Dr. Carlos Cortina
Carlos Cortina, Delegate for Spain of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy and full member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), explains in the article “Visit to SAFA Blanca Paloma School” the meeting that the Spanish delegation of the Orders held last March with the school community of the centre, located in one of the most vulnerable and diverse areas of Seville, but which has become an educational and social benchmark thanks to its innovative “Enraizadas” project, focused on community integration and support for families in vulnerable situations. The aim was to explore the delegation’s charitable collaboration in the school’s educational and social work.
The institutional visit, led by representatives of charitable and educational initiatives, made it possible to learn first-hand about the reality of the centre, which is part of the SAFA network, with more than 75 years of history and oriented towards the education of disadvantaged groups. As the academic explains, “Enraizadas” constitutes the school’s backbone, extending beyond the classroom to commit itself to direct intervention in the family and social environment of its pupils. Through personalised guidance, community activities, and spaces for dialogue, such as the family classroom, they seek to rebuild ties, build trust, and foster families’ autonomy.
The initiative is supported by a network of collaboration with social organisations and promotes training and coexistence activities that strengthen the community fabric. According to those responsible for it, this involvement has a positive impact on pupils: it reduces absenteeism, improves academic performance and reinforces motivation and emotional well-being. Cortina explains that the centre also stands out for its comprehensive educational approach, based on collaboration among teachers, families and students, which shapes a triangular model that prioritises shared responsibility and continuous support.
During the visit, those attending were able to observe this reality in operation, including testimonies from a young migrant integrated into the centre, an example of the project’s transformative impact. In a context marked by social inequality, SAFA Blanca Paloma School presents itself as a driving force for change, combining education, inclusion, and social commitment, and embracing a school that is open to the neighbourhood and centred on the dignity and development of individuals. “The undersigned, in his capacity as Delegate for Spain of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy, hereby leaves written record of how and to what extent this meritorious work has moved us in spirit and conscience, challenging and deeply stirring us; in a communion, as a true theophany, because, in the expressions of those taking part, teachers, fathers and mothers and, evidently, the pupils, the presence of God has been perceived,” he concludes.
Cortina has developed his professional and research activities in the disciplines of ceremonial, protocol, and public relations, holding the post of Head of Institutional Relations and Protocol at various companies and public institutions. He is the author of reference works in the field of protocol, such as “Reglament de Protocol, Cerimonial, Honors i Distincions per als Ajuntaments” (2010). A founding member of the Catalan Association of Protocol and Institutional Relations, he has been awarded the Silver Medal and the Red Cross Medal of Constancy (1991 and 1992), the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (2000), the Marqués de Mondéjar National Prize for Ceremonial and Protocol (2001), the National Prize for Protocol and Institutional Relations (2017), the Gold Medal of Pope Leo XIII for the Custody of the Holy Land (2019) and the Gold Benemerenza Medal of the Constantinian Order (2021).
