News, October 2004

Príncipe de Asturias Prizes

23 October. Last night Spain's most prestigious prizes were awarded by the Prince of Asturias, Felipe. Last year, JK Rowling won the most prestigious of all, the Concord prize. This year the winners are as follow:

Letters: Claudio Magris
Technical and Scientific Research: Judah Folkman, Tony Hunter, Joan Massagué, Bert Vogelstein, Robert Weinberg
Social Sciences: Paul Krugman
Communications and Humanities: Jean Daniel
International Cooperation: The European Union´s Erasmus programme
Arts: Paco de Lucía
Concord: The Way of Saint James
Sports: Hicham El Guerrouj

The following extract from the official site of the act ( http:www.fpa.es ) resume's the Prince's speech:

The Prince does not renounce the ideal of utopia to make the world a better place

In the Awards Presentation Ceremony speech, Prince Philip of Asturias expressed his conviction that life is a magnificent gift and a unique opportunity to do good.
October, 22

"My wife, the Princess of Asturias accompanies me for the first time. We joined hands in matrimony five months ago today - a step we both desired towards building a home, forming a family, and sharing the precious wish to serve Spain wholeheartedly, with loyalty towards our history and commitment towards the future of our society".

"To confront these terrorist threats, we can rely on the firm commitment to fight with the efficacy provided by the tools of democracy and the strength of our convictions, which include the protection and defence of the values, assets and ideals that define us as a free and democratic society".

"We Spaniards have built up in recent decades and with enormous sacrifice, with understanding and generosity, one of the fairest, most prosperous and free societies in the world, and one of the most advanced in the defence of human rights".

Full text of the speech (in Spanish) at: http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/ing/elprincipedeasturias/discursos/discurso2004.html