Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches 9 meaning of this Award, that of conceiving sport as the struggle of the sportswoman or man to morally better her or himself. Nothing can turn human beings back when they are determined to follow a path, to perform a task with a steadfast vocation. “What is happiness, if not the simple agreement between a being and the existence which it leads?” asks Albert Camus, a writer who knew the land of Hassiba Boulmerka well. How admirable are the dignity and willpower of this athlete, nowadays a universal symbol for women. For those of us who love respectful, peaceful coexistence, which is impossible without the permanent, active and free presence of women, the attitude of this sportswoman, who has conquered so much glory on the running track, is also an exemplary point of reference for the dignity, courage and poise with which she defends her convictions. A set of principles nourished by the idea that truth lies not in separation, but in union, and by the idea, as Voltaire thought, that “discord is the worst of the ills that beset the human race, and that ill has only one remedy, tolerance.” The Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts has been conferred on Fernando Fernán Gómez, a man who has been so many men —always masterfully— through the power of transmutation of his art. Whether in front of or behind the camera, he has helped us to understand better the turbulent or peaceful, yet always thrilling years of this last half century of Spanish life. Our aesthetic experience is made of the same stuff as the range of characters he has played in the cinema and the theatre. His genius and his voice have given shape to many of our past and present realities and even to quite a few of our dreams. Fernando Fernán Gómez is also a great, quasi-secret writer, a humourist of the ilk of Cervantes, author of poems, of innumerable articles, of exemplary works of theatre, of wise memoirs, of a melancholy novel, adapted to film, The Voyage to Nowhere , which is not only the best of tributes to the dearly-loved figure of small-time theatre comedians, but which is also a desolate parable for the whole of human existence. Fernando Fernán Gómez is, without room for argument, one of the grand masters of our cultural life. He is a man with a vigorous ethical commitment and, when all is said and done, it is only from an ethical commitment that one may be a master. In referring to the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research jointly, bestowed upon Professor Manuel Losada Villasante and the National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica, I cannot but avoid the painful recollection of Professor Francisco Grande Covián. From the very institution of this Award, he contributed so decisively to its prestige as a member of the Jury, contributing his scientific soundness and independence, . We shall never forget his good- natured humanity, his service to Spanish science and his contribution to our Foundation. Manuel Losada Villasante is a great figure of international science. Driven by intellectual curiosity towards the fascination of discovering the basic mechanisms of life, he conceives of science as a question and a challenge, defining the human adventure, as the motor of social evolution, as the sum of essential knowledge to resolve many of the problems in the world of today, combining theoretical reason with practice. From a multiple vision of science, which combines intellectual adventure and contemplation, experiment and teaching, theory and praxis, Professor Losada clarified the mechanisms of photosynthesis and bioenergy via which plants obtain their energy from the sum and upon which the marvellous structure of life on Earth has been raised. His work has left a permanent mark on the road of human perfection. The Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica performs a unique role in the world and is a marvellous example of the use of science for the common good. Established in 1990, it is now, five years later, the paradigm of what human activity should be as regards the defence and protection of Nature. Its actions are based on the premise that it is society as a whole that must change its relationship with the natural world and that only insofar as society gets to know and respect Nature will a true evaluation and rational use of natural resources be achievable.