the example of the award-winners for inspiration and paths to follow.
To bring the work of the winners closer to society, we program a set of activities to which we dedicate effort and resources. In addition to this emblematic ceremony, in this edition we have organized a set of activities that constitute what we call ‘Awards Week’ and that, together with the ‘Take the Word’ program and musical activities, are the axes of our work.
‘Awards Week’ has become a benchmark with a program of cultural activities aimed at bringing the work and values of the winners closer to the public, which brings together a large number of participants each year. This year the programming has once again had as meeting spaces the La Vega Weapons Factory from Oviedo and the cities of Gijón and Avilés, as well as other spaces and towns in Asturias. A “civic celebration”, as our award-winning Michael J. Sandel stated with inspiring words, which pays tribute to the winners and offers attendees a good number of concerts, artistic installations, exhibitions, talks and film screenings, among other cultural events.
On the other hand, the ninth edition of the ‘Take the Word’ program has registered more than 6,200 works presented. This is a much-loved initiative, whose main objective is, once again, to transfer the work and career of the winners to the classrooms. In the nine editions organized to date, nearly 56,000 students of 230 Asturian educational centers.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the delivery of the Award for the Exemplary Town of Asturiasis also an example of our commitment to the rural world and is complemented by the Meeting of Exemplary Villages, which this year, in its thirteenth edition, we have organized in Pravia. The purpose of this initiative is to exchange experiences and reflections on various topics related to entrepreneurship, development and demography in these rural communities.
Majesties,
Ladies and gentlemen:
This ceremony is, above all, a ceremony for the recognition and gratitude. To remember all those who support us, those who participate in our aspirations and encourage us to move forward, always with hope, always with the desire to strengthen our institution.
And always accompanying the Princess of Asturias, our Honorary President. We are witnesses of the responsibility and commitment with which he exercises his role of service to Spain. A responsible fulfillment of duty that has been reinforced in this new formative stage that has begun, while we also witness their growing, sincere and deep commitment to the Foundation.
Thank you so much.
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