Presentation of the Network of Politics and Human Rights of the UDA
On January 21, the Politics and Human Rights Network was presented at the Hernán Malo Library of the University of Azuay with the presence of the Rector, Francisco Salgado; the Mayor of Cuenca, Pedro Palacios; Iván Ontaneda, Minister of Production and Foreign Trade of Ecuador; Charles-Michel Geurts, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Ecuador, among other guests.
The first to speak was Dr. Salgado, who indicated that "Cuenca, in this inauguration, is at the level of the world" and added that at this time, more than ever, we must conceive ourselves as citizens of the world.
After the Rector's welcome, a video was shown sent by the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, who said that he was very happy to inaugurate this academic network “which aims to stimulate a debate on the values that are fundamental pillars of the Union. European ”.
Among these pillars, he highlighted respect for human rights and the environment, and highlighted the importance of emerging markets, especially in these times of economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
The EU Ambassador in Ecuador later congratulated the academics who formed the network from a distance, especially Damiano Scotton, its promoter, and the University of Azuay: “It seems key to me that this proposal comes from the universities, because talking about university is talking about debate ”, he added.
Then it was the turn of the Minister of Production and Foreign Trade of Ecuador, who in his speech through virtuality highlighted the role of trade to guarantee "the full development of people."
After the internet interventions, the Dean of Legal Sciences, José Chalco Quezada, took the floor at the Hernán Malo Library, who emphasized the role of democracy as a “system inherent to human rights and the rule of law” and stated that desire of the University to consolidate a community of values.
Then, the Director of the Network, Damiano Scotton, made the official presentation of the network, pointing out that "the Academy cannot be satisfied only with the fulfillment of an educational role", adding that the theory taught should be the starting point of ideas and new visions that adapt to the times we live in.
The last speaker was the Mayor of the city, who concluded that the formation of these spaces is of vital importance to "gather experiences and knowledge of professors and researchers" that allows us to analyze politics and human rights from different perspectives.
After the speeches, the professors who are members of the network signed the constitutive act of this new academic space.
Following the presentation of the Network, the University of Azuay and its School of Architecture delivered to the city the Preliminary Project: "Hostel of the Todo Santos Religious Architectural Complex" to the Fundación Oblatas Todos Santos.
This act was attended by the Rector, the Mayor of Cuenca, and also Mariana Granda, Provincial Superior of the Oblate Mothers; Genoveva Malo, Dean of the Faculty of Design, and Diego Proaño, Project Director.
