Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches 9 The British biologist Sir Gregory Winter and the American pathologist Richard Alan Lerner have obtained the Award for Technical and Scientific Research for their decisive contributions to the field of Immunology, which have made it possible to obtain antibodies of high therapeutic value. Their work shows the immense possibilities of current biotechnology to intervene in cells and biological materials, modifying their capabilities and channelling their activity toward very useful applications. Sir Gregory Winter has discovered that it is possible to obtain antibodies in modified animal cells in such a way that they behave like antibodies able to function in the human body without being rejected. Similarly fascinated by the wide variety of antibodies that our body can produce, Dr Richard Lerner has conceived and designed new possibilities for managing this diversity and even broadening it in the test tube. The procedure that he has developed enables the repertoire of natural antibodies to be increased, creating what are known as “combinatorial antibody libraries”. We daily witness the extraordinary practical implications of Dr Winter and Dr Lerner’s work: improved diagnosis and more effective treatment of many diseases that still plague mankind. Thanks to the intelligence, vocation and commitment of those who, like them, devote their lives to the advancement of knowledge, we can enhance our quality of life. We are likewise grateful to the American writer Philip Roth, who has received the Award for Literature, for the unique, unrepeatable experience that reading his novels provides for us, the non-stop accumulation of feelings and ideas with which he builds his stories, the penetrating analysis he makes of reality and the journey through time on which we embark through his works to those many fulfilled dreams and failed utopias of which the history of his country and of his hometown of Newark is built. Often using irony and with amazing ability and great courage, Philip Roth interprets and meticulously analyses social practices and customs and the ways in which human beings, particularly American Jews, behave and relate to each another. He also reflects both intelligently and lucidly on death, disaster, sex and chaos, through suggestive prose of great linguistic perfection and emotional effectiveness. Novels like Portnoy’s Complaint , American Pastoral and Nemesis —to name but a few— are masterpieces for which Philip Roth will always be recognized as one of the greatest American writers, a virtuoso admired worldwide. The Award for International Cooperation has been conferred on the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The millions of volunteers working in this movement immediately come to mind. They will feel proud this evening —as they do daily— to belong to one of the most prestigious humanitarian networks in the world. The Red Cross and Red Crescent’s task is enormous: to prevent and alleviate human suffering, protect life and health and ensure respect for people’s dignity, especially in times of armed conflict and in situations of crisis and need anywhere on the planet.The principles governing theMovement are also noble: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. For nearly 150 years, the Red Cross and Red Crescent have worked disinterestedly and in a profoundly generous way, exemplifying a vocation for public service, in order to bring solidarity to the fore in the world. The work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is founded on the altruism of so many dedicated people who help and assist the underprivileged, the needy and the vulnerable. In Spain, where more than two hundred thousand volunteers keep the work of this organization alive, we can feel especially proud of helping to maintain the degree of efficiency and dedication of the International Red Cross, contributing that generous spirit of solidarity which characterizes our society and which we would especially like to highlight here today. Exemplarity also shines out in our Laureates receiving the Award for Sports, the soccer players “Right now, we Spaniards face new common goals on which to work together, focusing all our energy so as to take Spain along the path of the 21st century.”