Prof. Pilar Viviente
On November 4, 2021, the third edition of the renowned “Creative Silk”, Women and Peace Routes awards of the Silk Spain Institute was held at the Casa Mediterráneo in Alicante city. The Casa Mediterráneo is a public consortium composed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAUEC), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Generalitat Valenciana, the Alicante City Council, Benidorm City Council and the Alicante Provincial Council.
These awards are given to initiatives and social participation related to silk, which incorporate women and young entrepreneurs in tourism entrepreneurship and women or organizations that highlight and influence equality and governance of women and their values in the various routes of Peace, highlighting the silk routes in the Mediterranean as routes of Peace. Likewise, it is awarded to outstanding Women in an individual, business or governance way who stand out for their support of initiatives that affect the development or promotion of the Land or Maritime Silk Routes.
The awards consist of a trophy and an accrediting diploma, for each of the awarded women or organizations.
Awards are delivered in an event after the celebration of the Thought and Action Forum (Foro Pensamiento y Acción, FPA) conference that under the title The Silk Roads and Women in Mediterranean Cultures is held at the Casa Mediterráneo in Alicante. This time we attended the III Conference “Migrant and Refugee Women in the Mediterranean” on the 3rd and 4th as protagonists of these round tables and presentations. The program and videos of the sessions are available on the Silk Spain Institute website and also on its YouTube channel.
The delivery of the Creative Silk and Women Awards was presented by Rubén Sancho, Autonomous Secretary of Equality of the Generalitat Valenciana.
This year’s awards: In order of delivery.
- Women ‘s Observatory of the Mediterranean and Peace Routes. Prize awarded to Pilar Viviente, Faculty of Fine Arts UMH, Altea, Alicante, and Nimet Kesser, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey.
- Asia Business Silk Smart Center, Polop, Alicante. Award given to Anny Chen and Diana Chen President and Vice President respectively of the Asociación Alacant – China.
- Sustainability 5.0 Cities and Tourism. Award given to Sandrine Gil, founder of Connect Clean for the organization of the Digital District Days of Alicante.
- Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Humanities at UNESCO, to her work on the Maritime Silk Routes and the Manila Galleon.
See III Premios “Mujeres y Rutas de Paz” SILK FRIENDLY 2021
A video of the Awards Ceremony is available online: Terceros Premios Silk Friendly Mujer y Rutas de Paz – https://youtu.be/ql_45anNFC0
Creative Silk Award “Woman and Peace Routes” is an excellent way to implement the sustainable development goals.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
It is an honor to have received this award. My heartfelt thanks to the Silk Spain Institute, the Generalitat Valenciana, Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, Vicepresidencia y Consellería de Igualdad y Políticas Inclusivas, and Casa Mediterráneo. A very special thank you to Fernando Molina, President of the Silk Spain Institute, also to Enrique Gaspar, vice-President of the Silk Spain Institute. Thank you to Foro Pensamiento y Acción, Fundación Cultura de Paz, UNESCO – Chair of the International Silk Road Online Platform, and UNAOC United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Thank you to all the team that has made this great event possible.
And above all thank you to Federico Mayor Zaragoza for his enlightening teachings. Here a quote on women and peace that he mentioned in his speech at the opening ceremony:
Her role will be, as Nelson Mandela told me in Pretoria in 1996, “the cornerstone of the new era, because women only exceptionally use force, and men only exceptionally do not use it.
Federico Mayor Zaragoza. Recuerdos para el porvenir. (PDF available online).
This goes for all the women. Wherever you are you can join the Silk Road. It is not a single way or Peace Route, but many: a web of choices. Be creative!
