An Informative Diplomatic Publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation JANUARY-MARCH 2009 N˚9. www.maec.es
Food Security: a challenge for Humanity
The most important challenge we face in this century is the eradication of hunger and the elimination of extreme poverty. Madrid was the setting of a shared international initiative to achieve it.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS > Spain prepares to assume the Presidency of the EU > Ten years of the euro > Asia-Pacific: the new frontier for Spanish foreign policy > the Spanish presidency of the Council of Europe > Spain's Embassy in UruguaySOCIETY AND CULTURE > Three thousand years of the Vía de la Plata > India, a protagonist at ARCOmadrid 2009 COOPERATION > Alternative crops for the development of Bolivia THE INTERVIEW > Rosa María Calaf, 38 years in international journalism
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the facts and the image EVENT
DATE
IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY
180 million euros
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February
50th
This is the amount pledged by Spain for the reconstruction of Gaza at the Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) Summit held on March 2.
The 17th anniversary of the signing of the EU Treaty, known as the Treaty of Masstricht, making it possible to initiate the process of political integration.
of the foundation of the European Court of Human Rights. The Pan-European Court held its first session on February 23, 1959
The image
anniversary
PHOTO EFE
Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State in the new United States administration, held talks on February 24 with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Hillary Clinton spoke of the beginning of "a new phase" in which President Obama will look to Spain "not only as a faithful ally, but as an active partner on every international stage.” During the meeting, Miguel Ángel Moratinos addressed several matters of current international interest, such as the future of the Guantánamo prisoners, the situation in Afghanistan, and relations with Latin America.
editOrial StaFF > Director: Julio Albi de la Cuesta. Editor-in-Chief: José Bodas. Art Director and Editor: Javier Hernández. Editors: Beatriz Beeckmans and David Merino. Contributors: María Pilar Cuadra Gascón, Laura Losada, Miguel Ángel Nieto, Jacobo García and Ángel Zorita. MaNaGeMeNt > General Directorate of Foreign Communication. Serrano Galvache, 26. 28033 MADRID. A publication of the General Directorate of Foreign Communication and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Total or partial reproduction prohibited without the express consent of the publisher. InfoMiradas al Exterior is not responsible for the editorial content or for the opinions expressed by the authors. e-Mail cONtact > opinion.miradas@maec.es > NIPO: 501-09-006-1
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68 > Rosa María Calaf, 38 years in international journalism: “To bring international current events to our citizens, what we need to talk about is not the big questions, but individual people.” “Journalism and diplomacy are highly complementary functions, but each needs to know what its place is."
the interview
42 > Spanish animation is ready to take on Hollywood. 46 > Three thousand years of the Vía de la Plata 50 > Félix Solís avantis, a winery set for global domination. 54 > India, a protagonist at ARCOmadrid 2009. 56 > 120 years of Spanish archeology in Egypt 58 > The Cervantes Institute presents its Cultural Action Plan for 2009
culture and society
38 > Alternative crops for the development of Bolivia. 39 > Spanish Cooperation Master Plan Approved. 40 > Interview of James Anaya, the United Nations special rapporteur for indigenous peoples
cooperation
foreign affairs
on the cover
6 > Commitments and reality for food security. At the High-level Meeting held in Madrid, all participants committed themselves to joining forces to eradicate world hunger.
14 > Spain prepares to assume the Presidency of the EU. 18 > Ten years of the euro. 22 > Presentation of the third AsiaPacific Plan. 26 > Spain's Embassy in Uruguay. 30 > Interview of Taleb Rifai of the WTO 32 > Spain prepares the Ministerial Session for May 12
editOrial bOard > President: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. First deputy chair: Director General of Foreign Communications. Second deputy chair: Technical Secretary General. Members: Cabinet Chiefs of the State Department of Foreign Affairs, the State Department for International Cooperation, the State Department for the European Union and the State Department for Ibero-America, and the Cabinet of the Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
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editorial
A political and institutional commitment Miguel ﾃ］gel Moratinos minister of foreign affairs and cooperation
It is an undisputable fact that in this, the first decade of the twenty-first century, almost one billion people suffer from hunger every day and lack access to sufficient and proper nutrition. The past year saw a worsening of food security worldwide which affects a broad range of countries and regions as a result of the rise in food prices and the global financial crisis. Both factors lie at the root of the scant advances made in achieving and fulfilling the first of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the eradication of world hunger and poverty. Obtaining political and institutional commitment is the necessary condition for effectively combating the lack of food and nutrition security, especially in the world's most vulnerable regions and among its most susceptible populations. The world needs to hear a clear and resounding message, and to commit itself to eradicating the structural causes and effects of hunger. Among other things, we must make effective use of agricultural, livestock, and food production in our national and regional
political agendas, as well as in the planning of Official Development Aid. The state of food and nutrition security must be a shared responsibility between the international community and its institutions, even more so when we consider the fact that a deepening of the food crisis represents a serious threat to world stability. The financial needs are still enormous, in spite of the progress achieved over the past year. Since the FAO Conference held in Rome in June of 2008, many countries have allocated additional resources to ease the effects of this crisis, and are undertaking the necessary emergency measures to redirect agricultural and livestock policies as well as production, trade, and global consumption systems from a standpoint of sustainable food and nutritional security in all of its dimensions. Spain is participating actively in this struggle through its ongoing support and strengthening of these initiatives. At the same time, Spain is actively collaborating in the promotion of a Global Alliance for Agriculture
and Food and Nutrition Security, which would coordinate joint efforts and offer a global response to one of the most horrific problems now facing the international community. To this end, I acknowledge the political conviction of Prime Minister Josﾃｩ Luis Rodrﾃｭguez Zapatero, who brought Spain into process of organizing this high-level meeting on agriculture and food and nutritional security, in order to press forward with necessary follow-up to the Rome meeting By way of demonstration of our involvement, we note that in 2008 Spain contributed eight times more to the UN World Food Program than in previous years. Our total contribution of 115 million dollars places us for the first time among the top 10 donors to this organization. In addition, we have increased our contribution to the FAO by 25 per cent; we have opened a new funding window of 60 million dollars for child nutrition from the Spain-UNDP fund for the MDGs, and we have committed to triple our contribution to the International Fund for Agricultural
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Miguel ﾃ］gel Moratinos was the inaugural speaker at the High-Level Meeting on Food Security that was held to provide followup to the United Nations Global Action Plan Spain is actively collaborating in the promotion of a Global Alliance for Agriculture and Food and Nutritional Security
Development (IFAD), achieving a level of 60 million dollars. And we continue, even in the current troubling economic climate, to reaffirm our decision to increase development aid to the 0.7 per cent level by 2012. In short, it is my view that the progress achieved in the political, social, economic, cultural, scientific, and technological spheres during the first decade of the twenty-first century make it possible for our world to eliminate hunger, because we have the resources and the means to achieve a state of food and nutrition security; because the solutions are already known; and because we can and do possess the necessary means to achieve this ethical and political goal. The High-Level Meeting held in Madrid is a call to political responsibility because, as pointed out by Amartya Sen, we cannot leave the welfare of our citizens and their food and nutritional security at the mercy of the marketplace alone. This is a goal that will provide us with a more just world, a world without hunger, a world that can take pride in itself.
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Commitments and Reality in Food Security The most pressing challenge facing humanity today is the eradication of hunger and extreme poverty, principle causes of instability in the world. Paradoxically, the scientific and technological advances of the last few decades would allow this to happen, but it would require commitment from all sides. The meeting on food security held in Madrid at the end of January was unanimous about the urgent need for more resources to tackle the crisis facing the poorest countries. Participants at the High Level Meeting on Food Security (RANSA) in Madrid made a commitment to join forces and Spain has pledged an additional 1 billion euros to the cause over the next five years. By Miradas al Exterior
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The situation is worrying and demands a much greater mobilization of resources and greater commitment. This was the conclusion reached during the High Level Meeting on Food Security for all (RANSA) held in Madrid on January 26 and 27 by the Spanish Government and the United Nations. The aim of RANSA was to act as a continuation at ministerial level of the World Summit held by the FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization) last June, as declared at the time in Rome by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The Spanish initiative received a very positive response. More than 62 ministers and delegations from 126
countries attended the event, togeth- European Union in the first semester er with directors of donor agencies, of 2010. The Spanish Prime Minister multilateral organizations and civil said that the government was still resociety groups such as NGOs, univer- solved to making contributions to Ofsities, trade unions and businesses. ficial Development Assistance reach They took part in the four round table 0.7% of GDP by the end of the current debates where the progress made to legislature in 2012. Last year, this figdate since Rome was discussed along ure stood at approximately 0.5%. The with the co-ordination of new action Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, and improvements in food and agri- Miguel Ángel Moratinos, went even culture using research and contribu- further by declaring that the target tions from civil society. of 0.7% should be obligatory for all While expectations of reaching a developed countries by no later than new global aid package were 2015, when the Millennium not fully met, there was a Development Goals will broad consensus on the ur- More than 62 have to be met. gent need to increase soli- ministers and Solving the issue of hundarity with those countries delegations ger is fundamentally a pofacing the greatest hardship. from 126 counlitical problem. Director This is not just a question tries attended General of the FAO, Jacques of ethics, equality, justice the meeting in Diouf, highlighted the fact and human solidarity, but Madrid that it is not a question of the very economic and soa lack of resources but pocial stability of our planet. Miguel Ángel litical will, referring to the It is even more important Moratinos commitment of some 22 given the rise in agriculture stated that the billion dollars in aid to the prices, which have seen a target of 0.7% poorest countries by donors slight fall over the last few should be an at the last summit held by months, and the current obligation for the organization. Current global economic and finan- all developed needs fluctuate between 25 cial crisis which has raised countries no and 40 billion dollars annuthe number of people suffer- later than ally. However, Jacques Diouf ing from hunger to almost 2015, when suggested that the sum was one billion (963 million). the Millennium closer to 50 billion. The rise "This is an unacceptable fig- Development in the prices of basic produre which should provoke Goals should be ucts during 2007 and 2008 shame and embarrassment met. (a quarter of which was due for all of humanity" said to speculative fluctuation), José Luis Rodríguez Zapthe lack of public agriculatero at the closing ceremotural policy throughout the ny. Rodríguez Zapatero announced developing world and the negative that Spain would pledge 200 million impact of climate change and biofuels euros a year over the next 5 years to paint a somber picture for the least the most vulnerable countries. This developed countries which live preis in addition to the 500 million euros dominantly on agriculture but neverpledged last June at the conference in theless still find themselves obliged to Rome, when a commitment was made import agricultural products. The primary sector has been drato place the fight against hunger and poverty at the top of the agenda dur- matically forgotten over the last two ing the Spanish presidency of the decades, seriously heightening the
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The Prime Minister, JosĂŠ Luis RodrĂguez Zapatero, with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban-Ki-Moon, during the meeting held at the Palacio de Congresos in Madrid, as part of the Summit on Food Security held at the end of January. photo EFE
precarious conditions for those who ger in Rome before the end of the forge a living from it. The primary re- year. Spain, for its part, aims to hold source of 75% of the poorest countries a meeting at the highest possible level is agriculture. Official Development during its imminent European PresiAssistance (ODA) destined to agricul- dency to drive the Millennium Develture and food security has gone from opment Goals, the first of which (the 18% in the 1980s to 3.4% in 2006. This reduction by half of extreme hunger dramatic drop has led to the by 2015) today seems to be ruin of small farms that need hanging in the balance. seeds, fertilizers, credit, inFor the United Nations surance and so on in order to Ban Ki Moon Secretary General, Ban Ki survive. It is therefore neces- sent a clear sigMoon, the outlook is bleak sary to invest in agricultural nal that donor despite the slight decline reform policies and ensure countries must in agriculture prices. In that this is done in collabora- make a new, Madrid, Ban sent a clear tion with the governments of concerted effort signal that it is donor coundonor countries. In Madrid, especially now tries who must make a new, the Director General of the that the global concerted effort especially FAO observed that "all of this economic and now that the global ecohas been like the chronicle financial crisis nomic and financial crisis of a tragedy foretold". He is engulfing is engulfing the developing went on to suggest the call- the developing world. He also recognized ing of a new summit on hun- world. the very real danger posed
by any reduction in aid. “There is to be no doubt. When funds are available, the distribution network of the United Nations works where it is needed", announced the Secretary General. The Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), Josette Sheehan, described the food problem as a "silent tsunami" and confirmed that there are indicators alerting us to the fact the situation could get worse: "When the food crisis hit last year, the world united behind the greatest emergency operation against hunger and malnutrition. Now that the financial crisis is affecting the victims of hunger with even greater force we must make an unprecedented effort to deal with the food needs of the most vulnerable and encourage agriculture and assistance for small farms". According to Josette Sheehan, the WFP
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A concerted effort Soraya RodrĂguez
SeCReTaRy oF STaTe FoR INTeRNaTIoNaL CooPeRaTIoN
The High Level Meeting on Food Security held recently in Madrid had two clear objectives: to draw public attention to the food crisis and keep it on the international agenda, whilst taking decisions so that development cooperation policies are focused once again on agriculture and rural development. To date such policies have failed and a reflection of this is that whilst in 1980 20% of Official Development Assistance went to the agricultural sector, this had dropped to just 7% by 2005. As regards Spain, the Government's resolve to continue focusing on policy for the fight against hunger was made patently obvious through its announcement to divert one billion euros to the project over the next five years. We will continue in our efforts to maintain a very high level of development aid despite the problems posed by the delicate current economic situation. For this reason the plan to reach ODA of 0.7% GDP by 2012 is reiterated in the Government's Cooperation Plan 2009-2012. At the meeting held in Madrid all of the actors were brought together (donor countries, recipients, global and regional agencies and civil society) and it was established that, disgrace-
fully, almost one billion human beings are currently suffering hunger and malnutrition and that close to 30,000 children under 5 years old are killed every day by curable diseases. We must recognize that we are facing a collective failure in the eradication of this plight. These deaths could be avoided and therein lies our moral and political obligation. Yes, there is a need for more resources but they must be directed at public agriculture policies. This must be done in a coordinated fashion in collaboration with the aid recipient countries, using the means offered by the United Nations' vast network. The proposal to create a Global Alliance for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition is gathering momentum. The Madrid forum served to cement the beginning of the process that will be made possible by the United Nations High-Level Task Force, a body created almost a year ago that is already producing great results. This is all under the auspices of the UN. In this future alliance all actors must be included, without exception: the governments of donor and recipient countries, food exporters and importers, producers and consumers, NGOs, private enterprise, international organizations, trade unions,
The Cooperation Plan 2009-2012 that the Government has just presented reiterates the aim to reach ODA of 0.7% GDP by 2012 At the meeting held in Madrid it was established that, disgracefully, almost one billion human beings live with hunger
researchers, foundations and so forth. It must therefore be an open and inclusive alliance that is coherent, effective and flexible, results-driven, light in institutional design and contrary to any model of bureaucratic organization that will serve only to generate frustrations for the most vulnerable countries. This alliance will serve as a mechanism through which a broad and coordinated international response can be articulated to the challenge of hunger and food insecurity, based on renewed commitment and the shared responsibility of each of the various actors involved. It must promote sustainable and efficient solutions that consider the long-term tendencies for food availability and agricultural development; solutions that also take into account the impact of commercial, environmental and agricultural policies on the economies North and South of the equator and the impact these have on the poorest populations. Global problems call for global responses. This call to create a global alliance has as its base the recognition that achieving food security and agricultural development is a global challenge, and Spain wants to be at the forefront.
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countries facing the food crisis
Scarcity in food production and supplies
Source FAO
Substantial lack of access to food
Figures from August 2008
Serious localized food insecurity
ariane Arpa director general of interm贸n oxfam
More food, less rhetoric
Some numbers are disgraceful. Take, for example, the billion people suffering hunger throughout the world, the malnutrition that affects one in six people on the planet, the 16,000 children who die of hunger every day...numbers which merge with the stories of peasants without harvests or resources, and women who try to turn anything into food in order to stem their children's hunger. These issues were discussed in Madrid. Money was also spoken of; 5.5 billion euros were pledged to alleviate this curse which advances under the name of food crisis. And there is something here that we must never forget: the survival of those billion empty stomachs does not depend on promises but realities that need urgently to materialize, far from any complicated and tedious
bureaucracy. The food crisis need to be a political priority because the world relies on having enough food and technical, economic and human resources necessary for ending hunger. However, we find countries like Kenya where ten million people suffer the effects of hunger, or Afghanistan where the basic food requirements of 8.5 million people are not met. Thousands of families, despite their poor resources, are obliged to spend up to 80% of their income on food. At the beginning of 2008, the rise in the prices of rice, corn and wheat made buying cereals unsustainable. And though global food prices have fallen since July 2008, many countries continue to suffer the food crisis because their incomes are still low.
Here at Interm贸n Oxfam we believe it is fundamental for developing countries to develop social programs aimed at alleviating chronic hunger. But it is also paramount that rich countries keep their promises. To date, less than 20% of the funds promised at the Summit held in Rome have materialized. The Global Alliance proposed in Madrid will only constitute a step in the right direction if it is able to coherently incorporate each of these proposals. Only this way can we overcome this crisis tormenting millions of people who are trapped in a cycle of daily suffering, a million miles from the promising speeches.
P cover story 11 requires 5.2 billion dollars in 2009 to support almost 100 million people, 20 million of which are children. Ann Veneman, director of UNICEF, announced that three million children die every year due to illnesses related to malnutrition. At least one certainty of this global push is that the new US Administration will be at the vanguard, as announced by President Barack Obama in his inauguration speech at the Capitol on January 20th and corroborated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at her brief video speech given on the meeting's first day. Hillary Clinton, who thanked Rodríguez Zapatero for having held the meeting, confirmed that the fight against hunger is "a priority for President Obama”. She said that the United States would "focus on food security so that developing countries can invest in food production, access, education and technology". The Spanish Government was keen
Camino Villanueva department for cooperation, Latin American regional office Ayuda en Acción
Towards a Global Alliance for Agriculture and Food Security
for the world of non-governmental organizations to be represented at the Madrid event through those that were best known. Other smaller NGOs criticized their exclusion and the participation of multinationals from the food sector. However, organizers made an effort to ensure civil society was well represented at each of the four round tables and at the presidential table during the closing ceremony, where they were represented by the founder of Via Campesina, Henry Saragih. There was no lack of controversy when North American economist Jeffrey Sachs, defending his thesis on African pragmatism, suggested that donor nations create a common fund within a month and a half in order to raise production and provide seeds and fertilizers to small farms for the sum of 100 dollars. “The peasants do not need aid. They need justice. They want to take part in making the decisions”, declared Flavio Valente, Secretary General of FIAN (Foodfirst
The main agreement reached during the meeting on food security was the setting in motion of a consultation process on opinions that will lead to the creation of a Global Alliance for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition. Civil society organizations present at the meeting highlighted the risk that the main response to the current food crisis could continue to be "more of the same"; that is, the mobilization of financial resources for the purchase of "improved" seeds (including GM), fertilizers and chemicals which are distributed to small farms in the so-called Southern countries. This has not been the solution up until now and there is no reason to think it will start to be.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation during his speech at the High Level Meeting with the Secretary General of the FAO, Jacques Diouf. photo EFE
It was also agreed that this initiative must take place within the framework of the UN and include representatives from all member countries under a "one country, one vote" system, thus avoiding decisions being made by multinational corporations and corporate foundations with links to the food production and distribution markets. It is for this reason that a profound process of reform is needed within the UN, allowing agriculture and food institutions to fulfill their original mandate and create this Global Alliance effectively. This reform must allow for the full participation of civil society, with decision-making power. Ayuda en Acción deals with the issue of food insecurity from a development perspective
founded on human rights. This way, the commitment of local institutions to a strengthening of support systems for the most vulnerable individuals, families and groups is reinforced by a global citizenry that is increasingly active in demanding that States follow through with their obligations and that other social actors accept their responsibility to ensure the universal realization of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
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NUMBER OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD SUFFERING FROM MALNUTRITION IN 2003 - 2005 33 Middle East and Northern Africa
16 Developed Countries
45 Latin America and the Caribbean
123 China
189 Asia and the Pacific (not including China or India)
231 India
212 Sub-Saharan Africa
Source FAO Numbers in millions of people
Information&Action Network). The NGOs aired their mistrust, alerting to the danger posed to the project to take the Global Alliance for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition forward by the involvement of private enterprise. Finally, driven by the Spanish Government and the Secretary General of the United Nations on the basis of a previous draft formulated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and discussed by the G8 countries at their last meeting in Osaka (Japan), the platform received a generally good response at the meeting, even though it is still at an embryonic stage and will need to be given greater substance in the future. It was agreed that it should be developed under the auspices of the United Nations. The task now is dispelling the prejudices held by many NGOs towards the involvement of the private sector. In order to do this, the document known as the Madrid Declaration states that: 1.- The consultancy process must
be open to all participants involved in agriculture, food security and nutrition (including agricultural organizations, civil society, women's organizations, the private sector and the governments of developing countries, as well as international and regional organizations). 2.- A representative contact group must be established to observe the consultancy process and take it forward. The group must be capable of representing all interested parties. 3.- The consultancy process must have an established working method, which combines best practice with participation from all levels and includes the periodic provision of information to all parties. 4.- The contact group must identify and. highlight positive examples of existing partnerships The final draft suggests the advisability of including the right to food as a basic human right, though it is not explicit. It remains paradoxical that at the beginning of the second millennium food is not covered in the Charter of Universal Rights. The Madrid Declaration states that "States have a primary responsibility to making a concerted effort to respect, secure, satisfy and promote the right to regular, permanent and adequate food resources, especially for children under five, women and other vulnerable groups. The States are encouraged in their efforts to realize this right to food to take inspiration from the Voluntary Directives, as adopted by the FAO council in 2004, which support the progressive realization of the right to adequate alimentation within the context of national food security". It is also stated that participants showed their concern for the negative impact of fluctuations in the availability of and access to food and that they were convinced of the urgent need to
redouble efforts to achieve international commitments to substantially raise financial resources and ODA, particularly with regards to nutrition, food, agriculture and programs related to the fight against hunger. Participants were also convinced of the need to take short, medium and long term measures in line with the Global Plan of Action and led by the governments of the affected countries, their parliaments, local governments and citizens. This would comply with the Paris Declaration on Aid Efficiency and the Accra Agenda for Action, prioritizing the needs of those suffering hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity. Furthermore, they pointed out that the social and economic development of rural areas must become a political priority, highlighting the importance of including the marginalized and excluded, men, women and children in the process, giving them a voice so that their opinions are prioritized when these problems are being analyzed and that viable solutions can be found and put into practice. No clear reference was made to the future of the Doha Round, whose impending closure is increasingly steeped in uncertainty despite the commitment made by the G-20 countries, along with Spain and the Netherlands, in Washington last November to bring it to a close before the end of 2008. We will have to wait to see what President Obama's next step will be. However, the reality is that the grave global economic crisis is giving credence to calls for trade protectionism, adding to the concerns shared by those taking part in the Madrid meeting. There are many hurdles to overcome if we are to escape the current global crisis, including a deficit of leadership and ideas. But it would be an error to do so at the expense of the least favored countries.
