Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

7 P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches Speech XXVI Every year as autumn comes round, so many memories, hopes and —above all— aspirations burgeon in our hearts when we return to these dearly-loved lands of Asturias to live the experience of this grand ceremony, which is so emotive and so charged with profound symbolic meaning. We return on this particular occasion as the splendour of our 25th anniversary begins to settle in our memories and with the satisfaction of being able to look back on the path the Foundation plotted and travelled over this first quarter century of existence. The journey has been a pleasant one, replete with aspirations that seemed unachievable at the outset, but which are now the firmest foundations upon which to continue with our exhilarating work. We reiterate our infinite gratitude to the people who launched this Foundation and who make it work day after day: those who manage it, its and Patrons, the members of the Juries, and all those who enthusiastically join us, sharing our ideals and making today a great festival of culture. The achievements of our Foundation are in permanent debt to this beautiful, beloved land of Asturias. We find one of the deepest roots of Spanish culture in the Principality of Asturias, which is also now giving contemporary Spain splendid individual examples of success and outstanding demonstrations of the spirit of solidarity. This is all driven by endeavour and the desire to improve that are —and will always be— the Principality’s finest asset. A common denominator of the Awards and the Foundation is the unflagging defence of the principles and virtues that set people apart and that generate each of the Awards. Way back when the Asturian poet Carlos Bousoño collected his Award, he said that, “today more than ever, we should feel proud of belonging to this useless yet glorious line of descent we call man. ” Man, after all, is at the very hub of our work. This year’s 2006 Awards in all eight categories have gone to organizations and individuals whose work is vivid testimony of a desire to know mankind and his environment better; that foster values, that are epitomes of solidarity, that have made noteworthy contributions to the progress of science, and that have pursued exquisiteness in expression and aesthetics. We offer them out warmest congratulations. Their attendance and participation in this ceremony are cause for real joy and sincere gratitude, for they enable us to highlight and emphasise the sense and meaning of their priceless careers. Bill and Melinda Gates, alongside their parents William and Mimi Gates, who accompany us here today, showed clear-sightedness and extraordinary generosity in founding the exemplary organization that bears their name and that has been granted the Award for International Cooperation. Our most reliable statistics indicate that over eight million people in the world, many of whom are children, die every year of hunger and disease caused by living in extreme poverty. It is a state of affairs that stirs our consciences, and obliges those of us who enjoy the privilege of living in richer countries to eradicate an inhumane situation made even more intolerable when we realize most of the innocents fall victim to diseases that can be prevented or treated with medicines that are now readily available. Fighting this state of affairs is not only a duty. It is a sine qua non for a better, safer world for all. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation currently leads endeavours to help people, particularly children, who succumb to illness or are victims of war, injustice and abject poverty, with the continent of Africa as a priority. In what is an unprecedented display of philanthropy, the Gateses are “Our Awards have fostered generosity over self-interests, concord over division, peaceful coexistence over fanaticism, commitment over indifference.” Watch video