Alejandro G. Roemmers (Buenos Aires, 1958) has just received the ‘Madrid, Capital of Ibero-America’ award in the Cultural Initiative category. It is not the first honor in the career of the poet and philanthropist, who is the only layperson to hold the St. Francis of Assisi Prize, and who paid tribute to the saint on the 800th anniversary of his death with the initiative ‘A Hug for Humanity’.
He maintains that “a hug given sincerely, with feeling” can help people feel closer, even when they differ in their thinking, religion or origins. It’s not just about tolerating others, he explains, but about accepting them and recognizing them as brothers and sisters.
The initiative aims to grow over time. The author is aware that it is difficult to bring about deep change in society, but he believes that great transformations can begin with small gestures. The videos of the hugs have generated millions of interactions, and his hope is that, in future editions, it will become less and less necessary to explain the meaning behind the idea.
Receiving the St. Francis of Assisi Prize has also strengthened his commitment to spreading the saint’s teachings. One of the most important is universal fraternity, understood as the idea that differences should not prevent people from recognizing one another as equals. “There is no ‘other,’ because the other is you,” he explains.
A hug to remind us that we are all brothers and sisters
The writer chose the hug both for its connection to the Franciscan tradition and for his own way of relating to others. But for Roemmers, a hug is also a way of conveying an energy that goes beyond a conventional greeting.
The Argentine writer champions precisely fraternity, human contact and the need to put technology at the service of people. He also upholds love as what makes us truly human.
Technology advances, communications multiply, and people have more and more tools to stay in touch. However, Alejandro Roemmers believes that this constant connection does not always translate into deeper relationships. “We are more connected than ever, yet increasingly disconnected,” sums up the Argentine writer, poet and philanthropist, who is concerned about a society that, in his view, risks drifting away from the values that define it. Roemmers took part in the production of a documentary about screen addiction.
Artificial intelligence and the risk of dehumanization
Concern for human values also features prominently in his reflections on artificial intelligence. Roemmers does not believe we should reject technological progress, but he insists that its development must be aimed at improving people’s lives, without replacing what makes us human.
This issue appears in the third volume of The Young Prince, the literary trilogy he is currently finishing. In this new installment, the protagonist confronts artificial intelligence, which the writer also sees as an expression of the knowledge humanity has accumulated.
In his view, the key lies in using these tools to expand our abilities and stimulate creativity, not to hand everything over to them. Artificial intelligence can help with research, finding ideas or making tasks easier, but it should not replace the writer’s creative process.
Moreover, the debate is not limited to literature. Connected to the business world through Roemmers Laboratories, he also believes that many repetitive tasks can be carried out by machines, while people should prepare to take on activities in which human contact is essential. He gives the example of elderly care: a robot can help with household chores, but that does not mean it can offer the same warmth as a person.
The writer also warns that technology can reinforce polarization when it constantly confirms the opinions we already hold. In response to this trend, he advocates reflection, dialogue and the ability to listen to different arguments without discrediting those who make them.
“Life isn’t just black or white” is the essence of his defense of nuance. In a society increasingly drawn toward extremes, he believes it is necessary to regain the ability to recognize that someone with different ideas may be right about certain things.
Added to this concern is the loss of time for silence and reflection. In his view, the constant bombardment of messages, entertainment and dependence on screens make it difficult for people to find moments of calm in which to get to know themselves and form deep bonds.
That is why he advocates what he calls “human ecology”: recognizing the value of every person, connecting with oneself and living with purpose.
Madrid, a city he carries within him
Roemmers gave this interview during his stay in Madrid to receive the award granted by Madrid City Council and the Business Council Alliance for Ibero-America (CEAPI). He says the honor is especially meaningful to him because he lived in this city during a period he remembers as a time of personal and cultural discovery.
His relationship with the country was reflected in Spain in Me, his first book of poems, which brings together texts written during those years. Since then, his bond with Madrid has continued to grow. “Madrid is a feeling, an emotion,” he says.
The award also connects with a career marked by projects that bring Spain and Ibero-America together. These include his participation as an investor in a film to be shot in Spain, with Argentine screenwriters and Spanish actors, and his funding of a chair in cultural industries at Miguel Hernández University, aimed at promoting cultural initiatives between both sides of the Atlantic.
Added to these initiatives is his musical work Sinfonía Argentina (Argentine Symphony), composed with Daniel Doura and presented in Spain with a dedication to the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe.
For Roemmers, all these initiatives respond to the same idea: Spain and Ibero-America are not separate worlds. They share a language and a cultural legacy that, in his opinion, is well worth continuing to strengthen.
“Leaving a trail of love”
When he thinks about the legacy he would like to leave, Roemmers returns to the idea that runs through much of what he says: love. In his relationship with Spain, he has sought to leave a cultural mark through his poems and his involvement in literary initiatives. Among other honors, he has received awards linked to Miguel Hernández and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and has taken part in events on Federico García Lorca. He has also left poems at the Alhambra.
But beyond projects and awards, what he hopes will endure is something simpler. He would like his career to be remembered as an effort to keep the human heart alive. And if anything of him remains, he hopes it will be a trail of love.
