The teacher and journalist José Juan Romero Cruz, currently an English teacher and vice-principal of the Cesar Manrique Cabrera School of Tahiche, presented the publication reflecting the activities carried out in this first decade of operation.
He highlighted the important social space that the NGO has occupied on the island of Lanzarote with the promulgation of the Mercedes Medina scholarships, from which more than fifty university students from Lanzarote have benefited. The scholarships have been covered with the association's own funds, and a large group of businessmen, present at the event, have also joined.
Romero highlighted "the boost given to the documentary funds on the history of education in Lanzarote and the children's drawing contest Pinta y Cuida Tu Isla" (Paint and Take Care of Your Island), promoted by the association and the business group CICAR, which "has become one of the most requested school calls in the Canary Islands Autonomous Community". More than 6000 students have participated in its six editions.
Romero mentioned that the Mercedes Medina Association has been a "luxury bridge between the University and Lanzarote through the quality of the conferences and speakers". “The conference, with all the rituals of meeting, of common interest, of follow-up, of respect for the one who knows, of humility in the one who listens, of awakening curiosity, of construction of knowledge, is essential in a society that wants to improve. This is what the professor of philosophy Ángel Gabilondo made us think when he asked how many conferences were organized monthly on the island”.
The publication takes a tour of all the spaces where the association has made the calls: Real Club Náutico, Sociedad Democracia Sociedad Torrelavega, Teatro de Tinajo Ermita de San Antonio, Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz, International Museum of Contemporary Art Castillo de San José in Arrecife, Casa Benito Pérez Armas in Yaiza and Sociedad La Tegala de Haría. Complemented with an exhibition at the Sociedad Democracia that summarizes the main events organized by the institution during the last decade.
At the end of the event, attendees collected a copy of the publication free of charge, and in the “Solidarity with La Palma” collection boxes they left their voluntary contributions that will go to the schools affected by the lava. The collection box will continue to be present in the rest of the activities programmed by the Association until November 18.
