Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

8 O viedo | C ampoamor T heatre | The Award for Social Sciences has been conferred on the Bulgarian-born, naturalized French writer Tzvetan Todorov, an excellent linguist, semiotician, historian of ideas and literary theoretician: a true contemporary humanist. Trained in the best French tradition, he learned to perceive in texts the subtle weave that held them together, that gave sense to them, made up of a long literary tradition that is a mixture of scholarly and popular origin. His infinite curiosity also led him to explore historical terrain, reencountering there one of his other fields of research: signs, communication, the mechanisms of language. Excellent proof of this are his studies on the discovery of America, which he defines as the most amazing encounter in the history of humanity, the moment at which men discover the entirety of what they form part of. Outstanding and suggestive too are his studies on that great peak of Western thinking, the Enlightenment, extolling its spirit and lights, situating it in our times and claiming it as a mark of our European identity. An identity that he also states is based on the renouncement of violence, on forgiveness, on reconciliation and on life in common. His condition as a “displaced man”, a victim in his country of the long night of totalitarianism, enables him to have a perspective that is far removed from any kind of sectarianism or ideological imposition and to be convinced of the benefits of the proximity of others, of those who do not think in the same way. Todorov asserts that immigration is always a source of wealth, of dynamism and energy. The phenomenon of emigration is well known in Spain, and particularly so in Asturias, which has been witness to this phenomenon for centuries. But in referring to this reality, we wish to express the deep pain we feel each day as we witness the tragedy of so many women and men attempting to cross frontiers in their flight from extreme poverty, with the hope of finding a better life on the other side, which every human being has a right to. This constitutes a drama that moves us and causes us anguish and sadness, above all when we see that children often make this journey, sometimes arriving on death’s door, and whose heart, as Camus wrote, may possibly contain the entire pain of the world. Margaret Atwood, from Canada, considered one of the most important writers of our time, has received the Award for Literature. Poet, narrator, essayist and original speaker, with her mastery of the art of writing, based on a profound knowledge of the classics, she has created extremely beautiful works that are at the same time deeply committed to social reality and the defence of humanism. In her verses she mixes lyrical sentiment with a profound ethical commitment, ever inseparable from great literature; her condition as an extremely keen observer of human relationships can be discerned in her prose, together with her condition as a fighter against social injustice. A staunch defender of the freedom of expression, she is also a faithful supporter of Nature conservation, which she invokes in pages brimming with intensity and critical force. Particularly important and original are her ideas on feminism, which she has always written about from an independent stance and to which she has devoted highly lucid essays, fostering and celebrating the legitimate, promising conquests of women while warning us against the perils raised by the possibility of these achievements degenerating into clichés. Her rich literary work, which she has always intended to be crystal clear, entertaining and easily readable, ranges from allegory to parody, from the full expression of poetic sentiment to the well-aimed assault of her sharp wit against intolerance. Her free thinking enables her to face up to injustice in every sphere and to combat it with her subtle and suggestive words, far removed from any form of dogmatism. For all this, for her intellectual honesty, for the independence of her judgement, she has become a moral reference for many women and men all over the world. On the morning of the 3rd September last, we received with great joy the news that the Jury had conferred the Award for Sports on Rafael Nadal. On this stage, in previous years, we have presented the Award to other sportsmen and women with dazzling careers, accustomed to glory. “Spain exists in its yesterday, in its great history, but above all in its tomorrow.” 24 th O ctober 2008