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The retreat in the fight against hunger imposes a new order JosĂŠ Graziano da Silva
aSSISTaNT DIReCToR GeNeRaL aND ReGIoNaL RePReSeNTaTIve IN LaTIN aMeRICa aND THe CaRIBBeaN FoR THe Fao
Last January the High Level Meeting on Food Security for All was held in Madrid. Despite the shadow cast by the international financial crisis, the two days of intense debate managed to put the issue of food security back on the international agenda, and above all, to give back hope to the some one billion people throughout the world afflicted by hunger. The dramatic consequences of the global food crisis that has been troubling the world since 2005 have led to a situation that is much more worrying than that of 1996 when the world leaders at the World Food Summit pledged to reduce hunger and malnutrition by half. The FAO report of 2008 "The situation of food insecurity throughout the world" shows that in 2007, in great part due to the rise in prices, the number of people suffering from hunger rose by 75 million. With a predicted increase of another 40 million in 2008, 963 million people in today's world are malnourished; the majority of whom live in developing countries. For months the FAO has been highlighting the need for greater investment in agriculture, which
for decades has been relegated to second place in the priorities of the international community. Both at the recent meeting in Madrid and at the Summit held in Rome in June 2008 and the G8 meeting in Japan in July of the same year, the need to invest more in agriculture was reiterated. If we want to deal with the situation of global food insecurity, we must invest 30 billion dollars a year in consumables and rural infrastructure in the least developed countries, supporting small farms, recognizing the key role they play in providing food for the most vulnerable populations and ensuring that they have the necessary resources to guarantee themselves their right to food. Retreats in the fight against hunger impose a new agricultural world order. Just as the FAO said to the Heads of State and Government of its Member States, 2009 must give us the opportunity to correct the current system that serves only to generate food insecurity. In this vein Director General, Jacques Diouf, proposed the organization of a World Summit on Food Security to coincide with the FAO conference in
if we want to deal with the situation of global food insecurity, we must invest 30 billion dollars each year in rural infrastructure for the least developed countries.
November this year, which will allow a broad agreement to be reached so that hunger can be definitively eradicated from our planet. It would be a summit to establish the necessary coordination mechanisms so that the international community in its entirety can find global solutions to the global problem of hunger whilst laying the foundations for a new system of governance for world food security and food trade. Spain is an important ally in this regard. The broad representation of Governments, civil society, trade unions, universities, private enterprise and UN bodies at the Madrid meeting is a reflection of the warm welcome given to Prime Minister RodrĂguez Zapatero who in June 2008 proposed this meeting, placing Spain once again in the front line of the fight against hunger. His is a political leadership that translates into firm action, as shown by the work carried out jointly by Spain and the FAO in rural development and the fight against hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in other regions.
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Equality and Innovation are the ideas that drive the program for the Spanish Presidency during the first semester of 2010, which will be profoundly marked by the special international financial situation now being faced. Preparations have already begun to ensure this great project goes ahead successfully. by beatriz beeckmans
Spain prepares to take on the EU presidency For the fourth time since its accession to the European Community in 1986, Spain will take on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2010. Each Member State has a duty to hold the presidency, a contribution they each must make to ensure the sound functioning of the Community's institutions. This time, Spain will take on this responsibility as part of the innovative Trio Presidency system. Over 18 months, Spain will form a team with Belgium and Hungary as part of this new way of organizing and planning the Council's work. The joint presidency will, for the first time, have its own logo and web page to help EU citizens to identify with the "troika". For the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, “this is an opportunity to highlight our country's organizational skills and the profound European sentiment felt by the Spanish people.” Spain will lead the 27 Member States at a complex and uncertain time for both the EU and international community as a whole. For this reason, the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has said this must be a "trans-
formative, demanding and committed" presidency, that drives a new economic model, reaffirms and deepens European society and solidarity, and is capable of adapting to a multi-polar world by speaking with one voice. Many different proposals have been outlined for the Spanish mandate to tackle this sizeable task. Finding a common response to the crisis is an objective of capital importance, given the unique international financial situation in A common which Spain will response to the hold the presidency. crisis, as well as How and when we the promotion overcome this crisis of a social will depend a great Europe, will be deal upon European the Spanish leadership and in Presidency's this time of change, main objectives. the structure of the new international In a Union of 27 financial system States, Spain and the extent of will not hold the commitment to the Presidency a just international again until at order with the fight least 2025. against climate
change and meeting the Millennium Development Goals, will depend upon the leadership of the EU. The momentum of Europe in it social aspect is of particular importance to the Spanish Government. The European Union, conceived as a political and social project that transcends purely economic concerns, finds itself in a highly complex position: it must safeguard the viability of the European economic model and the common market while continuing to develop the model's social and citizenship dimension–a key element in the success of the European project. For this reason, any European strategy that avoids taking into consideration its citizens or the social factor will be patently insufficient, no matter essential macroeconomic adjustments may be. The EU is much more than a common market and monetary union; it is the most successful political and economic integration project in history, founded upon a series of principles and values that are recognized and accepted by each and every one of its Member States. These values and principles will lead Spain every step of the way in its Presi-
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dency of the Council in order to mitigate, to the greatest possible extent, the social impact of the profound crisis currently afflicting Europe and the wider world. As the Secretary of State for the European Union, Diego López Garrido, commented: “Europe is a global reference point for social rights, and the crisis cannot be allowed to threaten everything
we have achieved over the years”. Equality and, in particular, real equality between men and women, is one of the great overarching principles upon which Spain wishes to base its actions during its Presidency. Furthermore, led by the desire for the EU to lead the struggle for equal opportunities and in compliance with its foreign policy moti-
vated by solidarity, our country will, for the first time, place development cooperation among the priorities for the European presidency. With the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion as a backdrop, a commitment to effective and quality aid will be one of the pillars of the Spanish project. As José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero reiterated, “in
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THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESIDENCY In order to ensure a smooth deployment of the broad program of summits, events and ministerial meetings that the EU will hold during the Spanish Presidency, as well as the development of the calendar of cultural events that will take place here in Spain, a series of specific organizational and logistical steps have been necessary. Among the most important of these are the creation of the Organizing Committee for the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and its Support Unit, which is organized under the Office of the Prime Minister and led by the High Representative for the Spanish Presidency of the EU and other High Level Meetings, Ambassador NicolĂĄs MartĂnez Fresno. The committee's objectives are the organization, planning, coordination and execution of the activities the Presidency entails.
let's talk about europe: the SEUE web site One of the basic communication tools used by the Spanish Presidency will be the web page www.hablamosdeeuropa.es, which contributes to one of this period's objectives: the promotion of European spirit among all of Europe's citizens. Without losing the characteristics that have defined it since its creation at the end of 2005, and with the task of the Spanish Presidency in mind, this platform has revamped its image to offer an open, dynamic, informative and participatory space that is dedicated in particular to the youngest web surfers.
these moments of financial crisis and that in the context of the Euro-Mediterworld economic deceleration, we must ranean facet of the Spanish mandate, the make a special effort to avoid having de- II EU Summit for the Mediterranean veloping countries experience a reduc- will take place during the Spanish presition in the funding flows that they need dency. to meet their development objectives". Spain also wishes to support the exDuring the first semester of 2010, the pansion of the EU by welcoming Croaopportunity will also be taken to con- tia's accession, which could take place tinue pursuing an authentic European during the shared mandate. immigration policy, a significant step The objective: one Europe with one forward towards the full integration voice that shows its strength and leaderof immigrants in our societies, as well ship in the world. To achieve this, our as the creation of a framework for flu- country will support a revision of the ent dialogue and cooperation with the Lisbon Strategy. Under the second guidcountries of origin and transit. To this ing principle for the Spanish presidency, end, Spain will extend the vision of its innovation, special attention will be paid own experience in the development of to education and advances in research a national immigration policy to the EU, and development, maintaining an emwhich has at its core the strengthening phasis on growth with a strengthening of liberty, human dignity, security and of European competitiveness and job justice. creation. Strongly tied to this These are the values that objective is the need for Eumust underlie Spain's inter- Equality and rope to develop a common ennational influence and ensure Innovation are ergy policy, an issue that Spain that the European Union fi- the main ideas wishes to prioritize during its nally speaks with one united underlying mandate. voice. This will be crucial not the Spanish We must achieve all of this only for the solution of the Presidency without forgetting those instimany conflicts currently being tutional issues upon which, waged internationally from the Middle with the likely adoption of the Lisbon East to the Caucasus, but also for the Treaty, the tri-presidential team must strengthening of strategic associations also focus their attention. Spain will with regions and players who are of key work to strengthen the EU institutions interest to Europe. through specific objectives, such as the The Spanish presidency will stand consolidation of a practical and efficient out for being, in the words of the Prime coordination with the future Presidents Minister, "Euro-American," placing cen- of the European Council, the High Reptral importance on the EU's relations resentative and the President of the with Latin America and the Caribbean, Commission; instituting a fluid relationregions with which Spain shares strong ship with the next Commission from its historical, social, cultural and economic outset in November 2009; maintaining a ties. The EU-US summit that will be close working relationship with the new held in Spain will allow substantial ad- European Parliament; and reaching the vances to be made in transatlantic rela- highest possible operative capacity for tions during the first semester of 2010. the Union's European Foreign Affairs Furthermore, summits with Africa, Service. Asia and the Middle East, plus efforts to Taking these ambitious objectives as restart peace process negotiations, will a starting point, Spanish diplomacy is also feature on Spain's ambitious foreign already working hard to ensure that the relations agenda. It is worth pointing out Presidency will be a success.
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The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Diego L贸pez Garrido
SpaniSh Secretary of State for the european union
Spain will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the fourth time during the first semester of 2010; this is a key moment for both Spain and Europe as a whole. We must be conscious of the great responsibility that accompanies this task. Over a period of six months, we will represent the 27 Member States of Europe and Spain will provide political leadership to an EU that is increasingly relevant on the international stage. It is for this reason that the preparation and development of the Spanish Presidency constitute opportunities and challenges that transcend the governmental sphere, but rather are issues of State that transcend party interests and are directed at the execution of a great national project that must involve all of society. The Spanish Presidency, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the EC Accession Treaty for Spain and Portugal, must create its own identity and defined personality within the new framework of the Trio Presidency, in a team formed with Belgium and Hungary. There are specific issues that the Spanish Government has decided to promote, which will constitute
the defining features of our Presidency. Among the most important of these priorities are the following: first, the design of a common European strategy to deal with the current economic crisis, the magnitude and extent of which are as yet unknown; secondly, the promotion of a social Europe and the creation of employment within the framework of this crisis; and thirdly, the development of the EU as a global actor at the center of the most complicated international society ever known to humanity. It is highly likely that the Spanish Presidency will have to tackle another significant issue: if the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty is completed this year, Spain will have to put it into effect and apply the host of new measures it entails. Finally, it is important to point out that there are two key ideas that will inform the Spanish Presidency's program for the achievement of the priority objectives already indicated: on the one hand, the political and moral duty to promote the universal value of equality inside and outside the Union, and on the other, the need to make a firm commitment to the future through innovation, entrepreneurial
The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2010 will be one of the most complex and decisive Spain has undertaken to date
ability, science and technology. The Europe that Spain seeks and will support throughout its Presidency is an innovative, advanced Europe; a Europe prepared to face the tasks of the future and that has as its core value equality of opportunity and of well-being - an equality that must also be understood in its external dimension in harmony with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals: thus, the key role that Spain wishes to assign to development cooperation as an EU policy. In sum, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2010, the last it will hold for the next 15 years, will undoubtedly be the most complex and decisive undertaken by Spain to date. Europe as a whole is going through economically difficult times and considerable challenges lie before us. But I believe that in our preparation for the Presidency, it is fundamental that we hold fast to our deeply European vocation in order to guide Europe towards a definitive recovery. I am firmly convinced that Spain is up to the challenge and that together, working with honor and resolve, we will have a Presidency that defends the interests of Europe and its citizens.
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With 320 million inhabitants, the Eurozone accounts for 25% of the world's business transactions -twice the number of the USA- making it the world's leading importer and exporter. This year is the 10th anniversary of the most revolutionary decision in world economic history: the implementation of the single European currency: the euro. by David Merino
Ten years of the euro Although the coins and notes would In 1999, the Central European Bank not come into circulation until three assumed full responsibility over monyears later, on January 1, 1999, eleven etary matters in the Eurozone. Since European states -including Spain- ir- then it has set the base interest rates reversibly fixed the exchange rates and managed the foreign currency rebetween their currencies and handed serves for the Eurozone countries. Its over their power over monetary policy main objective is to maintain price stato the Central European Bank. This bility and ensure that there is the right was the culmination of a process start- amount of money in circulation. ed two decades earlier through the ExThe old currencies of the Eurozone change Rate Mechanism, which limit- countries ran in parallel with the euro ed the fluctuations between until January 1, 2002, but European currencies. were not quoted officially The euro on the currency markets. The single currency with a reserves in the At the beginning of 2002, 1 hundred faces. As a result world's central euro could be exchanged for of the Maastrich Treaty, the banks have 0.90 dollars, but in July of Economic and Monetary increased at the that same year its value rose Union was set up in 1993. One same rate as the above US currency. On July of the most far-reaching ele- dollar reserves 15 of last year, the exchange ments would be the creation have decreased. rate with the dollar reached of a common currency for the its maximum: 1.59. Member States, which at that The design of the notes, time was known as the ECU. Several which covers the shared European months later in Copenhagen the cri- artistic heritage throughout its histeria were set that the Member States tory, is the work of Robert Kalina from had to meet regarding inflation, deficit the Central Bank of Austria, while and public debt. Two years later, and the common side of the coins was deunder the Spanish Presidency, the EU signed by Luc Luycx of the Belgian countries would give the currency its Royal Mint. The reverse side of the definitive name: the euro. coins, which represents the icons,
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timeline for countries adopting the euro
1999 > Eleven European Union countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Finland, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal met the necessary conditions for adopting the euro and voluntarily chose to adopt the single currency. 2002 > Greece joins the Eurozone after having met the five convergence criteria. 2007 > Slovenia joins the Eurozone. 2008 > Malta and Cyprus join. 2009 > Slovakia is the most recent country to join the single currency. Lithuania, Estonia, and Bulgaria are expected to adopt the euro between 2010 and 2012. It is then hoped that Latvia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Hungary will join, in that order.
culture and heritage of the Member States, gives a good illustration of the richness and diversity of Europe. If we add to these the commemorative coins that are minted every year throughout the Eurozone, it is hardly surprising that the euro has become a contemporary coin collector's treasure.
an end to the constant exchanging of currency. The euro also enables the prices of products and services to be easily compared between different countries in the Eurozone, which contributes to optimal functioning of the internal market and free competition. According to data from the European ComAdvantages of stability. At the end mission, the introduction of the euro of the 1980s, in a unified market that increased internal trade by as much broke down all the trade barriers, a as 15%. Some researchers calculate huge obstacle remained: a multitude that the costs associated with banking of currencies that contributed to eco- transactions between currencies prior nomic instability, both in to the euro meant a loss of terms of inflation and the inwealth equivalent to 0.5% of ability to control the amount The fourteen GDP. of money available in the EU, African The single currency has in addition to the high levels countries also managed to maintain of exchange rate-related risk. sharing the CFA low levels of inflation. Some Over its ten-year history, franc have their European countries have the euro has become one of currency pegged spoken out blaming the euro the two strongest currencies to the euro. for price increases. Variin the global economy. Its ous studies done in this area stability has allowed price show that the price increases increases to be contained and The name in 2002 were caused almost made it more difficult for cur- of the single entirely by the rounding up rency speculators to get in- currency was of the euro and not by the imvolved. For people travelling decided under plementation of a single curthrough the Eurozone, the the Spanish EU rency. That year prices went single currency has brought Presidency. up in Spain by 4%. Only 0.4%
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10 years of the euro at the Banco de Espa単a An exhibit will be held through March 31 commemorating 10 years of the euro at the Banco de Espa単a in Madrid. A collection of videos, photographs, objects, and graphics will be on display, revolving around three main subjects: monetary policy; notes and coins; society and culture. Regarding monetary policy, the show explains, among other issues, how decisions are made on interest rates and the importance of price stability. It also covers the various aspects of the manufacture of notes and coins, such as the special inks, watermarks and holograms. Finally, it covers the social, political and cultural changes experienced by society over the last decade.
convergence criteria
> Currencies must remain within the ranges set by the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) for at least two years. > Long-term interest rates must not be more than 3% higher than that of the three Member States with the best performance in price stability. > Inflation must be kept below the benchmark rate. For three years prices may not be more than 1.5% higher than those of the best performing Member State. > Public debt should be less than 60% of GDP and public deficit must be kept below 3%.
of this increase could be attributed to the introduction of the euro. This perception was accentuated because the abusive rounding up had a far greater impact on the most basic products. Currently another phenomenon is occurring: the more time that passes since the use of the previous currency, the greater the sense that prices have increased, as today's prices in euros are compared with those a decade ago. Influence in the world. In January, Slovakia joined the 15 European states that already have the euro as their national currency: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Finland, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and Slovenia. In accordance with the accession treaties, the countries that have joined the EU after the creation of the euro will adopt the single currency when they meet the convergence criteria. Several countries have already chosen the designs for the reverse of their coins and
have set a fixed exchange rate for their national currencies with the euro. As a result of bilateral agreements with Italy and France, the Holy See, San Marino and Monaco now have their own euros. Andorra is expected to join them very shortly. In addition, Montenegro and Kosovo -who were using the Deutschmark- have adopted the euro de facto- without having signed any prior agreement with the European Union to explicitly allow them to do so. In many other countries in the world, the national currencies have a fixed conversion rate with the euro, which contributes to their economic stability. This is the case in Africa, for example, with the countries sharing the CFA franc, that is, the states that make up the Western Union: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, GuineaBissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Toga, as well as the members of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad. Solvency guarantee. Central banks all over the world are choosing the euro with increasing frequency to diversify their currency reserves. These reserves have increased dramatically since 2002, especially in Asian countries. Over eight years the proportion of reserves in dollars in the world's central banks has dropped by eight percentage points, exactly the same amount by which the euro has increased. Despite its decline, the dollar is still the currency of choice for currency reserves and commercial transactions. Nevertheless, the euro has established itself firmly in the money markets, both in the issuance of bonds and financial instruments. Currently, over half of international debt securities are issued using the single EU currency. By the end of 2006, the euro had also become the most commonly used currency for cash payments. At that time, around 614 billion euros were in circulation.
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A celebration and a challenge Miguel ﾃ］gel Fernﾃ｡ndez Ordﾃｳﾃｱez governor of the Bank of Spain
January 1, 2009 was the ten-year anniversary of the creation of the single European currency, arriving against the backdrop of the most difficult economic climate we have experienced in recent times. However, it is precisely now, as we are faced with the first recession the Eurozone has experienced since it was formed and with the emergence of those who doubt its future, that the right time to act has arrived: we must shore up this shared building and continue constructing it day in and day out. When taking stock from a purely Spanish perspective, it must first be kept in mind that quite likely the main positive element that joining the Euro Club has brought about is Spain's establishing itself in a culture of macroeconomic stability, which would have been far more difficult to implement without the incentive of access to the single currency. The conviction that healthy public accounts and controlled inflation levels are the basis of solid economic growth in the long-term is something that may seem very natural to us today and that few people dare to dispute. However, it has not always been this way during our economic history; in fact, it has been much worse, and we are all aware of the results.
Obviously we don't want to be guilty of a triumphalist, blackand-white analysis of the ten years of living with the euro. We cannot forget, for example, that with the overheating of interest rates that were too low for domestic demand, we witnessed a process of excessive borrowing that must now be reversed. Furthermore, the fact that we now have to tackle an economic crisis without the option of independently managing monetary policy or the exchange rate, could lead people to think that it would be better to have this control back in order to overcome our current problems more quickly. Those who take this stance need to be reminded, first, that the current economic situation in Spain would be much worse today if it had had to face the international crisis that broke out in the Summer of 2007 without the protection of the euro. Of course, the Monetary Union isn't a universal shield that liberates us from the effects of this storm-it is now already clear that nobody is free from its clutches-but it does, in fact, make us less vulnerable (as those European countries who have to weather this storm outside of the euro zone will attest to).
Joining the Euro Club has enabled Spain to establish itself in a macroeconomic culture
The state of the Spanish economy would be much worse today if it had had to face the international financial crisis in the Summer of 2007 without the protection of the euro
The truth is that we are currently in uncharted territory, insofar as we have never before had to pass through a phase of economic change within a supranational framework such as that imposed by the European Monetary Union. Success in this task will depend on the capacity to introduce flexibility to economic operations, on the courage to face up to unavoidable reforms in the labor market, as well as in the goods and services markets. It is not possible for me to list all of them here, but I would like to emphasize that for everything we are not capable of doing in the near future, we will end up paying a price in the long term in the form of reduced growth capacity. This is ultimately the challenge that lies ahead in order to achieve what should be our common and fundamental objective: to continue reducing the gap in the standard of living in comparison to our more developed European neighbors, as we have managed to do over the past ten years. Therefore, we should be proud of what we have achieved up to now and implement the measures to ensure that we have many more reasons to celebrate anniversaries in the future.
