The Consul General of Ukraine in Barcelona presides over the inauguration of CAMP and applauds the presence of several refugee children from Ukraine in the eighth edition
Today marked the opening day of the 8th International Rotary Maspalomas Camp at the Casa Condal in San Fernando de Maspalomas, with the presence of the Councilor for Culture of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council, Elena Espino, the Councilor for Solidarity of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Carmelo Ramírez, the Consul General of Ukraine in Barcelona, Artem Vorobyov, and the Governor of Rotary International District 2201 , Virginia Carballude.
In the words of Elena Espino, Councilor for Culture of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council, the effort of the Rotary Club of Maspalomas to bring 35 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 from all over the world to Maspalomas deserves applause, something that is not easy in times like these. "Thanks to you," she said, "the Maspalomas Summer University is international, with a program rich in experiences and values." Espino added that this CAMP "demonstrates that in this municipality it is possible to live in perfect harmony." Carmelo Ramírez , Councilor for Solidarity of the Gran Canaria Island Council, welcomed the young people attending the CAMP, saying, "We hope that the values you will share will contribute to the transformation of such a violent world, so that cooperation becomes the cornerstone of our society."
The testimony of Artem Vorobyov , Consul General of Ukraine in Barcelona, was undoubtedly the most moving. “That three young people from my country have the opportunity to escape the horror they have experienced and to live peacefully with young people from all over the world is very important,” he said. Vorobyov emphasized that “culture, knowledge, and education are destroyed when war breaks out,” which is why Rotary's efforts to promote them “are a very laudable objective.” He also asserted that armed conflicts always have two causes: the political one, the desire to change borders, and the moral one, the arrogance of leaders. “We Ukrainians desire true peace, not one imposed unilaterally. We want to recover our territories and have the necessary resources for the development and prosperity of our country.”
The Governor of Rotary International District 2201, to which the Canary Islands belong, Virginia Carballude , expressed her satisfaction with the return of the CAMP in person, noting that "Rotary has continued its humanitarian and knowledge-sharing activities throughout the pandemic." She added, "It is a source of pride to see these young people here today, and for the Ukrainian students to feel welcomed and loved by the rest of the world. Rotary has achieved this."
During the inauguration, the Rotary Club of Maspalomas was also able to make an important announcement: Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain will be Honorary Presidents of the Organizing Committee of the "Rotary School in La Palma " Project. This initiative, developed by all the Rotary clubs in the Canary Islands, aims to provide the island of La Palma with the necessary infrastructure to replace the three single-classroom schools that were devastated by the volcano in the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane. Javier Vega Petrovelli , the project's fundraising manager, emphasized the value of the support received: "This initiative originated with Rotary, but we need the support of all citizens and public institutions. Hence the enormous importance of Their Majesties joining the project; we are grateful for their gesture." The project, which has a budget of €600.00, will ensure that all the children who have lost their schools will have everything they need to resume their education.
Today, the 35 young participants of the CAMP program watched the documentary "A Light in the Darkness," a captivating work by Marta Borrell , an 18-year-old from Seville and student of International Relations and History at Minerva University in San Francisco. The film delves into education in developing countries through her insightful first-hand experience in Mozambique. Following the screening, a discussion took place between the participants and Marta Borrell, who was accompanied by her mother and the documentary's producer, Sara Fijo.
“A light in the darkness”, directed by José M. Borrell and in which the entire family participated, has the UNESCO quality seal, is exhibited in educational centers and is used as study material in universities.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 5th, the central theme will be environmental protection and its influence on achieving peace. The conference will feature activist Victoria Ballesteros , a young woman from the Canary Islands who has participated several times in the UN General Assembly, and Gonzalo Sánchez Martín , a Merchant Marine student and Rotaract District Representative, who will speak about his experience sailing and conducting research in Antarctica. The event will take place at 6:00 PM at the Casa Condal in San Fernando de Maspalomas.
The VIII International Rotary Maspalomas CAMP is organized by the Rotary Club Maspalomas with the collaboration of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council , the Gran Canaria Island Council through the International Solidarity Service , within the Gran Canaria Solidaria Program , the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria , the Maspalomas Summer University and District 2201 Rotary Spain.