P
rince
of
A
sturias
A
wards
1981-2014. S
peeches
9
of the past, who valued being an all-round human being more than the crowns and statues to
celebrate their victories, takes on new meaning and relevance.
Success in sport is fostered by tenacity and by the effort that only youth can muster; but greater
than this kind of success is victory over oneself. It is a pleasure to see how triumphs in the stadium
can become victories for society as a whole, as has happened in the case of Steffi Graf when she
established her important Children for Tomorrow Foundation.
The value of our Awards —the genuine and exemplary nature of them— lies in how unifying
they are, for not one of the individuals or institutions here present and being acknowledged are
motivated by facile opportunismor the whims of the ephemeral.
We discover in all of them those virtues that exalt men and
women: the noble struggle for self-improvement and for others
to progress, courage, the spirit of innovation that forthcoming
times demand, selfless service to society, an openness towards
all nations devoid of sectarianism, and determination and self-
sacrifice, taken on occasions to the very limits.
To sum up, we would emphasise that once again the Prince
of Asturias Awards acknowledge all that is exceptional, namely the highest and most exemplary
qualities available to man to fulfil his aspirations and achieve the ideal model of a society that
is more just, one that displays greater culture, progress and concord. These are values that the
Laureates have made their own and democratic Spain proclaims them.
As we approach the end of a millennium it seems inevitable to look towards the future, to
ponder on what we want the future awaiting us to be like, to try to understand the basic principles
that will inspire tomorrow’s history, guarding whatever may be timeless from the past.
We are immediately confronted by major contradictions, by the vicissitudes of history, by the
highs and lows that mark a paradoxical civilization, by progress and degradation, respect and
humiliation, absolute beauty and absolute ugliness. In the century that is ending, we have managed
to improve living standards for millions of human beings who lead a more dignified existence
thanks to the spread of education, culture and healthcare, and intense scientific and technical
development. Yet at the same time, the gap between rich and poor, between oppressors and the
oppressed, has widened, leaving a major part of humanity condemned to injustice and poverty.
The suffering of those for whom the mere mention of the modern age is a humiliating act of
sarcasm is sadly familiar to us. And perhaps because we care increasingly more about respect for
human rights, individual rights, freedom of opinion and ideas and the right to work, we are more
aware of their constant violations and also more responsible for them.
Achieving a fairer, more caring world must continue to be a priority of human activity. In the
apotheosis of global communication, we must consolidate even further the idea that there is a
single human race with many separate identities, and that all of us on this earth should be equals
in dignity, rights and obligations.
Therefore, we must consolidate the idea that we can live as whole human beings; that we can
achieve a new model for the human race that builds its ethics on principles, on occasions totally
new ones, to eradicate pain and hate from human existence. To construct this new existence, we
also need to see the women and men of the future as our fellow human beings to whom we have
the responsibility of saving the planet. We become greater in this way, because those who think
not only of their own era, but also of leaving a better world for those who take over from us on this
age-old road where nothing has been achieved easily become greater.
Many sacrifices have been required and many still need to be made to fulfil each of our dreams,
to pursue each of our utopias. A great defender of human rights proclaimed that “whoever wishes
to reap the benefits of freedom should suffer the hardship of defending it.”
I will finish my speech by mentioning what I consider to be one of the major achievements of
this century: the achievement of women’s rights.
As we all know, throughout history women have lived in a permanent state of being under
“We also need to see the women and men of
the future as our fellow human beings to whom
we have the responsibility of saving the planet.”