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During the last legislature, some solid bases were established to make our presence, political visibility and the promotion of our businesses and culture in Asia and the Pacific a reality. The Asia-Pacific Plan 3 has three objectives: to continue to increase this presence and visibility, to consolidate the achievements made in the last legislature and to seek new ways of boosting Spain's image and performance in a region with the greatest prospects for the future on the planet.
Asia Pacific: the new frontier of Spanish Foreign Policy On March 3 at the headquarters of the Cervantes Institute, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation launched the Asia Pacific Plan 3 (2008-2012), which proposes around 370 actions in 23 countries and at the multilateral level. This effectively multiplies by five the number of actions outlined in the previous Action Plan and increases by 40% the number of actions finally undertaken during the last legislature, consolidating Asia as one of the top priorities for Spain's foreign policy in the 21st century. The Asia Pacific Plan 3 (2008-2012) is the product of a long period of consultations involving all of the Ministries, civil society and the business world, as well as Parliament, the Autonomous Communities and local authorities. The result is a State Plan, developed by consensus and allowing room for the rapidly occurring changes that characterize the most dynamic region in the world. The Plan is structured around ten priority lines of action, which translate into specific, measurable actions, having been designed as an action plan aimed at obtaining concrete results. 1.- Increased political attention to continue to guarantee our presence and visibility. An ambitious schedule of trips
and high-level visits will be the catalyst for the new boost that the Plan seeks to give to our presence in Asia. The agenda of political dialogue will be consolidated with all the countries in which Spain maintains diplomatic representation, and diplomatic deployments will be reinforced with the opening of new Embassies (Cambodia, Sri Lanka) and Consulates General (New Delhi, Guangzhou, Chengdu). All of this constitutes a necessary base for the promotion and defense of our interests as well as for the provision of adequate services to the increasing number of Spanish citizens in the region. 2.- Support for our entrepreneurs and their business and investment initiatives. In the last few decades, the countries making up the Asia-Pacific region have experienced a level of economic development with global repercussions, which has been expressed in an increase in trade and cash flow both to and from the region. The creation of employment in Spain and the growth of our economy will be increasingly linked to our export capacity to these markets. The Comprehensive Market Development Plans (PIDMs, for their initials in Spanish) will continue to be the core
focus of action. These plans summarize the vast majority of instruments and measures (financial, promotional, informational, etc.) that are to be implemented in the priority countries: China, Japan, India and South Korea; together with specific measures for three regions - Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Central Asia. 3.- Promotion of our culture and education. The internationalization of our creative and cultural industries, the promotion of cultural diversity, the strengthening of cultural cooperation, contracts between civil society organizations and the recognition of culture as a source of wealth generation and economic development are core policies of the Government in the promotion of our culture abroad. Added to all this is the opening of new Cervantes Centers, the strengthening of the cultural initiatives of our Embassies, the further development of the policy of scholarships and professorships and the organization of Commemorations and initiatives in the wake of the "Years" celebrated during the past legislature in China, Korea and the Philippines. The Shanghai World Expo in 2010 and the Yeosu International Expo in 2012 will constitute touchstones for
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our cultural initiatives, as was the Aichi Expo of 2005 during the past legislature, at which Spain achieved a record level of cultural promotion. 4.- Cooperation in development and humanitarian aid in response to natural catastrophes. In the current draft of the new Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation, the Philippines and Vietnam continue to be priority nations, classified as “Broad Association” countries, while East Timor, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Afghanistan are classified as “Focused Attention” countries. Afghanistan is a special case, given that the aspect of cooperation coexists with that of security. The most visible element of the Spanish commitment is the Provincial Reconstruction Team that Spain is directing in the Afghan province of Badghis. 5.- Meeting our new foreign security goals. The fight against terrorism will continue to constitute a priority. Bilateral dialogue will be further developed and expanded, and the level of dialogue with regional counter-terrorist units will be increased, while at the same time consolidating an active presence in forums such as the ASEM Conferences on the Fight against Terrorism, following
up on the Madrid Conference of 2008. Human trafficking and illegal immigration require the highest attention. An active focus will be applied through adhoc instruments in the context of policies distinct from those adopted with the African nations. Other priorities of the Asia Plan in this context will be the fight against maritime piracy, drug trafficking (with special attention on Afghanistan) and nuclear proliferation, and the support for peace processes and the consolidation of various processes to promote democratic stability and political structures such as in Timor and Cambodia. 6.- Human Rights Protection. The focus of the Asia Pacific Plan 3 is on refugee support policies (Thailand, Pakistan, India), more active participation in the critical dialogue of the EU in China, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines, and technical assistance in the area of extrajudicial killings, complementing the work of the EU in the Philippines. The abolition of the death penalty in the Philippines in turn constitutes an incentive to increase our action in this area in other countries in the region, both bilaterally and through the EU. 7.- Support for efforts in integration and the promotion of multilateralism.
Asia will be one of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU and its coordinating role will be essential in the multilateral context: ASEM, EU-ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum. Spain will also organize the EU-Japan Heads of State and Government Summit, the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting, and the ministerial troikas between the EU and China, India, Pakistan, Japan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Australia and, probably, Indonesia. 8.- Gender equality policies. Asia already participates in various initiatives promoted by the Office of the First VicePresident of the Government, as is the case of China since 2007. The new Plan aims to continue developing these and extending them to other countries such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 9.- Interreligious dialogue and the Alliance of Civilizations. The Spanish initiative of the Alliance of Civilizations has been very well received by the Asian nations, many of which are home to the largest Muslim populations in the world (Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, China, etc.). In these countries, the interreligious dialogue they foster and promote finds its greatest and
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finest expression. An active policy of Spain in this field will include commitment to interreligious dialogue within ASEM, the organization in Spain of the Interfaith Dialogue in 2010, and active participation in parallel Asian initiatives, such as the Islam-West Conference in Malaysia. 10.- Bringing foreign policy closer to the people. The successive Asia Plans have had significant reach in the realm of civil society. Casa Asia has revealed itself to be a highly effective instrument in this respect, not only developing its own program to bring Asia and the Pacific closer to Spain, but also collaborating very actively in the policies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Over the next four years, the opening of four new offices is planned in Valencia, Bilbao and Galicia. The promotion of the Forums with
Moratinos, at the presentation of the Asia Pacific Plan at the Cervantes Institute. PHoto j.hernĂ ndez
China and Japan has been a notable success, with a huge presence of the main elements of civil society with interests in Asia. The Plan sets out to raise the Round Tables in India, and possibly the Philippines, together with Australia, to this same category. At the same time, the number of Round Tables will also be increased; Thailand, Singapore and Paki-
stan would be excellent options. In short, as the Prime Minister indicated in the presentation of the Plan, "a Spanish foreign policy for the 21st century that aspires to project the values and the dynamism of our society and our interests as a country could not be conceived without placing the Asia-Pacific region in a position of priority.�
imports-exports with asia and the pacific 2000-2008 40.000.000
Imports
Figures in thousands of euros. Source: Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade
35.000.000 30.000.000 25.000.000 20.000.000 Exports
15.000.000 10.000.000 5.000.000 0 1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
exports to countries included in the comprehensive market development plans 3.000
Figures in thousands of euros. China Japan South Korea India
2.500 2.000 1.500
2008
official aid for development in asia 600
Figures in thousands of euros.
500 400 300
1.000
200
500
100
0
2007
0 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2004
2005
2006
2007
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A new step forward in the most promising region on the planet josĂŠ eugenio Salarich
DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
During the last legislature, the Spanish government, and, more particularly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, has made a remarkable effort to give the Asia-Pacific region the focus it deserves within the general scheme of Spanish foreign policy. The results of the achievements of these last four years were reflected in the Balance Sheet for the 2004-2008 Action Plan, to which I refer with the pride and satisfaction of having been able, on behalf of the Directorate General for Asia and the Pacific, to undertake a project in which I believe strongly. From day to day, the region is acquiring prime importance on the global agenda. We were not mistaken when we saw in its spectacular rates of economic growth and its moving closer to the West a range of opportunities which, honestly, it would have been political suicide not to take advantage of. From Asia come many of the challenges that form part of our daily routine, and from Asia arise many of the kinds of opportunities that only occasionally present themselves in the course of a generation. Spain simply could not allow itself the luxury of remaining aloof from these events
which will, in fact, affect our own economic growth and have a decisive influence on our own future as a country. This is why, in fulfillment of the commitment assumed by the Prime Minister, we are launching a third edition for the new 20082012 legislature, adapted to the changes that have occurred in the region and to the new global circumstances, consolidating the many achievements made and seeking new ways of penetration into a region which, while physically and historically distant from us, is growing closer and closer through the efforts at rapprochement being made by all. In short, we are responding to a demand coming from our own society, which perceives as clearly as the government does that the center of political gravity and of the global economy has moved to the Pacific Basin. I have written once before, quoting Antonio Garrigues, that in Spain we need to cast off the fear of the historical whiplash that has hindered us from turning to look to the East and has kept our focus too much on the West. I honestly believe that, little by little, we are achieving this through the efforts of all those of us who are convinced that the East is no longer
we want to adjust to the new power of asia, a continent that simultaneously represents one of the driving forces of global economic growth and a vital element in the global balance of power the asia pacific plan 2008-2012 is adapted to the changes that will occur in the region and to the new global circumstances
the home of the future, but of the historically unfolding present of this 21st century. We are building on political foundations, many of them now consolidated, through which we are forging relationships of friendship, cooperation and strategic alliances with the most important countries of the region, which are at the same time the main emerging nations in the new international balance. The attached report describes the spheres within which our government initiatives have been planned and strengthened. I believe that we are on the right road towards establishing Asia and the Pacific as the fourth pillar of our foreign policy, just as the Prime Minister has expressed on repeated occasions. We want to adjust to the new power of Asia, a continent that simultaneously represents one of the driving forces of global economic growth and a vital element in the global balance of power. This central position of Asia and the Pacific in the near future requires the development of this active Spanish strategy. In the era of globalization, Spain's political, economic, educational and cultural interests are also at stake in Asia.
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DISCOVER YOUR EMBASSY 9,000 kilometers away and almost on the opposite extreme of the Atlantic, Uruguay was once a land that welcomed thousands of Spaniards, and today enjoys excellent political, economic and cultural relations with Spain. by María Pilar Cuadra Gascón
Uruguay: when far away doesn't mean forgotten The outbreak of the Civil War caught her by surprise while traveling around Latin America, and she never went back to Spain again. She lived in Chile, and spent long periods in Argentina, but the country that ended up being her home, where she took citizenship in 1959 and died ten years later, was Uruguay. Margarita Xirgu, probably the most important figure in Spanish theater in the first half of the 20th century, became the first director of Montevideo's Municipal School of Dramatic Art, which today bears her name in homage to the Spanish actress's contribution to Uruguayan theater. But Xirgu is but one of thousands of Spaniards who, over the course of the centuries, have settled on Uruguayan soil. Although the Spanish presence dates back as far as 1516, among the first emigrants was the family of Silvestre Pérez Bravo, who left the Canary Islands with twelve other families in the summer of 1726 and, after a voyage of almost three months, became the first inhabitants of "San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo", the historical name of what is today the capital of
Uruguay. They landed at the pean airline to maintain direcently founded settlement In 2008, Spanrect flights between the old with the promise of receiv- ish cooperation continent and Montevideo. ing plots of farmland that contributed And it is perhaps no coinciwould assure their future, more than 25 dence that each Uruguayan and another thirty families million euros to spends, on average, $33.50 in would join them two and a various projects U.S. dollars a year on Spanhalf years later. ish products, compared with Today, Spaniards living in the $9.60 spent by their BraUruguay are estimated at some 50,000, zilian neighbors or the $24.20 by the a similar figure to the number of Uru- Argentines. In any event, Uruguay has guayans who have settled in Spain in been included in the process of Spanrecent years. However, it is likely that ish investment in the Americas since the application of the Historic Mem- the nineties, making Spain the fourth ory Act, whereby the children and biggest investor in the country. grandchildren of Spanish exiles and Spanish foreign aid hasn't forgotemigrants will be eligible for Spanish ten Uruguay either; in 2008, Spain citizenship, will result in a significant made a contribution of more than 25 increase in the number of Spaniards in million euros aimed at strengthening the country. This is suggested by the democratic institutions, mainstreamfact that, in the first month after the ing gender policies and improving soact took effect on December 29, 2008, cial coverage of especially vulnerable Uruguay - in spite of its relatively small groups. Cultural and scientific contrisize - produced the third largest num- butions for the 2008-2009 two-year ber of applications in the world. period amounted to approximately 10 The human relationships result- million euros, with projects ranging ing from migration phenomena also from the strengthening of institutions have their economic repercussions. (for example, supporting the National For example, Iberia is the only Euro- System of Museums) to the creation
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VIew of the port of the city of Montevideo, detail of the front of a historic building in the capital, and the Memorial to the Disappeared
uruguay facts Population: 3,334,052 (2007 estimate) GDP: USD 23.095 billion (2007) GDP per capita: USD 11,230 (One of the highest in South America) GDP growth rate: 13.2% Inflation: 9.2% Exchange rate: 1 euro= 32.8 Uruguayan pesos (December 2008) Foreign debt: 60.1% GDP International reserves: USD 4.112 billion Balance of trade: USD 562.3 million deficit HDI: 0.852 (upper middle income country) Life Expectancy: 75.9 years Literacy rate: 96.2% (Students per teacher: 21) Unemployment: 7.9% (9.1% in 2007, 11.4% in 2006 and 12.2% in 2005; 17% in 2002) Poverty: From 2004 to 2007, poverty dropped from 31.9% to 25.5%. The infantilization of poverty is a recent factor (approximately 50%). Extreme poverty: 2.1% Source: Min. of Foreign Aff. & Coop.
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or recovery of spaces such as the new Contemporary Art Space. In this context, the presence in the Uruguayan capital of the Spanish Cultural Center of Spain has been significant, with its varied program of activities including movie passes, music concerts, science conferences and children's workshops. From a political perspective, relations between the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (in the country's official name, the adjective "eastern" is an allusion to "Eastern Strip", the name the region was known by in the colonial era) and the Kingdom of Spain date back to 1870, when the Treaty of Recognition, Peace and Friendship was signed nearly a half-century after Uruguayan independence. Coinciding with the 5th Centenary of the discovery of America, in 1992 a new
A SPANIARD IN URUGUAY jorge Torres Cantalapiedra general councilor of the association of spanish economists (cee) for uruguay and president of the federation of spanish institutions in uruguay
Residence of the Spanish Embassy in Uruguay.
Treaty of Cooperation and Friendship was signed, bringing relations between the two countries up to date after their respective processes of democratization. Since then, the exchanges of visits between authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have multiplied even more - including,
How would you rate SpainUruguay relations, especially economic relations? In general, they're excellent, except for a few rare incidents. With the Spanish emigration at the beginning of the last century, which was clearly economic, Spain began to develop a profile in Uruguay, as we entered sectors like transport, retail trade, etc. We created employment and, at the same time, initiated top-level organizations such as the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and other regional business associations. Is being Spanish in Uruguay an advantage or a setback for doing business? There is no doubt at all about the answer to that, as in a country as young as Uruguay we Spaniards can enjoy great advantages because they view us as hardworking, honest, enterprising and with a great vision for exploring opportunities.
on the Spanish side, representatives of the autonomous communities marking the map with lines that are highly illustrative of the strength of the relationship. Proof of the mutual trust that has resulted is the fact that, in November of 2006, Uruguay accepted the mediation of the King of Spain in its conflict with Argentina over the construction of a paper mill on the border between the two neighboring countries. In short, relations between Uruguay and Spain, whether political, economic or cultural, are so strong that the more than 9,500 kilometers that separate Madrid from Montevideo constitute no more than a small hindrance to keeping alive the historical links that are constantly being renewed by migration flows in both directions across the Atlantic.
How do Uruguayans view Spain's contribution to economic development? In general, the view is very positive, because job opportunities are generated. Although it may at times cause disputes with neighboring nations, Uruguayans defend our support as they recognize that it comes from a country with whom it has a wide range of relations, and that generously seeks to give back what Spanish emigration did for the homeland in very difficult years. How integrated into the local community are Spaniards in Uruguay? We are fully integrated. Let's not forget that since its creation, Uruguay was built on Spanish colonization and a high percentage of its population is of Spanish origin. As a community, do they take part in any activities that keep them in contact with each other? We have a Council of Span-
ish Residents. There are more than 52,000 Spaniards in all. In addition, Uruguay has more than 60 Spanish institutions, approximately 40 of which belong to the Federation of Spanish Institutions in Uruguay (FI EU). Give us a few reasons to choose Uruguay as a country to live and work in. Uruguay offers us a magnificent climate, sweeping plains and the waters of its rivers and the ocean. Its people, of European background, are cultured and friendly, and they welcome tourists warmly. While it may not be living its greatest moment of splendor right now, Uruguay, which was once known as the "Switzerland of the Americas", is leaving its own serious crisis behind, while at the same time rising above the global economic recession. It is a democratic nation, polite and generous to visitors. I can assure you that you'll feel at home here.
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Relations in a constant state of progress Aurora DĂaz-Rato
SpanISh aMbaSSaDoR to URUgUay
The Spanish Embassy in the Eastern Republic of Uruguay has grown in recent years as a logical consequence of the significant increase in bilateral relations, which has taken place in virtually every sphere of activity. The Uruguay-Spain political relationship has increased both in strength and in depth. Our shared principles on questions as central as the support and defense of multilateralism and the commitment of both nations to peace building and respect for Human Rights in foreign relations have led to our sharing visions and defending common positions, both in relation to the Latin American region and in international strategic issues such as the peace process in the Middle East or reform of the United Nations. Also, the frequency of the exchange of visits made in both directions, whether State visits, official visits or work visits at the national, regional or local level, provides a clear picture of the work of Spanish representatives in Montevideo. The strength of the relationship is not limited to the political level. In the economic sphere, this strengthening of ties is very clear, and the trend observed suggests that relations will continue to increase in the future.
Although the trade balance has been in deficit for some years, Spanish and Uruguayan exports grew in 2008 at a rate of more than 50% over the previous year. In terms of Spanish exports, the Eastern Republic of Uruguay is the biggest consumer country of products from our country per capita in Latin America. The same could also be said of direct investment, as Uruguay is also the biggest recipient per capita of Spanish investment in the region. It is also important to note that Spanish activity in both exports and investment is located within the most modern sectors and those with the greatest added value, such as communications, technology, and the service sector. At the same time, Spanish aid to Uruguay has followed the same pattern, increasing by more than 10 times in recent years, and in both technical and cultural support - with the prominent role played by the Spanish Cultural Center in Montevideo - Spain, as the biggest bilateral donor, has become a standard bearer in the country. The opening in the coming months of a fourth Spanish Cooperation in Latin America Training Center, which will
Spanish activity in both exports and investment is located within the most modern sectors and those with the greatest added value, such as communications, technology, and the service sector
work mainly in the Mercosur sub-region, the implementation of a Program of Cooperation with Mercosur which will be coordinated from the Technical Cooperation Office in Montevideo, and the firm commitment of Spanish cooperation in supporting the ONE UN pilot project in the region with its headquarters in Montevideo, only confirm this trend while projecting it beyond the borders of the country itself. Finally, the existence, again in relative terms, of the largest Spanish community in the region - more than 50,000 citizens - registered in the Census of Residents Abroad (CERA), and of a community of Uruguayans in Spain estimated at around 80,000, highlight the strength of relations in personal terms, which are effectively attended to by both the Consulate General and the recently created Labor Department. The implementation of the Historic Memory Act 52/07 and the management of almost 100 million euros in aid, as well as the imminent conclusion of an Agreement to facilitate voting for citizens of both countries in municipal elections, are some of the challenges we have ahead in the next few months.
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The World Tourism Organization (WTO). The WTO is a specialized agency of the United Nations, headquartered in Madrid, which provides leadership for the development of responsible, sustainable, and universal tourism. The Organization encompasses 161 member nations and territories, as well as more than 370 affiliate members from the private sector.
