Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

7 P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches Speech XXVII Yet another year, in autumn, we enthusiastically return to our beloved Asturias to reencounter the never-forgotten affection of its people, with the beauty of its scenery and the message of hope embodied by this solemn event; a profound, emotive event that has brought us together now for almost three decades to celebrate the triumph of good and of culture, this knowledge of mankind by mankind, as the unforgettable Francisco Umbral declared from this selfsame stage. In this ceremony, we extol values that neither the passing of time nor fashions will be capable of vanquishing, because these values ennoble our lives and make them loftier. With the joy that all this produces in us, we welcome and thank all those who accompany us here today. The Laureates, their families and friends, to the distinguished cultural and social delegations from all round the world who have wished to share these moments with us, and also to our Foundation’s Trustees and Patrons, who have bestowed their trust in us and act as a spur to our efforts. We also wish to offer our thanks to the Juries, who have once more fulfilled the difficult task in both an independent and responsible manner, and to the national and international media which, in such numerous representation of the most prestigious journalism, have wished to be witnesses to this event. I wish also to express some words of special gratitude to the municipal authorities of this city, to the Regional Government of the Principality and to the Government of Spain —who have been so supportive— for being aware of the importance that the Foundation and its Awards have for one and all. The fact is that the vast majority of the people of Spain endorse our Awards and rightly see in them a valuable cultural heritage —before the world— of a Spain which progresses relentlessly, while committed to all that encourages and elevates the intellectual and moral education of human beings. Albert Camus wrote that some people are greater, more authentic and have more beautiful hearts than others and make up an often invisible society throughout the world that justifies the life of all. As in previous years, this evening I have the honour of extolling through my words the life and work of some of these people who have received our Awards this year. We congratulate them all, filled with emotion, and thank them for their example. The Award for International Cooperation has been conferred on the former Vice President of the USA and Chairman of the Board of the Alliance for Climate Protection, Al Gore, for carrying out actions with enormous repercussions committed to the preservation of the environment and for his leading role in disseminating the ever-growing conviction throughout the world that climate change is one of the threats that human beings need to address both urgently and resolutely. This is precisely what the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has confirmed in a recent report, drawnupby 600 scientists and acceptedby over one hundred countries, regarding the influence of human activity on global warming; a dangerous transformation of the environment that is a consequence of the errors and excesses —whether conscious or not— of our frequently disorderly development We have been forewarned for a long time now by scientists, ecologists, institutions and people that are sensitive to this issue of the need to combine industrial progress with the conservation of the environment and biodiversity. For we are all witnesses —at times impotent and sadly surprised–to the growing, inexorable degradation of the planet and to the desperate situation of millions of people who are —or may become— innocent victims of this threatening devastation. Al Gore has bravely and resolutely made every effort for all these warnings to be heard, so “In this ceremony, we extol values that neither the passing of time nor fashions will be capable of vanquishing.” Watch video