Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The Macarrulla Foundation and the Dominican Resistance Memorial Museum recognized the winning students of the seventh edition of the "Essay Contest for Freedom", an initiative that seeks to promote among Dominican youth the reflection on the value of freedom and democracy.
In this edition, 270 students from 82 public and private educational centers from different provinces of the country participated, who developed essays around the theme: “How to value today the sacrifice of past generations to conquer the freedom that the country enjoys today?”.
The contest takes place every year within the framework of the commemorative activities of National Freedom Day, celebrated every May 30th for the execution of the tyrant Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Through this contest, students from different educational centers in the country have the opportunity to analyze and write about the sacrifices made by previous generations to conquer the freedoms that the nation enjoys today.
Lidia Martínez de Macarrulla, president of the Macarrulla Foundation, highlighted the importance of continuing to promote spaces that allow young people to know and value the democratic history of the nation.
"From the Macarrulla Foundation, we have been supporting this contest because we firmly believe that freedom is one of the most valuable assets a society can have. We want our young people to understand its meaning, to know the sacrifices that other generations made to conquer it, and to assume the commitment to preserve it for the future," he expressed.
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On her part, Luisa de Peña Díaz, director of the Museum, congratulated the participating students for their enthusiasm and interest in being part of this initiative, while encouraging them to continue getting involved in activities that contribute to building a better future for the Dominican Republic.
"I congratulate you, I thank you for participating, for encouraging yourselves, for believing in our institution and for being part of a better future for the country by defending our rights, defending our freedoms, assuming positions as responsible citizens, and tomorrow in responsible positions," he stated.
The highest honors of the contest were awarded to Daniel Guillermo Yunes Gómez, a student at Colegio Jaime Molina Mota, for his essay ‘How much is freedom worth?’, and to Ashton Moya, from Saint Patrick School, for his work ‘Essay on Freedom’, selected by the jury as the top two places of this edition.
Also, the students Darielys Agramonte Brito, from the Scientific Lyceum Dr. Miguel Canela Lázaro; Destiny Karina Minier Montesino, from the Quisqueya Educational Center of Santiago (CEQUISA); Jecarly Matos Bohonagua, from the Loyola Polytechnic Institute of San Cristóbal; and Amara Linnette Fernández Bonilla, from the San Pío X School, were recognized with the four second places.
In addition to the main awards, the jury awarded 24 honorable mentions to students from different educational centers in the country, in recognition of the quality of their work, their analytical capacity and the interest shown in reflecting on the value of freedom and the importance of preserving democratic principles.
The works were evaluated by a jury made up of the writer and researcher Avelino Stanley, who served as president, and the journalist and cultural manager Domingo Guerrero. For the selection of the winners, the judges took into consideration the argumentative quality of the essays, adherence to the contest rules, clarity in written expression, as well as the support of the ideas presented through consulted sources and publications.
The Macarrulla Foundation is a non-profit entity with several years of uninterrupted work that promotes initiatives that foster education, culture, arts, sports and other areas that contribute to the integral development of citizens. Part of its vision is to contribute to the development of the Dominican Republic. During its trajectory, it has sponsored children's contests, educational activities, the promotion of reading, the development of research projects and the commemoration of historical events of national relevance.