Taleb Rifai Just like the right to an education, the right to travel is a part of the concept of human rights in its broadest sense" secretary general ‘ad interim’ of the world tourism organization
— Spain is the second-most visited country in the world. What could it do to move into first place? — Spain is not very far out of first place now (laughter). And if you look at revenues per tourist, Spain boasts some very solid figures. It is true that it could grow in the area of urban tourism. Madrid, for example, is a city that could easily handle many more visitors. Spain's strength is in its small towns (he says it in Spanish), its seacoasts and the islands. It can also point to environmental policies that distinguish it as a nation that respects the environment. — As a specialized Agency of the United Nations, the WTO is probably the most important inter-governmental organization currently located in Madrid. Why was Spain chosen as the headquarters of the WTO? — It is not by accident that the WTO is in Spain. International organizations tend to be set up in the cities that offer the best match with their mandates and goals. When the General Assembly decided in 1975 that the WTO would become an intergovernmental organization –it was located previously in Geneva- several candidates emerged and Madrid won, with good reason, because Spain is among the world's great tourist destinations; it is a tourism success story. —How is the WTO different from other international organizations? — THE WTO is unique in that, when
it became an Intergovernmental Organization, it kept its non-governmental members: private sector, academic institutions, national tourism organizations, NGO's, provinces, cities... They all have a place in our organization as affiliates. Right now, in fact, we are trying to give them an even greater role so that they can function as partners with the public sector. — International tourism figures have been better than ever in recent years. It has held strong in the face of international terrorism, the bird flu, and international conflicts. How will the financial crisis affect it? — We have had 5 exceptionally good years. From 2003 through 2008, growth exceeded 6%, outstripping our forecasts of 4%. 2008 has been a turning point, and we forecast a 2009 that will be strongly affected by the crisis. From 2001 through 2003 there was a global slow-down after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the proliferation of conflicts, and the outbreak of the bird flu. Many of these elements are still present, but the industry has learned how to live with these challenges and to adapt. The current challenge, the economic crisis, is of a different nature. First, because it is global; second, because it is confusing; and third, because it affects citizens' pocketbooks. — What role will the emerging powers play in the tourism of the future? — China sent out 45 million tourists in
2007. That is good news, because it could help to offset the economic slow-down. I believe that China, India, and other emerging nations will be major players in international tourism, due to their growth and also their large populations. When you compare the proportion of Germans who travel outside of Germany with the percentage of Chinese who travel outside of China, you come to realize the enormous growth potential of the emerging countries. — How can tourism contribute to the Millennium Goals? — Tourism is an engine for growth, and it creates jobs more easily, more effectively, and at a much lower cost than any other sector. In addition, it creates employment where it is most needed: in the countryside, in remote locations, or in regions that lack other development opportunities. It is also capable of connecting with many other industries in economic, social, cultural, and environmental terms. — Throughout its history the WTO has fought for the right to vacations, for the creation of employment, and for achieving environmentally friendly tourism. What will the challenges be in the future? — This is the facet that connects tourism to human rights. The right to travel has become a fundamental right, like freedom of expression or opinion. Like the right to decent housing or to education, the right to travel forms part of the
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profile Born in Jordan in 1949, he received a degree in architecture in Cairo and began his professional career as a university professor in his native country, from 1973 to 1993. During that time he earned a doctorate in Urban Planning at the University of Pennsylvania and a degree in Engineering and Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. In Jordan he has served as the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Minister of Information, and Minister of International Cooperation and Planning. From 2003 to 2006 he was the Deputy Director General of the ILO, until being named Adjunct Director General of the WTO. When the Secretary General, Francesco Francialli, retired in late February before completing his third term, Rifai assumed the position of acting Secretary General.
concept of human rights in its broadest sense. When a person wants to rest, they want to do it in their own way, and in the place of their choice. In that great basket of human rights, the WTO also places the rights of groups requiring special protection, such as women and children. We cannot tolerate the abuse of children and women by the tourism industry, and this is why we have established work groups to prevent these situations and thus contribute to the Millennium Goals. — What is Spain's role currently as the headquarters of the WTO? — We are very proud to be here. Spain is much more than simply our headquarters. It is a country that gives meaning to our efforts in every sense. We seek tourism that also serves to build peace, to unite peoples and cultures, and to
achieve greater tolerance and understanding. And that is exactly what Spain is doing. Whether through the Mediterranean Dialogue or through the Alliance of Civilizations, it is determined to bring together North and South, East and West. In the immediate future we hope to strengthen the ties between the Organization, its partners, and Spain. I believe that Spain could promote itself as the headquarters of the WTO; Madrid has already done so, as the world tourism capital. — Do you think that Spain could be the headquarters of more international organizations? — Of course, why not? Many organizations, if they would take note of Spain, not only Madrid, but also many other Spanish cities, would come to realize that it could host international organi-
zations. I'll share a very simple example with you: when the various organizations of the United Nations family meet, sometimes the meetings are held in Geneva, other times in Rome, Vienna, New York, or Paris. When they come to Spain at our invitation, because it's Madrid's turn to host, they always tell us: aren't you the lucky ones! I think that that, in itself, is ample testimony of how wellqualified Spain is to host international organizations. — Certainly, but who are you betting on for the 2016 Olympics? — (Laughs). Well, all of the candidate cities are well prepared and are located in Member States of our organization, but I don't mind telling you that my wife and children, who live in Madrid, would be very happy to witness the Olympic Games "live and direct."
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CONSEJO DE EUROPA Presidencia española
On January 28 in Strasbourg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, presented the main milestones of the Spanish Presidency and explained that the Ministerial Session in Madrid will reaffirm the role of the Council of Europe as the “cornerstone of the European framework and a powerful guarantee of shared values”.
Spain prepares the Ministerial Session for May 12 in Madrid COUNCIL OF EUROPE Spanish Chairmanship CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE Presidence espagnole
During its Presidency -in addition to commemorating the 60th anniversary of the organization and the 50th anniversary of European Court of Human Rights- Spain has implemented many different actions in order to achieve progress in the promotion of basic freedoms, the rule of law and democracy. It has also encouraged
international cooperation against terrorism; intercultural dialogue, gender equality, migration management, the strengthening of relations between the Council of Europe and other organizations, as well as reinforcing the contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly. Up until now, many of the most
Miguel Ángel Moratinos, during his appearance at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. During his visit to Strasbourg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation walked round the ‘Visas to Freedom’ exhibition, which was put on at the Council's headquarters as one of the activities of the Spanish Presidency. photos ángel zorita
important meetings have been held in Spain, such as the expert committee that met in Madrid to discuss the ‘Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings ’, or the ‘European Conference on Women and Disability: Access to Training and Employment’, which was held in León on February 12 and 13. Recently in Toledo a High-Level Conference was held titled ‘Protection of Children in European Justice Systems’, where experts from the 47 Member States discussed the objectives and the implementation of the ‘Council of Europe Agreement on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse’, which has been signed by 33 states and has still not come into force. At the end of March, a conference was held in Spain on ‘The Protection of Human Rights and the Fight Against Terrorism’, and on April 15 and 16, Madrid will host a joint meeting between the Council of Europe and the Organization of American States to discuss cyberterrorism. A few days later in Bilbao, a meeting will be held under the slogan ‘Guaranteeing Cultural and European Diversity: the Role of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages’. The Spanish Presidency of the Council of Europe will end on May 12 this year with the Ministerial Session. There, Spain will hand over the mandate to Slovenia, who will take up the Presidency for the next six months. Within the framework of this high-level meeting –which will be take place in Madrid, instead of Strasbourgwill be the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the organization and the presentation of Final Declaration of the Presidency.
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Valencia will be home to the first UN Center in Spain The Spanish First Vice President, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, signed the agreement to build a center that will be responsible for providing secure and independent media for peace missions and providing support to around 90,000 civilians and military personnel deployed worldwide.
Spain and China encourage business relations The visit by the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, to Madrid resulted in the signing of a dozen bilateral agreements on telecommunications, renewable energy, finance, the environment, tourism, aviation, and business cooperation in different areas. Jiabao and Prime Minister Rodríguez Zapatero highlighted that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations has placed Hispano-Chinese relations in their best ever position.
Wen Jiabao during his visit to Moncloa Palace to have talks with Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. photo efe
Spain and Africa prepare the ‘Equality Agenda’ The Fourth Meeting on ‘Spanish and African Women for a Better World’ concluded in Liberia with the commitment to move forward with the ‘Equality Agenda’ that will be approved at the Fifth Meeting, which is being held in Spain. The announcement was made by the First Vice President, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, from Monrovia. Later she met with Vice President, Isatou Njie Saidy, in Gambia's capital to sign a Bilateral Framework Agreement spanning the next four years.
Ramón Llull Award for Ambassador Carles Casajuana The current Spanish Ambassador to London, Carles Casajuana, has won the Ramón Llull Award for Catalan Literature for his novel ‘L’últim home que parlava català’, where he ironically speaks about bilingualism and the hypothetical disappearance of Catalan.
Close cooperation between Spain and Portugal The last Hispano-Portuguese Summit reflected the closeness, quality and strategic importance of bilateral relations. The Spanish and Portuguese heads of government reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that the Lisbon-Madrid and Porto-Vigo high speed rail lines are finished by 2013 and announced that over the next few years they are going to open two jointly funded centers: a nanotechnology center in Braga, and a renewable energy center in Badajoz.
At the meeting of the 14th Hispano-Portuguese Summit held in Zamora, with both delegations. photo efe
AU Summit in February
Spain is becoming one of the core partners of the African Union Since it was officially inaugurated in 2002, the African Union (AU) has been acquiring greater importance on the world stage, thanks to its push to integrate politics and economics, as well as promoting peace and security on the continent. Spain, loyal to its commitment to Africa and to promoting effective multilateralism, has provided support as one of the AU's main allies. Jean Ping's recent visit to Spain, where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, was an endorsement of this special relationship. Against this backdrop, the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, Angel Lossada, announced -during the AU summit in February- the first 10 million euro payment of the voluntary pledge to donate 30 million euros between 2009 and 2011. This donation positions Spain as one of the leading partners of the AU and will preferably go towards actions for peace, security and institutional reinforcement, as well as the consolidation of the use of Spanish as an official language. Likewise, concrete commitments may be adopted for crisis and post-conflict situations, such as Somalia or the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this way, Spain wants to contribute to the leadership shown by the AU in the design of a new and truly African framework for peace and security, as part of the so-called Agenda for Peace. In this sphere it highlights the role played by the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism, which Spain has worked with since it was first created.
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Bicentennials of the Independence of Latin American Republics. The Plenary Session of the National Committee of Bicentennials met this February, approving two documents that set out Spain's position towards the Commemoration.
On May 11 there will be a State Ceremony for the Bicentennials The ceremonies to commemorate the Bicentennials of the Independence of Latin American Republics, coinciding with the Bicentennial of the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil, already began last year. All of the Ibero-American countries took part, including Spain, not just for historical reasons but also because of the special relationship Spain currently has with Latin America and its future potential. In order to tackle this challenge, a National Bicentennial Commission (CNB) was established. The Plenary Session was chaired by the Vice-President of the Government, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation as the Executive President and the ex-Prime Minister, Felipe González, as Ambassa-
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INDEPENDENCIAS IBEROAMERICANAS
The CNB logo The National Commission of Bicentennials has recently approved the logo that will define its brand image. The logo displays the sail of a boat, evoking the strength of a common culture and language, and the sea that unites and united us. It brings together the common colors in the flags of IberoAmerican countries.
dor Extraordinary. Spain's strategy in view of the commemoration is that Spain should play a supporting role for Latin American Republics in their respective Bicentennials. Spain's involvement will be an integral part of foreign policy towards Latin America and contribute to the development and consolidation of relations between the EU and Latin America. The watering down of efforts must also be avoided, and both organizations and institutions that have interests and a presence in Latin America, as well as Latin American immigrant groups in Spain, must be relied on. At the Plenary Session of the CNB in February two documents were adopted that set out Spain's position towards the commemorations. The strategy document, which includes the principles upon which Spanish action is based and the objectives they aim to achieve, and the Action Plan. One of the highlights of the organized activities is an Institutional Ceremony 200 to launch the commemorations, which will take place AÑOS on May 11, and which will be presided over by The King and Queen of Spain. Also taking part will be the most senior State Institutions and important figures from politics, business, culture and civil society from Latin America, Europe, the United States and Spain. In addition to the CNB there are two other commemorative bicentennial commissions in Spain: the Bicentennial Commission for the 1808 War of Independence and the Bicentennial Commission for the 1812 Cádiz Constitution.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs meets with Christopher Ross The Secretary of State, Ángel Lossada, welcomed Christopher Ross, Envoy for the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Western Sahara. After expressing the Spanish government's satisfaction that the United Nations is maintaining its commitment to the mandate received from the Security Council, he reiterated that the Spanish government will continue to work towards ensuring that the parties reach a political agreement that enables self-determination.
Lossada together with Christopher Ross.photo efe
2009 Action Plan for the Carolina Foundation The Carolina Foundation approved the institution's objectives for 2009. These include the awarding of 1,700 postgraduate, doctorate and continuous training grants, as well as the development of the so-called Red Carolina (Carolina Network), by setting up a technology platform to coordinate the beneficiaries and participants of the various programs of the Foundation.
Spain makes progress in the recognition of the human right to water The first initiative lead by Spain on human rights in the United Nations, to achieve the recognition of the human right to access drinking water and sanitation, already has an Independent Expert: Catarina de Albuquerque, who was introduced by the MAEC's Office of Human Rights on February 20 this year.
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Spain will host the EU-Morocco Summit In 2010, Spain will host the European Union summit with Morocco -the first bilateral summit held with an Arab or African country in the history of the EU-27- as stated by the Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido, in February. The concession of the Advanced Statute for Morocco last year was a huge qualitative step forward in its relations with Brussels.
The Secretary of State of the Vatican visits Spain The Secretary of State of the Vatican, Tarcisio Bertone, held talks in February with Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and His Majesty the King Juan Carlos, within the framework of a private visit to Madrid. He was invited by the Spanish Episcopal Conference to present a paper on “Human Rights in the Teachings of Benedict XVI”.
Spain and Argentina prepare for the London Summit Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner analyzed, within the framework of her state visit to Spain, the global economic situation and the proposals that they will take to London on April 2 for the upcoming summit on the reform of the international financial system.
Over 5,600 Spanish citizens in international organizations A total of 5,656 Spanish citizens work in international organizations and institutions of the EU, Miguel Ángel Moratinos explained at the conference in February. 300 of them hold management positions. These data –from the end of 2007- almost double the figures from 2003.
State Visit by Their Majesties the King and Queen to Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. They also went on an official visit to Florida, where they took part in the celebration of the 450th anniversary of Pensacola, the first Spanish city in today's United States.
His Majesty the King Juan Carlos I saying a few words from the Wentworth Museum in Pensacola, alongside Her Majesty the Queen and the Governor of Florida, Charlie Christ. photo efe
Spain strengthens its relations with the Anglophone Caribbean Within the framework of the tour between February 16 and 21, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía went on state visits to both Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. This was followed by an official visit to Florida, where they took part in the celebration of the 450th anniversary of Pensacola, the first Spanish city in what today is United States territory. The King and Queen -who travelled with a large delegation that included the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Miguel Ángel Moratinos) and Spanish entrepreneurs- received a royal welcome at Puerto España, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. The purpose of the visit was to foster political, economic and cultural relations. Spain is Trinidad and Tobago's third largest customer, mainly buying hydrocarbons, and also one of the leading investors in the country. In his address to the Jamaican Parliament two days later, King Juan Carlos talked about Spain's satisfaction that Jamaica is opening “an Embassy in Madrid
next year” and underlined that Spain is committed to Jamaica beyond political and economic ties. One of the most significant areas of Spanish business on the island is the hotel industry, which has invested over 600 million euros in the last 10 years. During their visit to Florida, the King and Queen attended the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the city of Pensacola, which paid homage to its founder Tristán de Luna and one of the most iconic figures of its history, Malaga-born Bernardo Gálvez, who defeated the English in 1781. The King and Queen then moved on to Miami where they attended a dinner in honor of Spanish gastronomy and a business meeting on renewable energy. President Barack Obama rang the King to apologize for not being able to welcome him personally and expressed his wish for their bilateral relations to be as good as with some of their predecessors. The White House sent the National Security Advisor, General James Jones, to Miami.
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Third Meeting of Spanish Ambassadors to Latin-America. Miguel Ángel Moratinos brought the meeting to a close with the conviction that the region must figure and take part in the transformation and reform process of the international situation.
Development aid for Albania There is to be a two year cultural development project in Albania financed by Spain and implemented by UNESCO and the PNUD. Its plans include the reconstruction of the National History Museum in Tirana and the refurbishment of the Balkan country's cultural institutions.
Obama endorses the Alliance of Civilizations Group photo of the Third Meeting of Spanish Ambassadors held in Quito. photo efe
Spanish Ambassadors to Latin-America meet in Ecuador
The US administration has confirmed that President Barack Obama will attend the Second Alliance of Civilizations Forum, which will be held in Istanbul. There he will meet with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the driving force behind this initiative together with the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Spain supports Serbia in its EU aspirations Spain's 24 ambassadors to LatinAmerican countries met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, in the city of Quito for the Third Meeting of Spanish Ambassadors to Latin-America. This forum was created after the Secretary of State for Ibero-America was established and it enables policies and initiatives to be aligned in order to achieve greater cohesion in the region. The Spanish Ambassador to the United States, Jorge Dezcallar, and Javier Sancho, Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OEA) also took part in the conference. The minister was joined by the Secretary of State to Ibero-America, Trinidad Jiménez, who opened the meeting, stating “it is about the exchanging of ideas and the joint reflection on the events that are taking place in Latin America”. Ecuador's Minister for Foreign Relations, Fander Falconí, was also invited to the opening of the
conference, where he thanked Spain for choosing Quito to host the conference and highlighted “the excellent relations between both countries in every sphere”. Some of the issues tackled at the conference included Spain's policy in Latin America, the region's relationship with the US and the EU, the accompaniment to the commemorative ceremonies for the Latin American nations' bicentennials –which will start this May in Bolivia-, as well as the situation for Spanish businesses in the region. The leader of Spanish diplomacy stressed that “with Spain's help, the Latin American voice will be better heard at all the international institutions”. Miguel Ángel Moratinos also demonstrated Spain's commitment to support the region's presence during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union next year, when an EU-Latin American summit is planned.
President Rodríguez Zapatero assured his Serbian counterpart, Boris Tadic, that Spain will continue working towards Serbia signing a European Union Association Agreement, a preliminary step to their future incorporation. He also reiterated that Spain will continue to oppose the recognition of Kosovo's independence, due to political conviction and in accordance with international law.
Trinidad Jiménez travels to Guatemala and Costa Rica The Secretary of State for Latin America travelled to Poasito in Costa Rica, to deliver aid to the people affected by the recent earthquake. In Guatemala she had previously met with President Colom and the members of the International Commission against Impunity, in order to demand the support of the international community and the Guatemalan government.
A foreign action in brief 37 From January 1
Spain and Russia sign a Memorandum of Energy Cooperation The agreement, signed on the first visit by the President of the Russian Federation to an EU country, opens the door to cooperation with energy powerhouse Russia, meaning increased security for Spain's energy supply and guaranteeing improved access for Spanish companies. Several companies have already signed up: Gazprom will work together with Gas Natural and Spanish company Iberdrola with Inter Rao.
Romanians and Bulgarians can already work as employees in Spain
Dimitri Medvédev, during his speech at the First Spanish-Russian Civil Society Forum held at the Reina Sofía Museum. photo efe
President Sarkozy's first state visit to Spain At the end of April the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, will go on his first state visit to Spain, which will coincide with the traditional HispanoFrench bilateral summit. Some of the main topics to be dealt with include the fight against terrorism, combating drug trafficking, border connections in the Pyrenees, as well as issues related to culture and education.
Monument for the diplomats who helped the Jews in the Second World War A monument will be erected in Madrid to the Spanish diplomats who helped the Jewish community during the Second World War such as Eduardo Propper de Callejón and Bernardo Rolland de Miota in France; Sebastián Romero Radigales in Greece; Julio Palencia in Bulgaria; José Ruiz Santaella in Germany; José Rojas in Romania; Ángel Sanz Briz in Hungary. The decision was made during the Casa Sefarad-Israel Advisory Council, held in January this year.
Barcelona hands over 19 modernist buildings to the Mediterranean The old hospital in Sant Pau that is made up of 19 buildings will be restored and turned into a headquarters for international and local bodies, institutions and organizations related to the Mediterranean. This was announced in January by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu. More than thirteen hectares will welcome the organizations that move to Barcelona as a result of it being the headquarters for the Union for the Mediterranean.
The Prince and Princess of Asturias promote Spain's image in New York under the slogan ‘Made by Spain’ This month in New York, the Prince and Princess of Asturias launched a huge campaign to promote Spanish products and bolster Spain's image in the US. They will be joined by over 100 Spanish entrepreneurs. For a year and a half the ‘Made by Spain’ plan will focus on the huge North American market, organizing events, fairs and PR campaigns, firstly in New York and then in Chicago. The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) will assign 20 million euros to this plan, which will also be financed by Spanish companies.
Since January 1 this year, more than 700,000 Romanians and 140,000 Bulgarians currently living in Spain can work as employees after the lifting of the labor market moratorium that has been hanging over their heads since their countries joined the EU two years ago. The Spanish Executive took the decision not to extend this period after the European Commission made public a report that encouraged Member States to end the restrictions: It highlighted that “experience shows that cross-border mobility tends to self-regulate, reducing during periods of economic slowdown”. This measure significantly affects these two communities, which have increased exponentially over the last five years and which, in the case of Romanian citizens, represent the first foreign community to settle in Spain.
No to gender-based violence
Presentation of the UN Report on Women The latest UNIFEM report stresses that in order to achieve gender equality it is fundamental that women are fully involved in public decision-making at every level. At the same time, the United Nations Report describes the gender unfairness and discrimination that is taking place and demands the situation be rectified and improvements be made. The report was presented by the Executive Director, Inés Alberdi, together with Minister Bibiana Aido, the Secretary of State Soraya Rodríguez and journalist Iñaki Gabilondo.
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AECID Projects. Bolivia is the third biggest producer of coca leaves in the world, after Colombia and Peru. Its traditional use as a medicine and in ritual is a simple fact. Nevertheless, this practice has provoked a range of problems for the country, both internal and with the international community. Since 1996, Spanish Cooperation has been working with the Bolivian government to replace coca leaves with other crops.
