The Los Realejos City Council in Tenerife has honoured the Jaime Balmes School, situated in Gran Canaria, with its traditional Añepa Solidaria through the initiative Los Realejos for solidarity. This project aims to make “a clear commitment to education and awareness surrounding the adherence to Human Rights, providing a platform for highlighting the unjust situations and realities that many individuals are forcibly subjected to, such as poverty, inequality, or discrimination.”
This announcement was made by the City Council to the educational institution. “We intended for this space to be as impartial and democratic as possible, fostering values of respect and critical thinking. Among the various educational, cultural, and training activities, the granting of the Añepa Solidaria is suggested; this symbol is part of the Los Realejos coat of arms and is intertwined with the history of the municipality. Since 2001, it has been awarded as a recognition to all initiatives that encourage respect, coexistence, non-discrimination, and the upholding of human rights by individuals, organisations, or collectives who exemplify these principles through their actions in contemporary society.”
The Youth Department of the Hon. Los Realejos City Council aimed to acknowledge the entire educational community of the Jaime Balmes School with this award “for exemplary practice and solidarity initiative”, highlighting that it serves as “a model for how citizens can be catalysts for social change through actions that support migrants and create inclusive spaces, thereby facilitating the integration of these individuals within our community, founded on respect and dignity.”
The award ceremony is scheduled to occur in the assembly hall of the educational centre next Friday, November 15, at 11:00 a.m.
The presentation of the Añepas Solidarias was paused for several years until its revival in 2021, during the pandemic, when this distinction was awarded to various key figures involved in supporting individuals amidst the health crisis. In 2021, it was bestowed upon the Military Emergency Unit, the Civil Guard, the National Police Service, the Los Realejos Local Police, the Tenerife Fire Consortium, the Los Realejos Volunteer Fire Brigade, the Los Realejos Civil Protection, the Los Realejos Health Centre, the Tenerife Pharmacists’ Association, the Tenerife Psychologists’ Association, the Tenerife Social Workers’ Association, the street cleaning teams of Los Realejos, the Merchants’ Association of Los Realejos ACORE, the Cruz Association Santa Comercial, Cáritas, the Food Bank, and the Lions Club.
In 2022, the solidary añepas were awarded to individuals closely associated with culture within the royal community, including professor and playwright Manolo García García, historian, professor, and musicologist Carmen Nieves Luis García, and the late communicator, educator, and actress María Remedios “Remi” Pérez Brito.
The historical honour roll of Añepas Solidarias was further enriched in 2023 with the José Luis Montesinos Canarian Foundation and Cuartito Solidario de La Montaña.
