Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches 7 sacrifice of some of them, resulting even in their death, has deeply moved us all, and that is why I send them my heartfelt best wishes. Let them know that more precious words remain in my soul as an intimate tribute to them and their families. The voice of Claudio Rodríguez, Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, comes to us from the harsh, austere and bright Castile. The magnificent beauty of his verses and the message of his metaphors are founded on both the intimate and the universal. The fields, paths and lanes in Castile know his footprints and from the contemplation of the countryside and the social reality of his land rises up his song; so human, so profound, with moments of intense tenderness. The return to the places of his childhood, as essential in his poetry as mystery, is a search for simplicity, innocence, purity, friendship and love. In this way, his voice digs up a river bed, along which flow ethical values, essential for peaceful, fertile coexistence. All this touches me deeply. In the search for the essence of architecture and for spaces to make man and citizens happier lie the spiritual foundations for the work of the architect Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza, Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts. He believes that the architect must always go further, in a tireless, tenacious search. From that belief also derives his very personal conception of architecture for which he has gained international admiration and respect. Architecture is his real passion, the very essence of his life; and that passion has no other artistic or aesthetic codes than those of his own creativity. It is also important to emphasize his vocation for teaching, and endeavour in which he enjoys the admiration of his students, who see in him an excellent creator and a great humanist. The seed sown one day in a street in Bilbao is today an outcry in the Basque Country. The role played among the Basques by the Association for Peace in the Basque Country, Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, shows that it is a fact, as has been written, that sowing is what matters, even though at times the frost or the north wind may ruin flowers and fruit. It is easier to incite hatred that to banish it and the Association for Peace in the Basque Country is doing much to banish hatred and to make concord prosper and bear fruit in that dear land. You are the representatives of the nobility of a people that is fighting without weapons in order to obtain a more peaceful and fairer society, as we have said. You are fighting against fear and for freedom, because wherever there is fear, real freedom cannot exist. From this ceremony, which is so resolutely inspired in extolling the best in human beings, I unite my voice with those who are crying out for reconciliation and an end to violence. Once more, I would like to express my adamant verdict on terrorism. Upon remembering all of its victims, I dedicate an emotional remembrance to the last, whose death affects us all today so directly. From here, I convey the testimony of my profound sorrow to his widow and family. Fortunately, the time of fear is over in that dear land; now begins the time of hope. I have mentioned the word concord several times during my speech. It sums up the life and work of my grandfather, Don Juan de Borbón, as he dedicated his greatest efforts and sacrifices to building a Spain for all Spaniards. I feel great sadness when I notice that he is no longer here. I well know with how much interest and affection he followed this Award Ceremony which bears my name. Therefore, that call to the heart which is at times remembrance today finds in me an echo of nostalgia, love and loneliness. A loneliness only lessened by the conviction that his absence is not silence; his moral legacy and his permanent call for unity and reconciliation will remain amongst us forever as a living flame of love for Spain. I will return to the United States to continue my studies full of hope. Once again, I will take with me unforgettable experiences and emotions. I am sure that, once there, I will remember these dearly beloved verses which I learnt one day here: “I have mentioned the word concord several times during my speech. It sums up the life and work of my grandfather, Don Juan de Borbón, as he dedicated his greatest efforts and sacrifices to building a Spain for all Spaniards.”