Nurseries in Chapare, Bolivia, and the heart of palm production process. photos pepa acedo / aecid
Alternative crops for the development of Bolivia “Before, 100% of the crops were coca. We all grew the same crop. Things got worse and there were a lot of clashes, a lot of farmers killed…”. This is how Eliodoro Vidal sums up the situation in Bolivia's Chapare region in the 80s. With no alternative for cultivation or survival, the excess production of coca leaves in the Bolivian tropics generated very serious conflicts between the government and rural workers, and among the farmers themselves. It also generated more poverty. Now Eliodoro, president of Associated Heart of Palm Producers and one of the heart of palm farmers with the most land in the municipality of Chimoré (Chapare), supports himself and his large family on the production of a plant that has offered a development alternative to a population of close to 260,000
people. This plant is the palm tree of the Tembe variety, which produces the so-called "heart of palm", a round, thick and juicy white fruit whose production is boosting economic and social development in the region. In 1996, Spain, through the AECID, signed an agreement with the Bolivian government to undertake a range of alternative development projects to promote the substitution of coca leaf cultivation with other crops. One of these projects included the construction and setup of an industrial heart of palm cannery in Chimoré. Since then, the project has grown. The heart of palm from the crops of the 800 families who make up PROASPA is processed and packed for sale and distribution with great success. “We've have started to enjoy rea-
sonably good lives because now we have various sources of income, not just coca, which hardly pays at all. Our strong point is heart of palm production. Cooperation is gradually transferring the industry to us and we'll be partners, owners..., we'll have better incomes," says Vidal. To this end, the AECID is training the heart of palm crop leaders involved in the production process, who are democratically elected by the different associations that make up PROASPA. It will be during 2009, when the project that began in 1996 with the support of Spain and the efforts of the farmers of Chapare will turn them into de facto heart of palm entrepreneurs. “We want to improve. The [Cochabamba] Tropics have changed. It's a job that benefits us, but also the Bolivian government and the communities. You can see the benefits in health and education, our children now have a better quality of life..." says Vidal proudly, currently a farmer and soon to be a heart of palm entrepreneur. ◆ Laura Losada
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Spanish Cooperation Master Plan Approved
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias, during their visit to the AECID stand at ARCO. photo m.a.nieto
Arte inVisible at the Madrid Contemporary Art Fair ARCO 2009 hosted the AECID project entitled Arte inVisible. Under this name, several African artists offered their most recent forays into the latest art styles, with a common focal point: the creation of a diverse map reflecting the contemporary aesthetics of their continent and those derived from the ongoing diaspora in which they are involved.
11th Cairo International Biennial Ouka Leele (Madrid, 1957), Bernardí Roig (Palma de Mallorca, 1965) and Pamen Pereira (Ferrol, 1963) represented Spain at the 11th Cairo International Biennial, an exhibition that closed on February 20, in which our country participated through the AECID. Ouka Leele attended with a collection of fifteen photographs that portray events from his biography; Bernardí Roig, with two of his unmistakable figures inserted into what he has defined as “Chambres de Lumiere”, and Pamen Pereira presented the installation “El otro a través del espejo” ("The Other through the Mirror").
The AECID news library, available online A new database for the educational and scientific community is available at the website www.cervantesvirtual.com/portal/aecid. Through this site, users can access the catalog of magazines such as ‘Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos’ and ‘Pensamiento Iberoamericano’. It will also soon include the magazine ‘Awraq’, which compiles research into the Islamic world.
Nicaragua Police award Spanish cooperation Consuelo Femenía, the AECID's Director of Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean, received the "Police Friendship" medal from the General Director of the National Police of the Republic of Nicaragua, Elena Granera Sacasa, for Spain's support for the process of modernization and development of the Nicaraguan police force.
Strengthening of local governability in Mauritania In the city of Boghé in the Brakna region, the General Coordinator of Spanish Cooperation in Mauritania brought to a close the Decentralization Support Project, which has been carried out over 30 months in eight regional townships. The project forms part of Spanish Cooperation's strategy in Mauritania as a Priority Country.
The Council of Ministers recently approved the Spanish Cooperation Master Plan for 2009-2012, a basic element in the planning of Spanish policy on international development cooperation, the main objective of which is the fight against poverty. Over six months, more than 500 experts from NGOs, universities, the private sector, unions and the Central Government took part in the drafting of the document. The new Master Plan establishes the commitment to reach an allocation of 0.7% of Gross National Product to Official Development Aid in 2012, and 0.56% in 2010 as an intermediate goal. With specific objectives, the Plan will ensure that the prospects of achieving the Millennium Goals within the deadlines improve appreciably over 2008, with a substantial contribution from development policy that is more comprehensive, consistent, sustainable over the long-term, more efficient and of better quality, based on a consensus among the parties involved and with the support of citizens. To meet these objectives, the Master Plan proposes the implementation of a comprehensive development policy based on specific values, on a shared mission for Spanish Cooperation with specific thematic priorities ranging from democratic governability or peace building to the fight against hunger. At the same time, the Executive Council of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has approved the proposal of a Management Contract, which, in the words of Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, Director of the AECID, makes this institution “better and more prepared to keep moving forward in the accomplishment of its mission to fight against poverty and promote sustainable development."
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Interview. American James Anaya participated in the International Experts Seminar organized in Madrid by the AECID to examine the role of the United Nations in the implementation of the rights of indigenous peoples.
James Anaya united nations special rapporteur on the rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples
—What is the objective of this Rapporteurship? —It's important to point out that the existence of this Rapporteurship is due to the work and the pressure of indigenous peoples, so that their problems would no longer be treated as charity cases. That is its purpose. The idea is that indigenous people can also play a leading role. —What is your mandate? —Basically, to receive information both on complaints of human rights violations and on improvements to the conditions of indigenous peoples. In other words, to monitor situations where there are problems and to try to promote dialog with the governments. —Are the decisions you make binding? —They're only recommendations. As a Defender of the People, if you will. The idea is to try to influence the will of the governments and see how I can help. —What challenges has this meeting in Madrid faced? —The meeting has tried to promote the
coordination between the various U.N. mechanisms that deal with the rights of indigenous peoples. Coordination between the Rapporteurship on the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which I represent; the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Questions, made up of 16 people who make reports without the mandate to influence in specific situations, and the recently created Expert Forum on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which drafts thematic reports at the request of the Human Rights Council. —And is there coordination between these three bodies? —Since the year 2000, when these mechanisms were created, it has been thought that it would be appropriate for the three of us to meet to work on coordination, to avoid the unnecessary duplication of efforts. This is the line that has been explored at this Madrid meeting, where basically we've addressed issues related to objectives and methodology. —What are the main points of conflict in relation to indigenous peo-
photo pepa acedo/AECID
The problem for indigenous peoples is the very lack of awareness of their problems˝ ples? —Lack of awareness of their problems. Marginalization, discrimination, invasion of their lands... governments take decisions that affect the structure of their territories without taking into account the opinion of indigenous peoples. The problem for indigenous peoples is the very lack of awareness of their problems. It is often not appreciated that they're there, that they have their own cultures, their own ways of living, that they want to continue to be peoples, communities... but at the same time, to be citizens. —How do you view the fact that Spain is the host country of this meeting? —Spain is a developed country, with resources in relative terms, which has demonstrated sensitivity towards and commitment to indigenous causes. So I see it as natural that Spain, the AECID, would host this meeting as part of their commitments. If only other developed countries would do the same. ◆ Miguel Ángel Nieto
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King of Spain Journalism Awards Spaniard Gervasio Sánchez has been honored with the King of Spain Journalism Award for one of his pictures from the series “Vidas minadas, 10 años”. Other award winners were the Chilean Amaro Gómez-Pablos, for “Guantánamo, acceso exclusivo a la cárcel más controvertida”; the Mexicans Jade Ramírez Cuevas Villanueva and Priscila Hernández Flores, for “La discriminación viaja por Avianca”; a team from the daily newspaper "O Dia" for “Política do terror”, and the Colombian Paola Andrea Villamarín for “10 historias inéditas en la cultura colombiana”. Julián Orlando Isaza Niño received the Don Quijote Award for his work “Atlas es chocoano” and Mikel Urretavizcaya took the Iberoamerican Award for his documentary “El secreto de Urdaneta”.
Laboratory for audiovisual creation in the Dominican Republic The Spanish Cultural Center in the Dominican Republic has opened the Laboratory, a space designed to encourage artistic creation among young Dominicans, with modern equipment for audiovisual creation. The Laboratory features a computerized training center, an audiovisual creation center and a recording studio available to local groups and artists for the production of their musical projects.
‘Madrid Mirada’ on display in Rosario
Initiative by the NGO Aida
Cataloging workshop in Lebanon Coinciding with the declaration of Beirut as Book Capital 2009, Lebanese librarians, archivists and university students will receive training between now and June 13 in coding and cataloging of Arabic manuscripts, learning to use the latest techniques. This initiative, promoted by the Spanish NGO Aida, will culminate in the cataloging of 50 manuscripts and the publication and translation of the most interesting passages from the works studied. An illustrated book will be published on knowledge and the ways of transmitting it between West and East, written in both Spanish and Arabic.
The Argentine city of Rosario is hosting the traveling exhibition “Madrid Mirada”. The project is the work of 14 Latin American artists invited to develop a photography series in Madrid with no limit on theme. Side by side at the exhibition are series made up of individual photographs, polyptychs, photographic objects, photographs that interact with their own shadows, stereoscopic images, videos and sound recordings.
Cooperation with Afghanistan The Secretary of State for International Cooperation assured the Afghan Minister of Rural Reconstruction and Development that the Spanish government maintains its commitment to investment in the province of Badghis. Spain is working in the health, water and sanitation sectors, in education, and in the development of the economic fabric of the community and local governability, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups: women and children.
Rug making workshop in the Afghan province of Badghis. photo aecid
Manuscripts in the National Library in Beirut.
Gaza
The FIIAPP participates in European Commission project The International Foundation for IberoAmerican Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) is participating, as a member of the Eunida network, in the first project directed by the European Commission to assess the damage and the needs for reconstruction in Gaza following the Israeli military intervention. A team of six experts, including a Spanish architect, will work with the Ministry of Planning for the Reconstruction of Gaza in the development of the most basic infrastructures and will analyze the possibilities of socioeconomic development.
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Spanish animation is ready to take on Hollywood Over the last ten years, Spain has produced over 30 feature films, around 150 series, and more than 50 short films in the animation genre. Many of those have been lead by people from Spain who trained at the large US production companies. Now, back in Spain, our professionals are the driving force behind a high quality industry that is ready to compete with the best. In Los Angeles they are already talking about ‘Spanimation’. By David Merino
The imaginary world of Pocoyo has meant the takeoff, from Pamplona, of the production company Zintia; Pocoyo is known in more than 100 countries.
C audiovisual industry 43 One of these professionals is Raúl García, who trained at Disney and codirected ‘The Missing Lynx’ alongside Manuel Sicilia, winning the 2008 Goya for Best Animated Film. The film is produced by Kandor Moon, the result of a merger between Kandor Graphics and Green Moon, Antonio Banderas' production company. The Malaga-born actor, an animated film enthusiast and not without success -providing the voice to Puss in Boots in Shrek, in both English and Spanish- has committed to producing a further four animated movies over the next few years.
all time: ‘Planet 51’, with a budget of 40 million euros and the scriptwriting talents of Joe Stillman, who wrote Shrek. It has been filmed in both English and Spanish and has been sold in over 60 countries. The production company, Ilion Animation Studios, wants to make a grand entrance in Japan and the United States. The chosen date for its premiere in the enormous US market is November 27, Thanksgiving Day.
Animation is better for exporting. Spanish animation producers all agree that exporting is the best way to achieve growth. Furthermore, the On top of the pile. Spain's animation in- sector has a range of advantages. First, dustry comprises more than animated films are far more 95 companies with a comtimeless than other audiobined sales volume of around The first visual formats and can be 100 million euros a year, and European film marketed several years after provides work to over 3000 shot in 3D was they premiere. The language employees, boasting annual ‘El bosque barrier does not affect them exports of around 30 million animado’ by the in the same way and there is euros. According to the Span- Spanish produc- a wide range of technologies ish Animation Association, it tion company, available to alter the prodis the most active sector in the Dygra Films ucts. Furthermore, thanks Spanish audiovisual industry to the different media, they and the one that best lends it- With a budcan access almost all internaget of over 40 self to exporting. tional markets. Additionally, Spanish animated films million euros, movies aimed at children or usually have a budget between ‘Planet 51’ is the teenagers frequently have a 2 and 7 million euros, far less most ambitious completely new audience evthan the 70 million that US project in the ery few years. films can go up to. Neverthe- history of SpanHowever, animation reless, 2009 will see the pre- ish animation quires highly specialized permiere of the most ambitious sonnel, more time, and greater Spanish animation project of investment that other audiovi-
sual formats. As a result, the animation sector is focused on just a few countries. In Europe, Spanish and French companies are the most active as regards animation. While internationally, only eight countries have an animation company among the top 45: United States, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Italy and Australia. Give it soul. The word animation comes from the Latin "animare", which means to endow with soul, or generally, to give life to drawings or objects. Animation is even older than cinema and we can see the first efforts by humans to recreate the illusion of movement in prehistoric paintings. With the invention of modern cinema, the first attempts at animation quickly arrived in Spain thanks to Segundo de Chomón from Aragon, who, in his short film ‘El hotel eléctrico` (The Electric Hotel, 1908), managed to make inanimate beings displace themselves automatically in order to surprise travelers. The first animated feature film premiered in Spain in 1945. It was shot using celluloid brought over from Switzerland midway through the Second World War and had to be developed in the UK because there were no laboratories in Spain with the capabilities to do it. Today the situation is very different. In 2001, the Spanish production company, Dygra Films, launched ‘El Bosque Animado’ (The Animated Forest), the first European animated film in 3D. It was
The past and the present. ‘El bosque animado’ (left) was a milestone for Spanish animation as it was the first European film shot in 3D. The present is ‘Planet 51’ (right), a 40 million euro production, which has sold its rights in over 60 countries.
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stop motion Stop motion is the animation of objects, puppets, models and figures made from malleable materials such as clay. It is a technique that consists of creating the appearance of movement in static objects by taking a series of still photographs. In general, stop motion animations are those that do not fall under the category of a cartoon, that is, they were not drawn or painted, but rather created by capturing real-life images. Broadly speaking, stop motion is divided into animation using clay or similar materials -claymationused in the Spanish series Pocoyo, and the animation of rigid objects.
3D animation 3D animation is done entirely on a computer and enables the creation of three-dimensional animated objects. 1996 saw the premiere of the first-ever 3D animated film: ‘Toy Story’. The film's huge success among critics and the public meant that Pixar had popularized the use of computer programs for 3D animation. These programs allow characters to be viewed from any angle, with the option to enlarge, reduce, stretch and sharpen the images to meet the requirements sought by the animator. They enable errors to be easily corrected and can be used to create special effects or similar images that are impossible to create using other techniques.
‘Gisaku’ represented Spain at EXPO 2005 in Aichi.
translated into seven different languages and won 18 international awards, as well as two Goyas. Dryga Films has made a considerable investment in order to be able to prepare two films at the same time, enabling them to launch one film per year. In 2008 it combined the premiere of ‘Espíritu del bosque’ (Spirit of the Forest) with the production of ‘Noche ¿de paz?’ (Night of Peace?) and developing the script for ‘Objetos perdidos’ (Lost Property). Its headquarters is in A Coruña, and it is one of the few European companies with a complete 3D production studio. Its biggest competitor in recent years has been Filmax and between the two of them they have shared most of the awards from the Spanish Film Academy. Filmax was the first European company to shoot a Japanese anime- a cinematic version of manga. It was titled ‘Gisaku’ and represented Spain at EXPO 2005 in Aichi (Japan).
and ever increasingly, India. The actual volume of business in animation production in Spain is more than 100 million euros, but its global economic impact is far greater. The income from advertising and institutional films using animation techniques alone is an additional 25 million. You would also have to include, for example, the income from music videos and video games, as well as the merchandising of books, clothes and toys.
Talent in series. Television series make up 80% of the hours of film produced by the animation industry in Spain. A successful series will get an average of 50 contracts in around 40 different countries. In the 1980s for example, BRB Internacional produced Spanish series that had resounding international success such as ‘David the Gnome’; ‘Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds’, and ‘Around the World with Willy Fog’, which were exported to countries all over the world. In recent years the Catalan company, Cromosoma, has become one of the most successful in Spain. Its television series, ‘The Baby Triplets’, which premiered in 1995 has been translated into 35 different languages and been sold to over 150 television companies worldwide. In collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union, Cromosoma also created ‘Tom’. This has the An industry in expansion. Spanish ani- novel feature of having 90 second long mation has a huge capacity to create episodes available to watch on the injob opportunities for highly qualified ternet, in addition to the television epipersonnel. It also creates employment sodes. For many, the internet is where among young people, generally for those the future of animation lies. who have studied at specialist The latest Spanish producanimation schools. These intion to achieve undeniable clude direct employees at the Antonio success was ‘Pocoyo’, by the large production companies Banderas is production company Zintia Enand also indirect employees sponsoring tertainment. An award winner at smaller 3D production stu- ‘The Missing at the world's most prestigious dios that help to produce the Lynx’ and will festivals, it tells the adventures animated films. And not just produce four of a young boy, whose curiosity in Spain. It also outsources to more animated leads him to discover the world countries such as China, Ko- films in Spain around him. The first season rea, Philippines, Taiwan, Viet- to be rolled out required an investment of over nam, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, internationally 5 million euros.
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Spanish animation, a truly international industry Enrique Uviedo
PrESiDEnT Of ThE SPAniSh fEDErATiOn Of AnimATiOn PrODucErS’ ASSOciATiOnS
The Spanish animation sector is probably one of the most in the creative in Spanish audiovisual production industry and has considerable advantages for going global. However, there are several things holding it back.
limit. Until this law is enacted, there is only an agreement with Catalan public television (TV3), through which this independent channel invests 3 million euros per year in co-production and broadcasting rights.
Firstly, the lack of investment in production and marketing, especially when compared to other countries in the European Union. Production companies in France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom have constant access to investment from their governments and public television companies, which promote local production. In France, this investment is six times larger than in Spain, four times larger in Germany and the UK, and twice as large in Italy.
The lack of government support means that financing has to be sought from foreign television companies, which has meant a loss of the benefits that would have been felt from increased growth and development in the sector in Spain. A situation such as this in any European country would have meant practically the complete disappearance of the sector.
These percentages would be calculated using the measures provided for in Act 55/2007, which one year on still hasn't been implemented. When it is implemented, Televisión Española (TVE) (Spanish State Television) may make use of an agreement that includes an investment of over 6 million euros per year and the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) of the Ministry of Culture may also apply a percentage on top of the producer's investment of around 30%, with an established upper
Fortunately, over the last six years, the uniting of Spanish companies into associations and later into federations has enabled dialogue between the different governments in Spain, and they have understood the importance of supporting a dynamic sector, with a large specialized workforce, and which is at the forefront in the use of new technologies. It's never too late if ultimately recognition means the signing of agreements with the ICAA and TVE. It will mean the “takeoff” of the sector, and the benefits can be reaped by the Spanish
In recent years, Spanish animation productions have been exported to over 70 countries, something which is unthinkable for other Spanish audiovisual formats
audiovisual industry, which will then get increased investment and growth. In recent years, several Spanish companies have created animation series, produced in 2D and 3D in HDTV (high definition), with their stories and characters reaching over 70 countries. Something that is unthinkable for any other Spanish audiovisual format, apart from a few exceptions. It is a fact that the rhetoric and the vision for the future have changed radically over the last year. The public television channel, TVE, has understood the importance of acting to support a dynamic sector with such enormous potential, even in a global crisis. Also the Ministry of Culture and the ICAA have been able to interpret and adapt themselves to the demand in order to provide the sector with the necessary requirements and enable it to move into the global market, where access to multimedia and new technologies allow them to maintain similar percentages to other European countries in the application of R&D&I as an expression of the future, and the modern and competitive country that Spain represents internationally.
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Three thousand years of the Vía de la Plata The Vía de la Plata is one of the great cultural thoroughfares of Europe, and the art, culture and ideas of innumerable civilizations have spread along its route. The Roman highway consolidated an axis which had linked the North of Hispania to the South since prehistoric times. It outlasted Rome and has continued to amaze the different peoples of the Peninsula for centuries until the present day. by David Merino
Mansions, milestones and bridges Along the Roman road there are many places where travelers can take their rest. The 'mutationes' were small establishments providing food and a change of livery. The 'mansiones' were larger centers offering many more services, which formed the
nucleus of cities like Seville, Cáceres and Salamanca. The 'miliarios' were milestones in the form of cylindrical columns marking every Roman mile (1,480 meters). They were two meters high and set on a cubic base, and were marked with the number of miles and the name of the emperor who
Around 3,000 years ago, at the height of the Bronze Age, the Phoenicians and Greeks, the greatest traders of the Mediterranean, came to the Iberian Peninsula laden with cloth, jewels and perfumes in search of the coveted metals of Hispania. Merchandise from the Orient was carried along the corridor which eventually became the Via de la Plata, or Silver Route, and was exchanged for the copper and tin used to make bronze, the first alloy made by humans, a giant step forward in producing stronger and more durable tools and weapons. The little-known Tartessos civilization, one of the first to emerge on the Spanish Peninsula itself, around Guadalquivir, also traded along the Silver Route. Its products were destined for Greece, Phoenicia, and Egypt, and also Carthage, which became the greatest power in the Western Mediterranean
had built or repaired the stretch of highway where they were set. The Roman bridges also bear witness to the importance of the Via de la Plata. The most daring of these bridges cross the River Guadiana where it passes through Mérida and the River Tormes in Salamanca.
C discovering Spain 47 before the Roman conquest. The fame of Hispania's metals, especially gold, silver and copper, traveled as far as Rome.
The majority of scholars believe that the Silver Route dates from the period of the Roman Republic, although the building of the roadway as we know it began in the second century BC. Roman Spain at that time was divided into two large provinces: the ulterior (far) province, with Córdoba as its capital; and the citerior (near), whose capital was Tarragona. However, Rome still did not control the North and the West of the peninsula and was fighting against the followers of the Lusitanian chief Viriato. The second Roman Emperor, Octavius Augustus, ordered the road to be reinforced in order to deter uprisings and allow for more rapid troop mobilizations, and had cities constructed at the beginning and the end of the route:
Cities such as Seville, Cáceres and Salamanca originated as rest areas along the Roman highway.
The path of conquest. The origin of its name, however, has nothing to do with the silvery metal. As well as making possible the rapid transport of minerals, the Roman roadways were an important development in the consolidation and expansion of the Roman Empire. They were colossal feats of engineering which amazed many of the Peninsula's inhabitants over the following centuries. Among them were the Arabs, who made use of them to extend their territories northwards. They called them ‘balata’: meaning paved road in Arabic, which in the local speech gradually mutated into Plata.
