Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain received the first edition of the Juan Antonio Carrillo Salcedo to Human Rights Award yesterday at the University of Seville.
She received the award, which will be delivered every two years, from the Rector of the University of Seville, Miguel Angel Castro after a short video about the Queen Sofía Foundation. The award is presented in “recognition of people or institutions whose career is distinguished by the defence of the human rights,” according to Casa Real.
Her Majesty delivered a thank you speech where she thanked the jury for “this distinction they have awarded to the Foundation that bears my name.” She also highlighted the commitment of the man the award was named after, Juan Antonio Carrillo Salcedo, saying that he dedicated “a large part of his life to the protection of human rights.”
She went on to encourage the audience that they should continue the “noble task of defending the most disadvantaged, and especially the protection of human rights; it is a task that we all must continue together.” Queen Sofía added that they should follow the example set by Salcedo.
© Casa de SM el Rey
She solidified her and her foundation’s commitment to helping with human rights and mentioned, “In this year in which we celebrate our 40th anniversary, the objectives remain the same, even though the activities we carry out have changed considerably, trying to cover the greatest number of people with pressing problems of our society.”
Her Majesty went on to vow that her foundation would continue to aim of “alleviating the suffering wherever he is, in order to overcome the indifference that advanced societies have often been unable to break.”
While there, she also was present at the presenting of a portrait of her son, King Felipe, to hang in the auditorium of the University of Seville.