The reflection of a Burmese student on peace, first prize of the contest “Letter to a Spanish soldier”

● Claudia María Bartolomé López, from the IES Comuneros de Castilla, has received recognition from the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles ● Manuela Anido Gómez, from the International College Eiris (A Coruña), and Marta Bernácer Sánchez, from the Maristas College of Santa María (Toledo) have been finalists

January 22, 2024.- The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, presented this morning the first prize of the 10th edition of the literary school contest "Carta a un militar español", whose winner was Claudia María Bartolomé López, student of the Burgalés IES Comuneros de Castilla.

In the act of delivery, relayed by streaming, Robles recalled first of all the more than 3,000 soldiers deployed right now abroad, “working for peace in the world in sometimes very difficult circumstances.” In her speech, she was admired for the ability of the winners to express feelings and to explain, in short, what the work of the Armed Forces represents: “There is no profession more generous, more human and more dedicated than that of the military,” he said.

At the same event, the diplomas were awarded to the finalists: Manuela Anido Gómez, of the Eiris International School (A Coruña), has collected the second prize from the Undersecretary of Defense, Adoración Mateos Tejada. In addition, Lieutenant General Pedro José García Cifo, General Director of Recruitment and Military Education, has awarded the third prize to Marta Bernácer Sánchez, from the Maristas College of Santa María (Toledo).

Claudia María Bartolomé, who spoke on behalf of the three winners, thanked the work of the teachers, “for their continuous effort in our training and in education in values such as companionship, the spirit of sacrifice and the sense of duty.” The young woman from Burgos has also highlighted the research work that the participants must carry out to prepare their work, and has claimed the spirit that moves her generation: “Today’s young people want to learn, to reinvent ourselves and to contribute to the history of our homeland.”

In the award-winning text, entitled “Peace, heartbeat”, Claudia reflects on the work of the military, essential to achieve peace: “Thanks to your tenacity, discipline and work, you contribute to creating stability and well-being in places of conflict. Thanks to your sacrifice, dedication and honor, the Plaza de España in Mostar is today like the one in my city, where the boys walk without fear and go safely to school.”

Precisely, the motto chosen for the 10th edition of the contest was “The Armed Forces, building peace and security” and, according to the bases of the contest, the participants had to draft a letter addressed to an anonymous Spanish military man or woman who participates in one of the missions with which our armies contribute to the development of peace and security.

11,215 CARDS

In this year’s edition, a total of 11,215 students from 513 centers in Spain and two other Spanish-owned centers abroad participated; one in Tetouan and the other in Casablanca. All of them have sent their letters that, in the first phase, have been selected in the centers themselves to move later to a provincial phase and, finally, to the national one. In the latter, the jury, composed of three professionals from the Ministry of Defense and three external ones, has counted on the participation of the journalist Nieves Herrero Cerezo and the doctors in Information Sciences Rosa Huertas Noguera and Fernando Peinado and Miguel.

The call for the next edition of the contest has as its theme the 35th anniversary of the incorporation of women into the Armed Forces: “Inspiration for the new generations”, and the registration deadline for participating centers ends on January 31. All the information about the bases, as well as the history of winners are available on the web: https://www.defensa.gob.es/cartaaunmilitar/index.html