FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 96 - ENGLISH

Every work is an opportunity to express what respect, friendship, solidarity, coexistence and tolerance mean to them 53 ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS The Festival is much more than a compe- tition. Children can participate through drawing and other art forms such as mu- sic, poetry, storytelling, singing or dance. Every work is an opportunity to express what respect, friendship, solidarity, coe- xistence and tolerance mean to them. Our experience over these years confirms that teaching values also means giving younger children the opportunity to ex- press them through their own voices and creativity. The highlight will be the awards cere- mony at Alcalá de Henares’s Teatro Sa- lón Cervantes, once again combining a celebration of participating children with a children’s theatre performance. This year, we will also enjoy the premiere of ¿ De qué color es un beso ? by T-Gracia, a company that has regularly worked with the Foundation in recent years. Theatre, awards and pupils’ work will come together in a day celebrating parti- cipation while conveying a message of co- existence and respect. But the Festival has another dimension essential to us: remem- brance. Discussing tolerance with children also means explaining that differences can never justify violence and that democratic coexistence requires respect for others. It means keeping alive the memory of Rodol- fo Benito Samaniego and all victims of te- rrorism, recalling that behind every victim is a person, a family and a story deserving to be known and remembered. For our Foundation, remembrance is more than looking back. It is a way of building the future. We will undertake four activities with one shared commitment and purpose: a university course, two training scholars- hips, a lecture open to the public and a fes- tival aimed especially at children. The Rodolfo Benito Samaniego Founda- tion was born fromRodolfo’s memory and the commitment to turn it into an active defence of democratic values. Since then, we have sought to make remembrance a commitment: to human rights, education, tolerance and a society where violence can never be an acceptable response. Our acti- vities therefore always look ahead: to trai- ning and learning; dialogue and listening; education and remembrance. We want students to find tools in our cour- ses to understand the world better; a lectu- re to prompt a question or open a debate; and a child to discover, through a drawing, song or play, that coexistence means res- pecting others. And we also want to keep remembering. This autumn, we open our doors again. We invite you to join us at the University of Alcalá, participate in our human rights course, attend the 22nd “Coexistence and Tolerance in Today’s Society” Lecture and celebrate the Children’s Festival for Tole- rance with us. These will be months for meeting, reflecting and remembering. And, above all, for continuing to build society together .