Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches 11 With effort, and in some cases with violence – not the violence that harms, but the violence that is needed to set the foundations of a solid construction – these people have opened the doors of a world we need and desire, a world that is committed to a great task: that of creating and preserving indestructible links between human beings and peoples, and of sharing in order to improve. Allow me, at this point, and before I finish, to briefly recall the trips I have made in recent months through Spain and our sister nations on the other side of the Atlantic; especially in order to express my gratitude for the generosity and affection I am met with in the places I visit. From all these places, I have come away enriched with the first-hand, global vision of the concerns, problems and hopes of their peoples, and I have had the opportunity to look more and more profoundly into the realities of our times. It has been written that to travel is to win the battle against routine, and that travelling with one’s eyes open is the best remedy against intolerance, lack of understanding and self- complacency, which are among the great evils of any age. In America, I have once again confirmed, with joy and a sense of pride, the existence of a popular and cultural sensitivity that is deeply rooted in Spain, one that should serve our country as a compliment and a stimulus. A stimulus in the sense that we must assume their difficulties as our own and help them to overcome their problems in the context of international cooperation; and a complement in the sense that the Spanish seed in Spanish America has blossomed into multifarious, plentiful and oftentimes innovative fruits. As to travels in Spain, the pioneers were the men of the Age of Enlightenment and their masters the writers of the “Generation of 1898”, who had the ability to see and love, like no one had before, the far-stretching lands of our country. These travels revitalise my understanding of Spain, as they increase the affection I feel for the men and women of my country and the sense of identification that bonds me to them. There is no better way of feeling the pulse of our people than to enter their fields and cities, meet their inhabitants and share with them a time to join together in solidarity. All of this constitutes one of the most gratifying experiences of my work. When we gain knowledge of our Communities, together with a new enthusiasm for the future, we realize how far we are from that Spanish vision of love and pain of Azorín, who once said that to live in this country was to do the same things over again, for each day began with nothing new. Today, however, we find prosperity and a dynamic society. This reality also shows us the strength and depth with which the Spanish people have overcome the conflicts of former times, with generosity, intelligence and patriotism. A great Spanish poet, Luis Cernuda, wrote: What the spirit of man Won for the spirit of man through the centuries Is our inheritance, and the legacy Of future men The essential inheritance and legacy of the Spanish people is our country. Spain, the work of many over time and in a constant state of renewal, is the child of the glories and mistakes of the past, the direct outcome of our memory and identity, of our trials and tribulations and our labours, in which the fraternity of its peoples and their peaceful and free coexistence are the life- giving sap of the democracy we have achieved after so much sacrifice. Let us keep alive the spirit of understanding, tolerance and generosity that made all of this possible. Thank you very much. “In America, I have once again confirmed, with joy and a sense of pride, the existence of a popular and cultural sensitivity that is deeply rooted in Spain, one that should serve our country as a complement and a stimulus.”