Barcelona Town Hall’s Saló de Cent will host the 2023 Casa Asia Award Ceremony on April 21, at 12.30pm.

The winners of this edition in its four categories are:

Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist, in the Diversity and Sustainable Development category, for her journalistic activity denouncing abuses of power in Iran, and for serving as a speaker in exile for Iranian women against the compulsory use of ‘hijab’ and other discriminatory laws.

Margaret Chen, Chinese businesswoman, in the Economy and Business category, for her contribution to the rapprochement between China and Spain in the field of business innovation, especially in the telecommunications sector and start-ups, as well as for her support for the integration of Chinese managers in Spanish society through the China Club Spain.

Guillermo Gómez Rivera and Nick Deocampo, in the Culture and Society category (ex aequo)

• Guillermo Gómez Rivera, director of the Philippine Language Academy, for his promotion of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures in the Philippines, not only in the different literary genres in which he has written -theatre, poetry, novels, short stories and essays- , but also as an expert ethnographer on the oral traditions of his country.

• Nick Deocampo, Philippine academic, in the Culture and Society category, for his decisive contribution to the knowledge of Philippine cinema and the recovery of classic Philippine cinema in his country, as well as his commitment to films as a tool for change and social progress; for his defence of LGTBQ+ rights, giving voice to this group at film festivals, workshops and other activities.

The Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF), in the Education and Science category, for its 25-year career helping to promote mutual understanding and collaboration between civil societies in Asia and Europe. With this award, the jury gives recognition, in particular, to the work of ASEF in the educational field, where its programs serve as a platform for young people to meet, and the creation of networks that facilitate collaboration between students, teachers and educators from Asia and Europe.

The event will also be attended by representatives of the four institutions that are members of the Casa Asia consortium: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council and Madrid City Council, as well as the ambassadors from Asia-Pacific countries accredited in our country.