International recognition for one of the most representative figures of Alghero's cultural activism. Activist and former mayor Carlo Sechi will receive the Special Jury Prize at the thirteenth edition of the Martí Gasull i Roig Awards, promoted by the Plataforma per la Llengua. The decision was made official by the jury, which recognized Sechi's long and intense career in defending and promoting the Catalan language in Alghero.

Born in Alghero in 1946, a retired music teacher and well-known figure in the world of water polo, Sechi was a key figure in the city's political and cultural scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Founder of the Sardenya i Llibertat movement in the 1970s, he served as Councilor for Culture and Sport (1984-1987) and as mayor of the city from 1994 to 1998. During his tenure, he vigorously supported the institutional use of Catalan, bilingual signage, theater programming, and the creation of municipal radio stations.

His commitment also contributed to the recognition of Catalan among the languages protected by the 1999 national law on linguistic minorities. Founder of the Obra Cultural de l'Alguer in 1985 and promoter of the magazine "L'Alguer," Sechi spearheaded the recently relaunched Biblioteca Catalana de l'Alguer in 1988. In 1996, he received the Creu de Sant Jordi from the Generalitat de Catalunya, and since 2022, he has been a member of the Advisory Council of the Plataforma per la Llengua. The awards ceremony will be held on February 23 at the Sala Paral lel 62 in Barcelona and will be streamed on the organization's YouTube channel. This recognition brings Alghero back to the center of the international Catalan linguistic community, reflecting over half a century of civic commitment.