Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

10 O viedo | C ampoamor T heatre | So Caddy Adzuba speaks out… asks why… says what is happening, repeats over and over again what she has experienced and suffered…what so many women and children experience and suffer, and, in so doing, opens the way for hope. She also strives to make us all understand that there is a need to shine light on the darkest realms of reality… that it is necessary to warn against the violation of human rights… to warn against injustice. Caddy Adzuba’s brave, self-sacrificing and perilous work makes us think of all the innocent victims that this woman wishes to give voice to. They experience a horror that we wish did not exist, one that we even find impossible to believe does exist. Today, from this corner of Spain, we presume to look Caddy Adzuba in the eye to thank her for her commitment to such a worthy cause and to recognize her heroic conduct, which we admire, respect and staunchly support. Yet, while maintaining her gaze, full of strength and hope, we cannot overlook the pain and anguish that the recent epidemic of Ebola is generating in Africa. A severe crisis that forces the international community to coordinate and commit more effort with greater efficiency to fighting the virus and its global contagion, and to treating those affected. And in this fight, inspiring stories of dedication, generosity and professionalism stand out in which doctors, healthcare workers, scientists, members of religious orders, voluntary workers and soldiers play the major role. Our thanks go to all of them and, particularly, to our compatriots for showing us we can trust in their competence and capacities; they are —you are— Spain’s pride. Ladies and Gentlemen, On 24th September 1980 —at a truly trying time— hope was born in Asturias. That hope lives on, as our Awards are today admired and respected throughout the world. Today, more than ever, we need them as a stimulus and inspiration in these crucial, intense times of renewal. Society needs moral references to admire and respect; ethical principles to recognize and observe; civic values to preserve and foster. And this social awareness is the one we must use to bolster our coexistence. It is this necessary, collective, moral drive with which we can —and should— make Spain a nation of hope, full of life and thought; full of ideas worthy of its citizens’ trust; of projects that appeal to the minds and will of one and all and conquer our hearts. With these convictions, we will dispel the pessimism, distrust and disenchantment of many citizens who so admirably demonstrate a capacity of endeavour and sacrifice worthy of all respect. We also want a Spain devoid of division and discord. For that reason, on 19th June I pointed out before the Spanish Parliament the duty and need to guarantee and —at the same time— revitalize our coexistence. For the last 35 years or more, our democracy has not resulted from improvisation, but from the determined will of the Spanish people to establish social and democratic rule of law in Spain, based on the principles of freedom and equality, justice and pluralism; a state in which all of us —citizens and institutions alike— are equally subject to said rule of law. Respecting and observing this constitutional, democratic framework is the guarantor of our coexistence in freedom. It is the necessary guarantor enabling all Spaniards to exercise their rights, enabling institutions and citizens to fulfil their duties and assume their responsibilities, and allowing our shared existence to function in an orderly fashion. However, we must take care of and foster this coexistence. Let us look to our history with serenity, objectivity and wisdom. Let us recognize its fortunes and misfortunes, and let us learn from all of them so as not to commit —not to repeat— the errors of the past. Because Spain has never before attained the surge of progress we have achieved thanks to the efforts of one and all, especially in recent decades. Let us therefore be proud of how much we have done together… and done so well. “Respecting and observing this constitutional, democratic framework is the guarantor of our coexistence in freedom.” 24 th O ctober 2014