Emerita Augusta (Mérida) as a place where the troops who had been fighting against the Lusitanians, Cantabrians and Asturians could withdraw to, and Asturica Augusta (Astorga), as an operations center for the wars in the North. The Vía de la Plata survived for many hundreds of years after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was one of the main routes for communication and conquest for Visigoths, Arabs and Christians throughout during the Middle Ages. Until well into the 19th century the descendents of the medieval Mestas - associations of farmers and shepherds from the North of the peninsula - used the Cañadas Reales, the old drovers' roads, in the colder months to reach the late pastures in what is now Extremadura and La Mancha. The Cañada Real de la Plata, which follows the Roman highway for much of its length, is considered to be one of the most important. Network of networks. Along the 313 Roman miles (463 kilometers) of its route, the roadway which links Mérida to Astorga also passes through two World Heritage Cities, Cáceres and Salamanca, as well as through other remarkably beautiful places like Trujillo, Plasencia, Béjar and Benavente. Over time, the roadway was extended towards the sea, to Hispalis –the first Roman settlement on the Spanish peninsula near Seville and as far as Gijón, to reach the Atlantic. With the discovery of the tomb of Saint James in Compostela in the 9th century, the Vía de la Plata, which until that time been a trading, drovers' and military route and a conduit for cultural influences, also became a pilgrimage route. The Mozarabs –Christians who lived in the Arab territory known as AlAndalus- gave the Vía de la Plata a new name: the Mozarab Way to Santiago. The Route today. Over 80% of travelers who take the Silver Route are headed for Compostela. Those who wish to have their pilgrimage to Santiago certified carry a pilgrim's passport which is stamped along the way and on arrival in
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The Vía de la Plata provides an unequalled NorthSouth route for discovering Spain. Above, the Cathedral of León and below, the Castle of Zafra (Badajoz). PhOTO EfE
the Galician capital it entitles them to the ‘Compostelana’certificate. For Catholics, this document halves the length of time the soul spends in Purgatory and in special Holy years -the next is in 2010counts as a plenary indulgence. The Vía de la Plata route in its various forms passes through five of Spain's Autonomous Communities -Andalucía, Extremadura, Castilla y León, Asturias and Galicia- and many towns. Most of the cities along the thousand-year-old road began in 1997 to cooperate in the defense and promotion of their historical and cultural resources. This coordinating network was responsible for having the Path recognized as a World Heritage Site.
THE laNdScaPE of THE Vía dE la PlaTa Anyone wishing to confirm for themselves that Spain has the greatest biodiversity in Europe will find this amply demonstrated along the Vía de la Plata. The stretch of route between
The various local government bodies involved are working to safeguard the heritage that surrounds the Roman Empire's Highway XXIII. Thus, in recent years there have been improvements in the signposting of the Route and view points and rest areas have been provided, along with information centers illustrating the history of the Mozarab Path through interactive panels, touch screens, audiovisual materials and models. With an investment of 20 million euros, the Council of Extremadura's Alba Plata project has provided all the facilities mentioned above, while also restoring a number of Roman ruins which line the Route including castles, churches and monasteries. How does one follow the Path? Some 5,000 travelers take the Vía de la Plata every year. According to Nuria Rubio, who runs a pilgrim hostel in San Pedro de los Rozados, “as there are so few travelers you can enjoy the historic and cultural atmosphere of the Route and its lovely peaceful landscapes without the crowds; there are more than 100,000 pilgrims on the French Route to Santiago every year.” The traditional ways of traveling the Vía de la Plata are on foot, by bicycle and on horseback. Over the last few years several guides to making the journey by bicycle have been published. The website of the Cities of the Ruta de la Plata cooperation network shows a 900-kilometer route from Seville to Gijón, divided into twelve stages, for which there is a detailed free guide with altitudes and maps.
Seville and Mérida crosses grain fields and endless olive groves, as well as forests of holm oak and cork trees. The leafy forests thin out in places to give way to the pastureland that is a feature of the landscapes of Extremadura and Salamanca.
900 kiloMeteRS of DiSCoveRing Spain
In the northern parts of the province of Cáceres there are fertile irrigated fields as well as black poplar, mountain ash, oak, alder and chestnut woods. One section of the Path, in the province of Zamora, winds through Castilian fields made famous in poetry,
gijón Ribera lena
león astorga
benavente Zamora
Salamanca
béjar Carcaboso Cáceres
Mérida
Zafra Monesterio
Seville
golden in Summer and vivid green in Spring. Travelers going towards Santiago and those heading for Asturias then very soon cross into Green Spain with its luxuriant vegetation and mighty forests of walnut, birch, hazel, beech, and other trees.
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The Vía de la Plata: one road and a thousand paths Enrique Cerrillo ProfeSSor of ArCheoLogy AT The uNiVerSiTy of exTremAdurA Ana Montalvo ArCheoLogiST for The CiTy CouNCiL of exTremAdurA
The traveling exhibition ‘La vía de la Plata: one road and a thousand paths’, organized by the State Society for Cultural Commemoration (SECC), has enabled the territories linked by the long road to be joined once more and to be travelled again across space and time to keep its history alive. The Roman roadway network in Hispania was laid out as a rational system linking the cities of the time. Within this network, a number of roads linked the North with the South, with the Vía de la Plata being the main highway in the Eastern part of the Peninsula, joining the mouth of the Guadiana in Ayamonte with the North. Along this main artery there were various nodal points which made it possible to connect with other cities of the time. One such node with a large number of connections was Augusta Emerita, modern-day Mérida, the starting point for the highway which went northwards through Cáceres, crossed over the River Tajo at Alconétar, the ancient Roman city known as Cáparra, and went over the Sistema Central mountain range via Baños de Montemayor and Puerto de Béjar before reaching Salamanca. This section was known during the Renaissance as the “camino de la Plata.” It then continued to Astorga (As-
turica Augusta), the end point of the highway and another central communication node for the North-East area, from where other roads led to Galicia and what is now the Principality of Asturias. The road was punctuated with milestones known as milarios, vertical road signs set every thousand Roman paces or one mile, equivalent to 1,480 meters. They showed the distance from the point of departure, as well as the name and titles of the emperor during whose reign the road had been built or subsequently repaired. Waterways were safeguarded thanks to the work of the Roman engineers who built the bridges at Mérida, Alconétar and Salamanca, as well as a large number of smaller works whose Roman origins are now unrecognizable. This road was used to carry trade products for supplying cities and rural areas, just as it had previously been used by Roman armies, tax collectors and all kinds of travelers for every reason imaginable. But ideas such as urbanism, Roman customs and religion were disseminated along this road, and later it was along this road that Christianity was spread. The Vía de la Plata did not
in recent years the creation of the a66 motorway has confirmed the rationality of the route traced by the Roman engineers who carved up the territory in the time of augustus.
founder when the Empire fell, but retained its functions. At various periods it was the road northwards taken by taken by Islamic troops in the 7th century and by Christian kings coming southwards in later centuries. In the 13th century it continued to be used to link Castile with Extremadura and Andalusia, and in some sections it took on an additional use by becoming the Cañada Real de la Mesta, the Drovers' Road. After the 19th century the original roadway became less important with the construction of the road now known as the N-630, which took up the traffic, although it continued to be maintained as a frontage road along some stretches, when it did not coincide with or cross it. In the same period the route of the railway from Astorga to Plasencia and then on to Mérida and Seville pressed the old path into service once more. And in recent years the building of the A66 highway has again demonstrated the rationality of the route chosen by the Roman engineers who carved up the territory in the age of Augustus and the importance of joining up the most far-flung points of the Peninsula without the need for travel across the geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula.
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Félix Solís avantis, a winery set for global domination An excellent raw material, a vision of the future and solid logistical infrastructure are the defining features of this business project in the wine sector, working in the DO (Denomination of Origin) regions of Valdepeñas, La Mancha, Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Toro and Rioja. A leader in Spain with a brilliant foreign business that has led 'The Economist' to name it one of the four Spanish companies with the best potential for growth. by Javier Hernández
Those who understand wine know the quality of names such as Viña Albali, Los Molinos and Altos de Tamarón. These are all brought to life in the wineries founded over half a century ago by Félix Solís Fernández, father of the current owners. Félix, Pedro, Juan Antonio and Manuel work together to keep the spirit of family business alive in Félix Solís avantis, while maintaining the quality taught them by their father. It all started with a small winery in Valdepeñas which, with the passing of time, has become one of the world's main wineries for still wines. Félix Solís avantis is a holding company which brings together the wineries Félix Sólis S.L., active in the DO regions of Valdepeñas and La Mancha, and Pagos del Rey S.L., in the DO regions of Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Toro and the DOC region of Rioja. One of their future objectives is to have a presence in Spain's quality denomination of origin line, with upcoming ventures in Somontano, Penedés, Cava, and Rías Baixas. Together with their DO wines, Félix Solís avantis also produces other varieties of wine such as Vinos de la Tierra (country wines), Vino de la Tierra Viñedos de España (country wines from the vineyards of Spain), table wines, sparkling wines, tinto de verano (red wines with soda), grape juice and sangrías.
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Logistical facilities in Valdepeñas.
Their total output makes the countries in which Félix them one of the three Span- Since the birth Solís avantis wines are availish wine companies with the of a famable, thanks to logistics facilihighest sales; a real achieve- ily winery in ties or commercial networks. ment when you consider how Valdepeñas in Following the company's competitive and demanding the 1950s, Félix most recent project to move the Spanish market is as the Solís avantis into the US market, they are one of the world's largest has become now planning in the short one of the wine producers. term to open a winery in a While attributable to world's main country from the so-called the unassailable quality of wineries selling New World of winemaking, their product, much of the still wines. such as Australia, South Afresounding success expe- rica, Chile or New Zealand. rienced by the Félix Solís Félix Solís beProjects and the company's avantis wineries lies in their gan its exportaexpansion continues, so openness to foreign markets tion activity in some 150 commercial heads and excellent sales abroad. Germany during at Félix Solís avantis spend Since the early 1970s, the the 1970s. each day searching the most company has made its wines far-flung corners of the planavailable outside Spain, thanks to et for new potential markets. both Spanish immigrants living in various European countries and regu- A solid business structure. The falar Spanish consumers living in the mous quality and success enjoyed by Sahara, Ceuta and Melilla. Félix Solís avantis are strongly linked Currently, their wines are sold in to the solid and efficient business inover 85 countries, many of which al- frastructure in terms of both human ready boast logistics facilities and es- and material resources. As regards the tablished commercial networks. Half latter, the central winery in Valdepeof their total production is exported ñas stands out, considered one of the to foreign countries and this figure is best in Europe for technology and faexpected to rise over the forthcoming cilities. It has a capacity to fill 30,000 years with around 55% to 60% of pro- bottles an hour, the bottling is checked duction being sold outside of Spain. piece by piece using digital photogFrance, United Kingdom, Czech Re- raphy and there is also an automatic public, China, Japan, United States, intelligent warehouse which can hold Germany and Mesico are just some of some 18 million units - the largest of its
the first in the sector to get to china Drinking wine is considered a real luxury in China. Wine consumption there is still low and those who do buy are used to a different wine from that traditionally produced in Spain or the rest of Europe. These figures would make anyone falter before the task of breaking into this complicated market, but not the owners of Félix Solís avantis who boldly entered the markets of the Asian giant and can be proud to be the first Spanish wine company to have its own winery and bottling plant in the land of the rising sun. 10 years ago they created a joint venture Shanghai Félix Solís winery CO., LTD., which is yielding excellent results. As well as having the facilities to produce up to 80 million bottles a year, the Shanghai headquarters have become an indispensable logistical hub for the business' expansion into the rest of the Asian market. Key events, such as the recent Olympic Games and the celebration of the Year of Spain in China have also aided the consolidation of Félix Solís avantis' business in China.
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figures 144.1 million euros in net sales in 2007. 52% of sales made in foreign markets in 2007. 100 billion euros worth of investments forecast for 2009-20012. 10thin the world ranking of wineries selling still wines according to the British magazine ISWR. Wines sold in 80 countries. International branches in France, UK, Czech Republic, Germany, China and offices in Japan, Mexico, US and India. 150 companies throughout the world. 400 employees.
kind in Europe. However, these figures promise to be even more impressive with future plans to increase storage capacity to 30 million units. One of the most satisfying rewards for all of this work and the efforts to innovate continuously while maintaining quality and tradition, are the numerous prizes awarded to the wines of Félix Solís avantis. They received their most recent awards in February this year at the prestigious German contest, Berliner Wine Trophy. The Berliner is one of Germany's two most important wine events and an indispensable reference point for the rest of Europe. In the most recent edition, Félix Solís avantis was awarded six
gold medals. The prize-winning wines included Albali Arium Gran Reserva (awarded the Premium Gold Medal), Altos de Tamarón Joven, Analivia Rueda, Blume Verdejo, Ovación Bajoz and Caño Cosecha. Pioneers in their own land. Many harvests have passed since the winery was founded in the 1950s. In the mid-1960s, they were the first to export their wines to Ceuta, Melilla and Germany, following the emigrants who moved to Europe in search of prosperity. Years later they bought a bottling company in Madrid, allowing them to create a significant distribution network in the Spanish capital.
best selling wines Viña Albali, Altos de Tamarón, Condado de Oriza, Analivia, Blume, Viña Bajoz, Marqués de Altillo, Los Molinos, Castillo de Soldepeñas, Diego de Almagro, Sendas del Rey, Castillo del Moral, Peñasol, Castañeda, Cruzares, Abadía, Heredad del Altillo, Bajoz and Caño, among others.
the company's wineries Félix Solís S.A. (DO Valdepeñas and La Mancha) and Pagos del Rey S.L. (DO Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro and Rioja)
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Our brand in export Félix Solís
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FÉLIX SOLÍS AVANTIS
In just two years, here at Félix Solís avantis we have seen total export sales in 85 countries rise from 35 to 52 percent. This means that our foreign business is responsible for half of the 200 million euros turnover we expect for 2008. Such figures could potentially make us one of the Spanish wineries specializing in still wines with the highest export rates and greatest international presence since our creation in 1952. Current changes in consumption habits in the domestic market and per capita consumption despite being one of the country's three main producers, are leading us to focus even more on foreign sales and countries with rapidly expanding markets, such as the United States, which is expected to be the world's largest consumer of wine by 2011. Specifically, the United States has been the latest objective in our project for international expansion. For a few months now we have had an office in Manhattan, New York which serves as the base for our activity in the Tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) and in other states, particularly Florida and California. We would like
the one million euros we currently sell in the United States to grow to ten million over the next 5 years. However, before our US presence, we had built our commercial and logistical networks in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Czech Republic, China, Mexico and Japan. Perhaps here at Félix Solís avantis we are best known for being the only wine company to have its own bottling plant and winery in Shanghai since 1998. However, we are seeing more tangible improvements in countries such as Japan, where we have had an office for two years and are already the second best-selling Spanish winery in the country. In the UK, we are present in the most popular supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, where our wines are held in particular prestige. On the other hand, it would be unthinkable to sell more than 20 million bottles of our more unique brand, Viña Albali, or that Altos de Tamarón or Blume would appear in the three top selling wines from the DO regions of Ribera del Duero or Rueda, respectively. Such rewards would
We have been the only wine company with their own bottling plant and winery in Shanghai since 1998. We would like to raise our US sales volume from one to ten million euros over the next five years.
not have been possible without the efforts of my 500 plus employees at the Félix Solís, S.A. wineries in Valdepeñas and La Mancha and those at Pagos del Rey in the DO regions of Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Rioja and Toro. Nor would it have been possible without the trust shown to us by over 5,000 wine growers each year, not least because we use more red grapes than any other Spanish winery, with more than 150 million kilos of grapes used in various red wines. Over the last year, with our acquisition of Viña Bajoz, today at Pagos del Rey DO Toro we have taken a step towards our objective to become a global distributor. Long gone are the days when at 18 years of age in the 1960s, I left home with a sense of adventure to open the markets for immigrants who at the time were living in Germany or the Sahara. Now we are living in a fully globalized world, in which each day there are more than 100 commercials for Félix Solís avantis in the most remote corners of the world and we enjoy a network of thousands of distributors on different scales. However, our business spirit continues to be efficiency, quality wines and work.
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India, protagonist at ARCOmadrid 2009 Every February, Spain becomes one of the world's artistic focal points. Galleries, artists, collectors and art professionals come from all over the world to meet at the International Fair of Contemporary Art ARCOmadrid, which this year has India as its guest country. Come and see. by Beatriz Beeckmans
Imagine a place where the visitor can explore the latest developments in painting, sculpture, photography, video, design, engravings, multimedia creations and performance art. You are thinking of ARCOmadrid. Over the space of a few days it will be possible to find an eclectic and engaging selection in the Spanish capital that ranges from the historic vanguards and contemporary classics to the very latest art. With its strong Asian presence thanks to the participation of galleries from all over the continent, the previous edition also provided an opportunity to discover the dynamic
Asian market, serving as a bridge between the oriental and Spanish markets. Over recent years, four Asian countries - China, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan - have become stars of the art world and between July 2007 and June 2008, they reached the world's top ten for contemporary art sales at auction, transforming the market. This 28th edition, inaugurated by the Prince and Princess of Asturias on February 12, has given art collectors and professionals the chance to admire the most important artistic creations from Spain and abroad. Furthermore, this meeting has brought
together well-known experts, professionals and theorists from the art world to discuss current issues of interest such as what it is that gives art its value, fomenting debate on issues as diverse as the perspectives of contemporary techniques in Africa and insurance for works of art. India, this year's guest country, has brought with it the growing enthusiasm offered by its artistic production, which is deeply influenced by urban themes and social inequalities. According to Bose Krishnamachari, commissioner of the Panorama program: in the selection of the 13 galleries present at ARCO'09, India "boasts
C contemporary art 55 an art rich in traditional verse, visitors to ARCOmametaphors that simultane- Emerging drid have been surprised ously evokes contemporary countries have by the spontaneous live played an issues". performances by a selecThe diversity offered important role tion of visual artists. These by the Asian country to- in an edition in have helped to broaden the gether with its spectacu- which India, a perceptions of contempolar economic growth and a great star of the rary art and transmit to the re-evaluation of its artists, contemporary public the various trends in has transformed India into art market, performance art currently the success story of the art played the being developed throughout world. Though focused on protagonist. the world . New Delhi and Bombay, the With the commercial Indian art market is also ac- ARCOmadrid success of past editions as tive in other cities such as is an important a backdrop and its growing Bangalore or Kolkata, where platform for the standing in the internationthere is a constant upsurge dissemination al art world, ARCOmadrid in the number of young gal- of contemporary has caught the market's atleries and independent art art throughout tention with a selection that centers. This phenomenon the internationplaces special emphasis on is due in great measure to al markets. the three great artistic poles: the country's economic New York, London and Gerboom and an explosion in many, as well as China, Brathe number of private colzil and India as emerging lections, making the Indian market players. one of the most promising areas for The emerging markets are one of 21st century contemporary art. At the keys to stability for contemporary ARCO, local artists have presented art and this is precisely what we can works which deal with issues such as see from last year's figures, where the gender, class differences and cultural contemporary art price index rose by uprooting. 12.5% according to consultants Art Within this small artistic uni- Price.
Alberto de Juan galerĂa max estrella
A wonderful refuge in the midst of the crisis
Those of us here at the Madrid gallery Max Estrella are very happy with the results from the recent Contemporary Art Fair ARCOmadrid. We believe that the efforts - even greater this year - of all the galleries who have taken part in choosing high quality works had the desired effect upon collectors. Individual collectors generally took the opportunity to buy quality works at excellent prices. In contrast, the institutions have not had the budgets from previous years available to them. In this regard we believe institu-
an image is worth more than a thousand words The boom that photography as a contemporary art form has enjoyed over the last two decades has been evident at ARCOmadrid, which has experienced a greater photographic presence with many stands dedicated to the art form. Works by Marina Abramovic belonging to her series The Family have awakened particular interest. Here the artist reflects upon the impact of war and violence depicted by the media on society, and in particular, on children.
tional support is fundamental so that we can continue to strive for the level reached by other countries around us.
in changing times as it gives us "a different perspective". This is what we have learned from our visitors.
However, the ARCO organizers can be very content as the latest international art fairs did not experience the same success as that in Madrid. We believe it is their commitment to quality that will allow ARCO to retain its place among the world's most popular fairs. Whilst keeping in mind the current economic situation, we still believe that contemporary art and art in general is a wonderful intellectual refuge
Looking forward to Arco 2010, we are almost certain that the Los Angeles art galleries will accept our invitation, generating even more interest for a year that will undoubtedly be crucial.
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Exhibition in the Cairo Museum. From now until mid-May 2009, various Spanish and Egyptian organizations and public and private institutions will commemorate the 120th Anniversary of the Spanish excavations in Egypt, with an exhibition that acknowledges the decisive contribution of our archeologists to the research into the history of ancient Egypt over the course of more than a century of archeological campaigns and excavations. Left, a picture of Eduardo Toda, Spanish archeologist and diplomat, director of the first Spanish excavations in Egypt. Right and below, coffin face and sarcophagus. photoS SEACC.
120 years of Spanish archeology in Egypt In the mid-19th century, Egypt was full of treasure hunters who devoted their time to plundering the tombs, to sell the objects they found on the antiquities market. In the midst of this chaos, the French Egyptologist Auguste Ferdinand Mariette created the Service for the Discovery and Conservation of Egyptian Antiquities, directed by another Frenchman, Gastón Masperó. A friend of both was Eduardo Toda, a Spanish archeologist and diplomat who in 1884 was at the head of the Spanish Consulate General in Egypt. Toda was the person responsible for cataloging and excavating the Sennedjem tomb in the necropolis of Deir el-Madinah, and the first Spaniard ever to lead an excavation group in Egypt.
