p-28-31-red-367-english-cervantes

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In Lebanon, Spanish soldiers gave lessons to scholars with the support of the Instituto Cervantes in Beirut. The Spanish language as an INSTRUMENT OF PEACE Through the Cervantes programme, the Spanish Armed Forces have taught our language and have spread the Spanish culture towards the population of countries in conflict IT happened in Bosnia, in 1999. The Balkan war was over, but security was not yet a reality in the streets, where many children spent most of the time. The Parachute Brigade Almogávares VI, therein deployed, was wondering which would be the best way to help them to forget a conflict that was still alive in their memories. They came to the conclusion that, to do so, first of all it was necessary to communicate with them, so they started teaching Spanish. This is how the Cervantes programme was born, one of the cultural activities more distinguished within the overseas military groupings, that is still performed in Lebanon. In there, since 2006, our soldiers have given lessons to 6,500 persons from 20 different towns and in more than 30 schools. «It is one of the activities we carried out for enabling people to realise we are there for helping them. The word help is fundamental in the missions», as the Colonel Juan Bustamante, from the Operations Command Staff stated. «Through such magnificent tool as is the Spanish language, and with so many people delighted with freely learning it, we achieve a population more prone to support us, to defend us from those that may be against us» added. «For us, it is an instrument that, without being military, is of military use; it has a great impact on our security». The programme was consolidated in 2010, by means of signing a collaboration agreement between the Minister of Defence and the Instituto Cervantes. This document was renewed at the beginning of the year, and it also contemplates teaching our language to foreign soldiers in Spain, as well as other teaching activities related with the diffusion of the Spanish language and culture. «The Spanish language is an instrument of peace and coexistence », according to the Acting Minister of 28 Revista Española de Defensa December 2019


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