A crusade and an award inspired on Grau

PIURA CITY; Peru – Miguel Grau Seminario (1834-1879) was a Piura-native marine and politician who immortalized during the so-called War of Pacific, that blasted between Peru and Chile in 1879, and that had one of its greatest episodes to Angamos Combat, October 8^th that year, when he died from a projectile blasted into the command tower of Huáscar Monitor, today a war trophy exhibited in Talcahuano, Chile.

Grau is not only considered a hero but he is recognized as a pioneer of the international humanitarian right in time of war, when he ordered to rescue Chilean castaway marines whom he had previously attacked during the Iquique Combat (May 21^st, 1879), so he was nicknamed as The Gentleman of the Sea.

In his memory, Peru’s Navy, Grau Foundation, and Telefónica del Perú have developed a so-called values crusade for eight years, named We Are Grau, Let’s Be It Forever (paraphrasing the first verse of the Peruvian national anthem, that says: “We are free, let’s be it forever”). It was also called the Admiral Miguel Grau National Award. The crousade looks for advocating civic and moral values in the citizenship inspired on patriotism. During the launch of both initiatives, Dr Miguel Grau Malachowsky was present. He is a descendant of the hero and representative of Grau Family.

“In each one of the editions, we have met persons who are true examples of honesty, loyalty, and dignity values those described how our great hero Miguel Grau acted, and which service vocation is the maximum expression of human quality that Peru hosts. We keep the big expectation this year to reach the most quantity of Peruvians inspiring and advocating the practice of those values in the others, ever necessary for strengthening our national identity and improving the society,” Telefónica del Perú’s Advisor to the Institutional Relations Direction Roberto Vidaurre pointed out.

Some schools had books and comicsabout the life of Miguel Grau Seminarrio, while the rest of the people could follow the campaign on www.somosgrau.pe (in Spanish) and www.facebook.com/somosgrau (in Spanish) as well, where trivias and contests may be found.