Another prominent Spanish researcher in the history of Egyptian archeology was Vicente de Galarza, professor at Cairo University, and the discoverer in 1907 of the tomb of Queen Khamerernebty. In the 1960s, Martín Almagro Basch led a team of Spanish archeologists in the excavation of several sites in Nubia and, at the end of the campaign, as compensation Egypt granted him several thousand objects that are preserved today in Spain's National Archeological Museum. Other artifacts include the Temple of Debod dedicated to Amon and Isis, rebuilt in Madrid, and the concession of objects from Heracleopolis Magna site, in the town known today as Ihnasya El-Medina, the object of twenty-five ongoing
excavation campaigns led by the archeologist Maria Carmen Pérez Die. Other Spaniards, such as José Manuel Galán, on the Djehuty Project, in Luxor; Josep Padró, at the site of Oxyrhynchus (a Pharaoh's city located some 200 kilometers south of Cairo), and Josep Cervelló, at the Kom El-Khamasin necropolis in Saqqara, have also taken an interest in the history of Ancient Egypt, bringing to light many treasures of this ancient civilization. To commemorate their work, the Egyptian Museum will be hosting this exhibition until the end of May. The display is divided into several thematic blocks bringing together more than 130 original pieces - funeral objects, furniture, sarcophagi, pottery and sculptures - removed from excavation sites over the course of more than 120 years. The presentation is complemented by numerous photographs and panels informing visitors about other excavations whose teams have included or been led by Spaniards.
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Inditex gets ready to enter India On February 5, the Spanish textile group Inditex signed an agreement with the Indian group Tata to create a joint venture with the objective of commercially developing Zara clothing stores in India. Inditex will be the holder of 51% of the capital of the company, which plans to open its first stores in India in 2010 in New Delhi and Mumbai, as well as other cities in the Asian giant.
RTVE launches Culture Channel The new thematic Spanish television station cultura.es will begin broadcasting in April via satellite and cable with the aim of disseminating Spanish culture throughout the world. The initiative will include - among other programs - theater plays, documentaries on important figures such as filmmaker Rafael Azcona and writer Josep Pla and reports on the creation processes of different art forms.
The chefs Andoni Luis Aduriz, Ferrán Adriá and Juan Mari Arzak during a cooking demonstration on the last day of the “Tokyo Taste” international gastronomy summit. photo efe
Adriá, Arzak and Aduriz promote Japanese gastronomy The best cooks in the world, among them the Spaniards Ferrán Adriá, Juan Mari Arzak and Andoni Luis Aduriz, came together in Tokyo on February 9 for a conference aimed at promoting Japanese gastronomy. The event at the Tokyo International Forum was attended by 21 great world masters from eight countries, among which Spain was second only to France as the country with the largest representation.
Work of Barcelona boy on display at the Tate Modern Iker Martínez Alandi, a boy of 7 from Barcelona, will have his work ‘Paseo por los espacios’ ("Stroll through the Spaces") on display at the Tate Modern in London on April 2, representing Spain, after winning the International Art Project (together with fourteen others selected from around the world) organized by the London gallery and the multinational Unilever.
Information technology
Barcelona consolidated as the world's mobile industry capital In the incomparable setting provided by the Palacio de Montjuïc, during the month of February the city of Barcelona hosted the mobile phone industry's largest world fair, the Mobile World Congress, which in its fourth consecutive year has become the biggest showcase of innovations in the industry. The high level of the participants (more than half were directors of the world's biggest technological companies, such as LG, Vodafone and Telefónica), together with an increase in the exhibition floor space, has consolidated the city of Barcelona as the perfect venue for this event, which has served as the scene for some of the most long-awaited announcements in the industry: the new version of Skype, the latest Nokia models and the Blue Earth ecological telephone, developed by Samsung. The great expectations of the international press have been satisfied with the appearance of names such as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who surprised the public with his announcement that "there will never be a “Windows Phone”. This edition of the MWC, which has had an economic impact on the city and its environs estimated at more than 140 million euros, has also served to highlight the organizational capacity of Barcelona.
Seville Theater Festival brings companies together from twelve countries The Seville International Festival of Theater and Performing Arts (feSt) will be held this year from April 14 to 26 with the participation within its official programming of a total of 30 groups - six more than in 2008 - and will have the Guadalquivir River as its focal point. In addition to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Argentina, Cuba, South Korea, Brazil and Chile will take part.
The Ministry of Industry and the Mayor of Barcelona on their visit to the fair. photo gsma
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More than 500 activities to be scheduled. The Institute has become the biggest presenter of Spanish and Hispano-American films in the world, through its 70 centers, spread out over 40 countries.
1st Integration Games in Madrid In June, Madrid will host the First Integration Games, a major cultural and sporting event “open to all citizens”, in which around 5,000 athletes from 60 different countries are expected to participate. The Special Integration Games will be held at the same time, with the aim of promoting sports among physically challenged people. Registration for the games is now open at www. mundoetnia.com/juegosdelaintegracion.
Actor Manuel Alexandre, together with the Director of the Cervantes Institute, Carmen Caffarel, deposit the TP gold prize in the “Caja de las Letras”, an initiative by the Institution aimed at safeguarding the legacies of important figures in Hispanic culture. photo efe
The Cervantes presents its cultural action plan for the year 2009 This year, the Cervantes Institute will hold more than 5,500 cultural activities in the 70 centers that the institution has spread out over more than 40 countries on six continents and at its central headquarters in Madrid. In this way, the Cervantes reinforces its mandate as a “platform to show the world Spanish and Hispano-American culture, with all its peculiarities”, stated its director, Carmen Caffarel, at the presentation of the Action Plan for 2009 on February 24. Film, with more than 3,000 screenings, heads the activities scheduled by the Cervantes; with good reason the Institute has become known as the “biggest presenter of Spanish and Hispano-American films in the world,” remarked Caffarel. Literature, music, visual and performing arts, thought, science and history will also be present in this long list of events, the aim of which is to promote “a dynamic and
positive image of Spain and the Spanish-speaking community.” Highlights of the activities for 2009 include the ‘wolves and dragons’ children's literature program, which will tour 24 cities; the Written Word in Spanish Week, to be held in Dublin this year; ‘Sorpresas del Cosmos’ ("Surprises of the Cosmos"), which will present the scientific findings of the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute; and ‘En los confines de un mismo mar’ ("Within the Confines of a Single Sea"), a photographic exhibition conceived as a dialog between two of the most famous palaces in the world: Topkapi in Istanbul and the Alhambra in Granada. The Cervantes Institute has a budget this year of 102.5 million euros - nearly 2% more than in 2008. New centers will be opened this year in Sydney and New Delhi, as well as in Gibraltar.
Tribute paid to Joaquín Rodrigo in the US From February 23 to 25, the International Joaquín Rodrigo Festival was held in the Texan city of El Paso, including a conference with several talks by specialists on the work of the musician from Valencia, organized with the support of Spain's Ministry of Culture. Cecilia Rodrigo, daughter of the composer of the 'Concierto de Aranjuez', explained the strong relationship his father had with the United States.
The virtual encyclopedia of Iberian biodiversity is born In the midst of the celebrations for Darwin Year, Spain makes its own contribution with a revolutionary tool in the field of Iberian flora and fauna. In the age of the internet, easy access to information and online social networks, we now have www. biodiversidadvirtual.com, thanks to the selfless work of experts and enthusiasts. This social initiative, which began in 2001, now offers a huge volume of information, with a registry of more than 70,000 images presenting the ecological features of our country.
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Spanish press of the last three centuries now digitalized Two thousand headlines from newspapers published throughout Spain between 1777 and 2005, amounting to 4.3 million pages, became accessible to all citizens as of March 3 via the Historic Press Virtual Library, on the Ministry of Culture's website.
Madrid 2016: “A reliable candidate” Madrid's candidacy for the 2016 Olympic Games was presented on February 13 as the “safest and most reliable option in times of economic crisis,” in the words of the city's mayor, Alberto Ruíz Gallardón. The project benefits from a balanced budget, as more than 75% of the facilities are already built, currently in construction, or in the planning stages.
Success for Spanish cinema. The Madrid actress won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in the latest film by director Woody Allen.
Penélope takes the Oscar Second time's a charm. Penélope Cruz made history on February 22 when she was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the tormented María Elena in the film 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona', by New York director Woody Allen. Penélope Cruz has thus become the first Spanish actress to take home an Oscar. She received her first nomination in 2007 under Pedro Almodóvar's direction in his acclaimed film 'Volver'. Cruz was handed the statue by five of her predecessors: Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Marie Saint and Tilda Swinton. In a brief speech in English, Cruz, visibly moved, dedicated the award to her parents, to her siblings, to Woody Allen - whom she thanked for believing in her - and to her “friend” Pedro Almodovar, as well as other directors she'd worked with such as Bigas Luna and Fernando Trueba. She then added in Spanish that she shared the Oscar “with all the actors of my country” and with all those in Spain who were shar-
Penélope Cruz poses with Oscar. photo efe
ing this moment “and feel it like it was their own.” She also shared some memories of her hometown, Alcobendas, recalling the nights when she would stay up late to be able to watch the Oscars ceremony live on television.
Spanish artist Javier de Villota exhibition in Houston
Spanish to be an optional study subject in the Philippines
Since March 14, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston has been hosting a retrospective exhibition of the work of Javier de Villota. A deeply committed architect, painter and sculptor, this Madrid artist reviews some of the human rights violations committed over the last sixty years, such as the Nazi concentration camps and the recent events in Gaza.
Over recent years, the governments of Spain and the Philippines have been looking for ways to solve an historic anomaly: the survival of the Spanish language. An official language until 1973, and a compulsory subject in universities until 1987, Spanish survives today only in certain dialects such as "Chabacano", which is spoken in the south of the country. Tagalog and English are the
official languages. However, it seems that Filipino authorities have found a solution. As of June, the Filipino Ministry of Education will offer the option of studying Spanish to high school students. The initiative is a pilot program that will make Spanish an optional subject. It also fulfills the promise made by President Gloria Macapagal in 2007 during her official visit to Spain.
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Madrid presents 50 works by Tarsila do Amaral
France to be featured at the Madrid book fair
Until May 3, Madrid's Juan March Foundation will be hosting the first exhibition in Spain dedicated to Do Amaral, the Brazilian artist who best fused the avant-garde with Brazilian tradition. The display focuses on the 1920s, covering the period from the discovery of the work of artists like André Lothé and Juan Gris up to 1931, when the artist traveled to the USSR.
French culture will be the central focus of the Madrid Book Fair, to be held from May 29 to June 14. The books of Balzac, Flaubert, Stendhal and the last Nobel Prize winner Jean-Marie Le Clézio will be accompanied by the newest offerings from France, “one of the most important literary cultures of the world,” according to the fair's director.
Córdoba hosted the 1st International Indigenous Film Festival
6,000 Ibero-Americans participate in the Fototalentos Contest 2009
From March 10 to 13, Córdoba celebrated the first International Indigenous Film Festival, screening more than twenty films, including documentaries, short films and feature films, all exploring the world view of indigenous peoples. Among the themes addressed was the situation of women in indigenous communities.
The second edition of the Fototalentos contest saw the participation of over 6,000 students of the Ibero-American world. The universities of Valladolid, Oviedo, Compostela, Seville and the Complutense of Madrid are currently displaying the 120 snapshots that passed the first round of photographs from Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
The great Spanish art gallery. An innovative project allows people to view 14 masterpieces in the El Prado Museum in high resolution on the internet.
El Prado Museum, online at Google Earth El Prado Museum has become the first museum in the world to facilitate access to and browsing through mega-high resolution images of their masterpieces via the internet. The initiative, “Prado Masterpieces on Google Earth” allows the works held at the Spanish museum to be viewed and studied from the furthest corners of the world through their representation in gigapixel images. The technology of Google Earth makes it possible to browse these images which, with close to 14,000 megapixels, offer a clarity 1,400 times greater than what could be obtained with a 10 megapixel digital camera. Specialists and enthusiasts will be able to get up close to the tiniest details and motifs depicted, the pencil and brushstrokes of each artist, the underlying drawings, the crackles in the varnish and many other aspects that are difficult to view with the naked eye. The process to obtain the images took approximately three months.
During this time, the works were photographed with special equipment and, after taking more than 8,200 shots, Google Earth technology was used to create the “close up” effect. A pioneer in this field, El Prado has invested in the possibilities offered by the new technologies to disseminate our artistic heritage and bring it closer to the public. The museum's director, Miguel Zugaza, has expressed his satisfaction as “there's no better way to pay tribute to the great masters of art history than to globalize awareness of their works under the best conditions possible, and there is no doubt that this project on Google Earth enables us to move towards this goal in a very significant way.”. For Google it has also been “a pleasure to collaborate closely with the best art gallery in Europe and one of the major museums of the world to make paintings like these available to anybody. This makes it possible to appreciate and better understand the work.”
Images of some of the works accessible via Google Earth. photos courtesy of prado museum.
c culture and society 61 The National Ballet to perform in the Mariinsky in Saint Petersburg In June of this year, Spain's National Ballet will become the first Spanish company to perform in Saint Petersburg's Marinsky Theater. “This is an historic milestone,” explained the BNE's director. The Mariinsky has been the headquarters of the Russian Ballet and Opera since 1860 and is considered one of the world centers of classical dance.
Casa Árabe plans a cycle of Moroccan films The cycle “Marruecos: una mirada contemporánea”, at Madrid's Casa Árabe until April 6, includes some of the most important works in Moroccan cinema today. The cycle features five featurelength films: ‘Shuk al-qalb' ('Heart Thorns'), ‘Samira's Garden', ‘Satan's Angels’, ‘Where Are You Going, Moshe?’ and ‘Ali Zaoua, Prince of the Streets’.
Casa Árabe
‘Space + Aliens’, Spanish artists in the United Arab Emirates Casa Árabe is exhibiting an exhibition in Madrid with a marked Futurist character, offering the chance to view the creations produced by seven Spanish artists after an artistic residence in the United Arab Emirates. The display is made up of 31 works produced using different techniques (photos presented using various different media and formats, videos and an interactive installation), created by the artists Maider López, Sergio Belinchón, Ana Laura Aláez, Miguel Trillo, Miguel Oriola, Evru and Area3. All of the works are the result of the Lab Project, a program promoted by the Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with various Spanish and Emirati institutions. César Espada, the Spanish Embassy's cultural attaché from 2005 to 2008 and curator of the exhibition, points out that “although they weren't given a specific theme for the work, it is indeed curious that they all ended up working in some way around the theme of outer space.”
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada pays tribute to Salvador Dalí Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada presented a fall-winter collection inspired in Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) at Milan's Fashion Week (celebrated in March). Some of Dalí's most representative symbols, such as the egg, the mermaid, the eye, the lips and the heart took the form of dresses and accessories.
Poetry in Spanish in the Manila subway The verse of Luis Cernuda, Lope de Vega and Saint John of the Cross will accompany subway patrons in the city of Manila for the next six months, in a campaign to promote reading launched today by the Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines. The initiative has already been successfully trialed in cities such as New York and Madrid.
Olympic Sports Assistance Plan. The Prime Minister has supported a tight budget for the London Olympic Games in 2012
The Prime Minister poses with Olympic athletes at the presentation of the ADO Plan. photo efe
Spain assures the future of its Olympics The economic crisis has not left the sports world untouched. In recent months, many teams have lost sponsors, others have declared bankruptcy and some have even disappeared. Most have been forced to reduce the number of players on their payrolls. Under these circumstances, it was necessary to update the Olympic Sport Assistance Plan (ADO), which finances Olympic athletes through contributions from large private companies. And it was the Prime Minister himself, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero,
who attended the signing of the new Plan and endorsed the effectiveness of “this enviable model” of sponsorship. The ADO plan for the London 2012 cycle will begin with a budget of 51.3 million euros. The Secretary of State for Sport, Jaime Lissavetzky, thanked sponsors for their efforts and their contribution of “more than ten million euros.” After recalling that four years ago the Budget was 54 million euros, he assured that “although we'll be tightening our belts and taking a frugal approach... the financing will not affect the athletes.”
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Reporters meeting on conflict zones. The Madrid Press Association called a round table meeting to discuss the difficulties faced by journalists when reporting in war zones
Spanish Foreign Service is vital to the work of journalists Under the title “Free Information and the Security of Journalists in conflict zones”, the Madrid Press Association organized a meeting to raise public awareness about the increasing number of obstacles confronted by journalists working as 'war reporters'. Participating in the discussion were journalists with extensive experience in work of this type, such as Javier Bauluz, Georgina Higueras, Ana Terradillos, Domingo del Pino and Alfonso Armada. Joining them was Borja Bergareche, European consultant with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), based in New York. In addition to condemning the system of misinformation employed by some governments, the participants condemned the threats arising from within the profession itself, specifically the neglect of media companies of their duty to invest in news reporting. This, according to most of the speakers, would be the first and most effective measure that would need to
The Spanish oil company has participated in three of the five biggest discoveries of hydrocarbons in the world in 2008; among them, the discovery of the Santos Basin in Brazil and Shenzi Field in the Gulf of Mexico (U.S.A.).
Rabascall rarities in the MACBA
Borja Bergareche, Alfonso Armada and Javier Bauluz, during the meeting.
be taken to protect the free flow of objective, accurate and independent information obtained in the field. The participants also highlighted the role of the members of the Foreign Service in facilitating the work of those who travel to remote locations of conflict with the intention of reporting on what is happening there. That Spanish reporters feel increasingly protected by our Foreign Service was a point emphasized by those who have closely followed the Cendón case. Our diplomatic representatives in Somalia got involved from the beginning in the resolution of the case and did not leave it aside until the case was resolved.
5th International Conference on the Spanish Language announced On January 29, the Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, announced the ‘5th International Conference on the Spanish Language’, to be held in March, 2010 in the Chilean city of Valparaíso. The event, which will bring together 200 speakers from all the Spanish-speaking countries and other parts of the world, is being organized by the Cervantes Institute, the Royal Spanish Academy in
Three discoveries by Repsol are among the 5 biggest in the world
conjunction with its counterparts in the Americas, and the Government of Chile. The Valparaíso conference will give special attention to the introduction of Spanish language studies in non-Spanishspeaking countries, such as Brazil and the United States, and will pay tribute to great Chilean creators working in the Spanish language, such as Pablo Neruda, Gabriela Mistral and Vicente Huidobro.
Until April 19, the Museo d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona will be displaying work from one of the crucial periods in the career of Joan Rabascall (Barcelona, 1935). Far removed from fickle aesthetic trends, this work was barely known in Spain, although regularly exhibited in France. Montages, assemblages, repetitions, overlayings, changes of scale, blending of text and images… in all, 150 works completed in the years from 1964 to 1982.
The Civil War viewed from Berlin Since March 4, the Willy-BrandtHaus exhibition hall in Berlin has been host to a display of photographs of the Spanish Civil War from a German perspective. Half of the images recall the day-to-day lives of Republicans and International Brigadiers, while the rest focus on Franco's side.
Spain in Shanghai 2010 The Spain Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo of 2010 will have a constructed surface of more than 7,000 square meters, and will be set up around a plaza, as a delimiting space, based on the project of the Milan-born architect Benedetta Tagliabue, director of the Miralles-Tagliabue Studio in Barcelona. Spain has plans for the pavilion to remain permanently in Shanghai, possibly being used as the headquarters of Spanish organizations after the Expo.
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He lived nearly the whole 20th century and has entered the 21st full of energy. He has been a civil servant, economist, teacher, professor, senator and writer, and has taken all these challenges in his stride. by Jacobo GarcĂa. JOURNALIST
With thanks to... JosĂŠ Luis Sampedro
A Wonderful Life An early riser, hyperactive, with a Prussian sense of duty and an addiction to work, he has managed to find time to be awarded three different civil service positions, support Social Security for forty years, give classes to three generations of students and publish a fistful of novels that have made him almost as popular as a soccer star. He has never grown weary of signing copies of his books at the Book Fair or sitting before the television camera to share his life story. The question he is always asked is how he manages to stay so young and continue to be such a successful professional after reaching his nineties. He still plays the game with style and always gives his public an even better performance than the last. His capacity to seduce an audience consists in his ability to explain things clearly and charmingly and inspire confidence as he does so. He effortlessly conveys the image of an approachable man with no hint of hypocrisy, mystery or skeletons in his
closet. He comes across as believable and familiar, and people warm to him as they would to a saint. A lay saint, perhaps, but no less trustworthy for that. A true friend forever, the type of grandfather that anyone would want for their grandchildren. This loquacious and inspired participant at many a literary discussion was once a senator by royal designation in spite of his republican inclinations and is, furthermore, a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. You wouldn't know all these things about him from reading his work, which is conscientiously written with no attempt to show off or to dazzle, much less to provoke, but simply to make the road a pleasant one for the reader, while walking at his side and chatting with him of a thousand ideas, all of them comprehensible, reasonable and politically correct. His training as a civil servant and his teaching career have equipped him extraordinarily well to navigate down the mainstream of the literary river that takes us along
with him. Before preaching, he prepares his sermon down to the last detail, so that by the time he steps up to the pulpit he knows it like the back of his hand. This is why his sermons are just as good at a dawn or a daytime service, at vespers or at a midnight mass. The public, far from feeling that they've been listening to a masterly lesson, are convinced they've been hearing the words of a saint sent by the Holy Spirit itself, to help them understand this cruel world a little better. Few preachers would have enjoyed greater comprehension from their parishioners than that enjoyed today by Sampedro, whose name, meaning Saint Peter, couldn't be more appropriate. And after all, the preachers before him benefited from the aid of the Holy Spirit - or at least, we would suppose, the backing of the Church. Endowed with a strong democratic sense, the name of JosĂŠ Luis Sampedro appears at the foot of every protest document that has been passed around for signatures in our country in the last fifty years, the num-
ber of which have not been few. He first became, as he describes it, an undersigner around 1956, and hasn't stopped since. Neither his age nor the social and political changes we have seen over the past half-century have made a dent in the need felt by this angry young man (although also mature and perfectly peace-loving) to raise his voice against injustice and the excesses of the powerful, which may and indeed do vary from one era to another, but which never vanish altogether. Well-equipped with his extensive learning and greatly boosted by his extraordinary popularity, he has returned to the charge (as a writer, civic leader and a media figure) day after day, beginning on that far-off day when his eyes first saw the light in the Barcelona of the revolutionary general strike of 1917, right up to our times, when he's been seen shaking his umbrella with a gesture of anger over the very unnatural catastrophes of the fuel tanker Prestige and the war in Iraq, and all without ever losing his beautiful Etruscan smile.
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âœą... a must read ‘Asia-Pacific Plan 3. 2008-2012’. DirecciĂłn General de Asia y PacĂfico (General Directorate for Asia and the Pacific) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Directed and coordinated by the DirecciĂłn General de Asia y PacĂfico (General Directorate for Asia and the Pacific), this publication sets out the general terms included in the new actions and projects that the government has committed to implementing in this area. The work has includes a foreword by the Spanish Prime Minster and an introduction by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and then goes on to list the general terms of the plan in its 180 plus pages. The first part analyzes the planed actions for countries and for specific areas such as development cooperation, terrorism and human rights. It then goes into depth on the different departmental policies of each government ministry in the region. Finally, it includes a chapter specifically on the activities being carried out the in cities where Casa Asia has its headquarters: Barcelona and Madrid. The publication can be viewed at www.maec.es
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â—? Official Guide to the Prado Museum collection. Prado National Museum. Coinciding with the announcement of the future reorganization and expansion of the collection, the new Official Guide to the Prado Museum has just been launched. The publication already includes several works that will become part of the museum's permanent collection over the next four years and suggests a complete tour of its permanent collection, from ancient sculpture to 14th century painting, passing through a selection of 400 works.
â—? Historia de las relaciones internacionales contemporĂĄneas (History of Contemporary Interna International Relations). Various authors. Editorial Ariel. The history of international relations is an already-es already-established discipline in Spain, which is fully incorporated into undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and is currently one of the most in-demand and reform reformist specialties in Spanish historiography A completely revised and updated version of ‘History of Contemporary International Relations’, first published in 2001, is being launched in 2009. Over 29 over the most renowned
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Spanish experts in the field of international relations have collaborated. In the book, the reader will not only find an international historical account set out chronologically and thematically from the end of the 18th century to the present day, but also a theoreticalmethodological section on the discipline, as well as a carefully selected and updated bibliography, listed by chapters and general subjects, which will enable each subject area to be studied in depth.
some of the best achievements in Spanish design, which are already part of our collective memory.
â—? Made in Spain: 101 Icons of Spanish Design. Juli Capella. Editorial Electa. A chair designed by GaudĂ, Osborne's bull and the Olympic mascot created by Mariscal for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona are just some of the objects and logos that make up the collection “Made in Spain, 101 icons of Spanish designâ€?. This work by architect and designer, Juli Capella, captures the creative process and the impact over time of
â—? The Identity of Nations. Montserrat Gibernau. Editorial Ariel What relationship is there between the nationalist movement of the far right and the desire to preserve a traditional image of national identity? Is it possible to forge new forms of national identity to respond to the challenges of globalization and the profound changes of our century? Montserrat Gibernau answers these and many other questions on the
c publications 65 future of national identity. Written from a theoretical and comparative approach, it is destined to become an essential read for all researchers and professionals working in social sciences, politics and international relations. 12 mm
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Arango y Josep Oliver
Alonso (eds.)
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● Immigration in Spain Yearbook. 2008 Edition. Various authors. CIDOB Directed by Eliseo Aja, Joaquín Arango and Josep Oliver, it offers a multidisciplinary portrait of the current situation of immigration in Spain. The publication, this year going by the title of 'Immigration at the Crossroads', offers a complete overview of the phenomenon through a collection of studies done from legal, economic and sociological perspectives in a year that could mark a change in the trends, due to the current economic crisis. It analyzes the most current trends in immigration and the labor market, as well as demographic trends. It also includes series of monographs dedicated, among other subjects, to immigrants' right to vote, unemployment or the main agreements signed with West African countries on migration. Finally, it analyzes the main legal and legislative instruments that regulate immigration in Spain.
● Mediterranean Yearbook, Med.2008. European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and the CIDOB Foundation. Water resources and water management in the Mediterranean are the focus of the Mediterranean Yearbook Med.2008, published by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and the CIDOB Foundation. In addition to the water dossier, the publication includes collaborations from over fifty experts who analyze and take stock of the main events and trends of 2007 in the Mediterranean. The yearbook, with a prologue from the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, also includes a broad selection of additional data and information presented in various tables, graphs, maps, informative articles, and internet links. All of the content from the five yearbooks published since 2004 can be viewed online at www.medyearbook.com
instrumental in organizing the attacks: Jamal Ahmidan and Serhane ben Abdelmajid Fakhet. The meeting of these two immigrants who had both lived in Spain since the nineties, just six months previously, turned out to be decisive for the preparation and carrying out of the worst terrorist attack of Europe's history. For two and a half years, the authors meticulously reconstructed the backgrounds of "the Chinese" and "the Tunisian", who rose to be leaders of the radical Islamist group that carried out the attacks
● The Madrid Connection. Justin Webster and Ignacio Orovio. Editorial Debate. Five years after the brutal Madrid bombings of 11 March, 2004, this book reconstructs the parallel lives of two men who were
on Atocha Station. Through the painstaking analysis of more than 100,000 pages of legal documents, contacting direct sources who in many cases were speaking for the first time, as well as visits to Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Holland and England, tracing a story that went back to the early 1990s, they manage to outline the psychological journey of the cell's leaders. The result was an award-winning documentary produced by the BBC and broadcast by television companies all over the world.
● The Politics of Spain. Richard Gunther and José Ramón Montero. Cambridge University Press. Spain’s evolution from authoritarian dictatorship
to modern democracy was a remarkable achievement, and it created a model that has since been emulated by other countries undergoing the transition to democdemoc racy. This book published by Cambridge University Press, examines the causes and conditions that explain modern Spain's political development, and analyzes the basic characteristics of Spanish democracy today – its core political institutions, its political parties and party systems (both regional and national), and patterns of electoral behavior. Written by two experts in the field, it is a truly indispensable guide for all students of Spanish politics, history, society, and culture. The book is divided into six parts: The state and democracy in Spain: a historical overview; The constitutional framework; Multi-level governance: the status of the autonomous communities and the European Union;
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Parties and democratic stability; Citizens and politics in Spain; Public policy and decision-making processes. ● Atlas Cronológico de la Historia de España (Chronological Atlas of the History of Spain). Editorial SM The Spanish Royal Academy of History together with the Spanish Biographical Dictionary is launching the first reference book that provides an answer to one of its founding objectives. It includes 446 full-color pages, with over 600 illustrations and 300 maps. The atlas contains more than 14,000 milestones set out in chronological order, ranging from prehistoric times up to the 2008 general elections, written by the leading history specialists from different universities and research centers all over Spain. Furthermore, the technological nature of
the project is perfectly suited to the needs of an information- and knowledge-based society: it can be accessed via the internet. ● Economía Humanista (Humanist Economy). José Luis Sampedro. Editorial Debate. José Luis Sampedro has had an outstanding career as an economist for over sixty years. However his work in this field has perhaps been eclipsed by his great human
and literary side. This collection of articles tries to capture this side, highlighting the clarity and depth of his thinking, the strength of his training, the originality of his approaches and his extraordinary ability to translate complex economic concepts into the common language of a total beginner. “The works included in this volume are in response to a teaching career inspired by the social spirit of the teachers that trained me”, says Sampedro, which is demonstrated by his concern for the environment, the relationships between economy and politics, the distribution of resources, development, and most of all, in his determination to humanize the economy. ● El espejismo multilateral (The Multilateral Mirage). Javier Rupérez. Editorial Almuzara
✱... a must read ● We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families. Philip Gourevitch. Editorial Debate. April 1994 in Rwanda saw the beginning of the largest genocide in recent decades. 800,000 people died according to the most conservative estimates. Almost 300,000 per month; 10,000 per day; 400 per hour; 7 per minute. In this report –classically unavoidable in contemporary journalism– Gourevitch embarks on a
journey into the depths of the shadows to uncover the motives behind this atrocious blood bath. The result, following several trips around Rwanda and hundreds of interviews and conversations with victims and the killers, is this horrific account, which has won numerous international awards. Philip Gourevitch (1961) is one of the most important reporters and writers around today. He is director of the magazine ‘The Paris Review’ and
veteran editor of ‘The New Yorker’. He also wrote the account of the American prisons in Iraq with Errol Morris in ‘The Ballad of Abu Ghraib’.
In this work, Ambassador Javier Rupérez gives an account of his experiences in the United Nations as an inspiration for reflection on what is true and false in multilateral rhetoric. The author analyzes the New World Order in which the world is immersed, starting with the thought that, following a period of North American hegemony, the world is no longer unipolar or bipolar, but rather multipolar, split up into various spheres of influence, and therefore suggests multilateral negotiation as a decision-making method. According to Ambassador Javier Rupérez, this opens a new process through which the big international issues must be channeled by agreement between all actors. ● Historia de un cambio posible. 15 años por el control del comercio de armas (Story of a possible change. 15 Years for the Control of the Arms Trade). Various authors. Intermón Oxfam. This work gives an account of the key moments from the last 15 years of social campaigns and mobiliza-
c publications 67 these goals. It also includes local initiatives implemented in Latin America, and provides a database of Latin American organizations that work in the field of corporate social responsibility. ● La voz pública de las mujeres (Women's Public Voices) Dolors Renau. Icaria Editorial tions carried out since 1994 by the non-governmental organizations Intermón Oxfam, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), Fundació per la Pau (Foundation for Peace) and the School for a Culture of Peace of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Story of a Possible Change is the result of 21 in-depth interviews with a series of leading figures who got together with the aim of achieving greater transparency and control in the arms trade. ● Las empresas españolas y la responsabilidad social corporativa (Spanish Companies and Corporate Social Responsibility). Various authors. Los Libros de la Catarata The Millenium Development Goals are a compulsory reference for the efforts directed towards fighting world poverty. A vital aspect of achieving the established goals is the consistency in the measures, and private companies, as non-state actors, have a central role to play. This book identifies the plans and actions designed by companies in order to achieve
The lack of women in public life has had serious consequences for human development. After centuries of conflicts, women are finally rising to positions of public prominence. In 'Women's Public Voices', Dolors Renau goes over the history of this quiet half of humanity, telling of her knowledge on the value of life and care, highlighting that, through it all, she has continued to fight for her own rights. In the author's opinion, placing human beings at the center of political life and bringing them closer to the people, cannot be done without women. Without the women who are building a new political subjectivity and are working towards a more human and civilized public life, the eradication of violence, and ensuring that every person is a human being
whose dignity can never again be called into question. ● Acción colectiva y desarrollo: el papel de las instituciones (Collective Action and Development: the Role of Institutions). José Antonio Alonso and Carlos Garcimartín. Editorial Complutense The writers of the book provide a brilliant introduction to one of the most dynamic fields in contemporary economic literature: institutional development. The book represents a significant contribution to the international debate and also reflects the maturing of development studies in Spain. One of the most important conclusions that the authors arrive at is that the legitimization of the institutional order, which underlies in sustainable economic development, rests heavily on the proper management of distributive conflict.
● Agrocombustibles ¿Otro negocio es posible? (Biofuels, Is Any Other Business Possible?) Mónica Vargas (coord.) Icaria Ediciones Currently, biofuels are the focus of public policies and in-
centives, and their production has accelerated on a massive scale, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore contributing to mitigating climate change. The authors answer questions such as: What are biofuels? Is their energy performance positive? What is the water footprint of these fuels? Are they really an answer to global warming? Where do the raw materials come from? Does it improve the standard of living for the countries of the Southern Hemisphere? What are the corporate interests in this area? Do biofuels create a greater environmental debt? Are second generation biofuels an adequate response? What viewpoints do we have on food sovereignty and energy sovereignty? ● Poems by Matilda Gini Barnatán and Viviana Rajel Barnatán. Ibersaf Editores Titled ‘La ija i la madre komo la unya i la karne’, the authors, Sephardic Jewish women from Buenos Aires, are publishing sixty previously unpublished contemporary poems written in Judeo-Spanish, a language that for centuries has been able to provide the backbone for the feeling of belonging to Sepharad (Spain).
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Televisión Española's veteran correspondent shares her views on journalism with "Miradas al Exterior," backed up by 38 years of professional experience. After a lifetime committed to a rigorous search for truth, and concerned about the increasingly superficial treatment of international reporting, Rosa María Calaf remains firm in her resolve to raise the awareness of citizens concerning the importance of keeping up to date with world events.
Rosa María Calaf “To bring international current events to our citizens, what we need to talk about is not the big questions, but individual people”
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Interview conducted by Beatriz Beeckmans
— Journalism has given you a privileged vantage point from which to observe the twenty-first century. How do you see the profession today? — One of the main problems with journalism is that it is done too fast. New technologies have given us speed that we never had before, and that is positive in many ways, but in other ways it is in direct opposition to analysis and reflection. You are expected to be able to talk intelligently about things as soon as you arrive on the scene, before you have learned anything. Going on the air "live and direct" as soon as you step off the plane is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. As the available time dwindles, you find your stories shrinking and soon all you are left with are sound bites, with no depth. — That's especially a problem when covering international affairs… — Exactly. When you are talking about things that the audience already knows about, you can leave out a lot of detail, but when you are talking about distant lands, you have to put the place and the people in context, so that the audience can follow and learn. But all of that takes too much time, and the result is that the quality of the reporting suffers. — It's clear that you are very demanding when it comes to quality. What do you think could be done to improve international reporting? — There are two issues: the first is that there is less and less interest in international affairs, when there should be more and more. What is happening today in China affects us all tomorrow. But strangely enough, it seems that nowadays we prefer to contemplate our
own navels. We only care about what's already "right in front of our nose." On the one hand, you have to explain to citizens the importance of being aware of what is happening around the world. On the other hand, we need to take full advantage of everything that new technology has to offer for enriching information. — You are known for writing stories that hit close to home. I would assume that you agree with Kapuscinsky, that “it's a mistake to write about someone that you haven't shared at least a little bit of your life with”… — Absolutely. I always come back to human contact, because it seems to me that in order to understand the foreign policy of a country, one most know what that country is like, what its people are like, and how they live. An in-depth look at people's day-to-day life and challenges is much more likely to make an impact on a man leaning back in his easy chair watching the news. We don't need more talk about the big issues or the big numbers; rather, we try to relate it all to people, who, after all, are what make up the world. -— What approaches have you found to work to bring international current events to the average citizen? —It's a matter of finding the points that attract attention, keeping things simple, but without sacrificing the key information. You have to try to tell your story in the simplest possible way so that anyone, even if they don't know what you are talking about, can get an idea of what is happening. You can then go into greater depth, but you always start with the basics. — Going beyond the reporting function, in your opinion what role do the communication media play in the foreign policy of a country such as Spain? — They have an extraordinary influence. What you say or don't say, and how you say it, can have enormous consequences. The clearest example is Vietnam and how American society reacted to that war... It is obvious that the media have a
great influence and a great responsibility, thus the immense importance of always trying to be as serious and as rigorous as possible. — To what extent do you think the media set the agenda? — What is happening now looks something like censorship. It isn't that they tell you “you have to think this way and explain things that way,” but rather, it is a matter of choosing which subjects are discussed and which are ignored, and that is how public opinion is formed. For example, Sonoma University in the USA has a fascinating program called "CENSORED, the news that didn´t make the news”, which every year presents 25 issues that are crucial for the development of citizens in a healthy society, but that never appeared in the press at any time. — I would assume that that has been a major struggle throughout your career... — Yes, but much more so lately. Ten years ago there was more discussion of important, even transcendental, issues, and there was a certain amount of follow-up to the news. Not any more. News today is disposable, and reporting only hits the "high points", never exploring the depths. News stories are incredibly ephemeral. They make the news one week and the subject is never mentioned again, not because the problem has gone away; it simply disappears from the TV screen. In spite of it all, TVE continues to be a sort of oasis, because you can cover a lot of issues that you couldn't on other channels. The international department always backs you up and they can see things your way, but you have to fight for air time with the other sections: economy, national politics, etc., and so the international news slot keeps shrinking. And so we end up with war reporting that tell us how many people died in Iraq, but... does anybody really know what is going on there? No, nobody knows because it is never explained. — Do you think that journalism is inevitably moving in this direction? — I remain optimistic, and I think the
interview 71 day will come when society will come to realize, based on the effort of those of us who are responsible for all this, beginning with the news agencies themselves, that citizens have a right to demand good information. This is a right that is just as important as health or education; people can't just let themselves be deceived by pseudo-information, but must ask for credibility and rigor. While the news itself need not be attractive, it must be presented in an attractive and interesting way so that people will stop and look, but the purpose of the news is not to entertain, but to inform. — I understand that you started out to be a diplomat.... — Yes, in fact I studied law because I wanted to pursue a diplomatic career, and in fact I was preparing myself for that. One of my professors was Pablo Barrios, who is still an active diplomat, and of course I took English and French. But at the same time I was studying journalism and was working on the radio, and so I had my doubts about which way to go. It wasn't long before I realized that I enjoyed journalism much more, I felt less restrained, and it seemed to me that I was going to make a lot more of myself (laughter). — Also, journalism has allowed you to live with a lot of intensity… — I feel very privileged to have been able to work in something that I like, and I can't separate my work from my life, because it's my passion. More than anything, to have had the opportunity to have practiced journalism when it was still what it ought to be, and at the same time to have the huge good fortune to be on the scene at major historical events, to have lived history in the first person. — What parallels do you find between diplomacy and journalism? — I think there used to be quite a few, especially as a correspondent for a public television channel such as TVE, where you are practically a representative of the country, depending of course on the relations that your country has with the country where you are working. For example, in Latin America,
“The citizenry needs to be educated on the importance of knowing what is happening around the world” “Journalism and diplomacy are highly complementary functions, but each needs to know what its place is" “Unfortunately, when a problem disappears from the television screen, that doesn't mean that it has really gone away” “Journalism has allowed me to live history in the first person" where TVE carries a lot of weight, I have been invited to participate in forums as much more than a journalist. The idea was that I would represent the Spanish viewpoint, to which I always responded: “No, wait a minute. As a correspondent, my job is to talk about you in Spain, not to talk about Spain here." — What value do you place on the support that you have received from our
foreign offices in other countries? — En general it has been very positive. There are always people whom you get along with better than with others, or that you agree with more when it comes to a given subject or country. I have also received a lot of support from the embassies, and I think the embassies have also been able to count on my support. The main thing is for everyone to remember what their role is: you have the support of the Embassy, and vice-versa, but you are still a journalist and you still have your independence. — I understand that you have an especially good relationship with Inocencio Arias, the current General Consul for Spain in Los Angeles... — Yes, I met him when he was in Algeria, and we have continued to cross paths in many different places. I had a terrible accident in Moscow, and he stepped in and helped right from the start, and so I am very grateful to him on a personal level. I have very good relations with many diplomats, and I have learned a lot from a lot of them. The most important thing is for everyone to learn their role, but there is no doubt that our roles are complementary. —Can you recall any significant episodes where you collaborated with members of the Spanish Foreign Service? — For example, speaking generally, when the crisis occurred in East Timor, and Miguel Rovira of the Efe Agency and I were at the Embassy in Indonesia, where Antonio Segura was the ambassador and Pilar Fuentes the second in charge, they did everything necessary for us to be evacuated, for which I am personally very grateful. In the professional aspect, I have always been able to count on a lot of support. There are people in the diplomatic corps who have a lot of experience and knowledge, and what they have to offer is of extraordinary value. Sometimes you can get the best support from the second or third in charge, because the ambassadors tend to be very busy. I have always had an amazing relationship with
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Ambassador Leña, and he has given me great support wherever I have gone. When I have gone to difficult places like China or Japan, he has always been most generous with me. My longest and most fruitful contact has been with José Eugenio Salarich, the current General Director for the Asia-Pacific region for the MAEC, and someone who has always been a great help to me. — Speaking of difficult places, how have you faced the challenge of having to adapt to such different locations in such a short time? — It has a lot to do with one's personality. I have always been very adaptable, and I think it has to do with my insatiable curiosity. You have to have a humble attitude--arrive at a place admitting that you know nothing--and an extraordinary, sponge-like curiosity, and that allows you to adapt quickly. At times I have had to go to three different countries within ten days, dealing with completely different situations: the earthquake in Indonesia, the conflict in Timor and the birthday of the King of Thailand, which was attended by Queen Sofía. This requires an ability to adapt, and also demonstrates the fleeting nature of the news. — You often accompany the King and Queen in their travels. What has that been like? — I have wonderful memories of my travels with the Royal Family. They have always been very professional, but at the same time very helpful, and I have even been the personal recipient of their affection. I especially enjoyed several trips I made when the Prince and the infantas were still little children. As you can see, I've been around for a while! (laughter). I was with the Prince when he arrived at school in Canada and on several occasions during that school year, and I was also there when he enrolled at Elcano, so I've followed his progress over the years. I was also on the first official trip that Infanta Elena made to Japan many years ago, which was a very curious thing because it was her first trip. Infanta Cris-
tina has always been extraordinarily interested in current events, as is the Queen herself. Her Majesty has called on me several times during trips to chat and to ask me about problems in a given area. I think that many of the things that Queen Sofía does on private trips, many of which deal with cooperation issues, are very useful. A lot of people criticize them based on appearances, or think they are only looking for photo ops, but I think there are many instances, such as in Cambodia, where international support from major figures such as the Queen for people who are working on very hard issues, such as trafficking in young girls or land-mine injuries, has been key. — Your most recent assignment has been to the Asia-Pacific region. A lot of people ask... how can you cover such a huge geographical area? — Well, it's really impossible to do it well, since nobody can be everywhere at once, and things happen at the same time that ought to be reported, and there is just no way. Improved transportation has helped, but the main thing is you have to be available all the time, even if that means missing a lot of sleep. And good old-fashioned note cards are very crucial. I work the old-fashioned way, and even though I work on the computer and I carry my diskettes and USB drives everywhere, I also have everything on paper, which never fails me. I have a lot of cards on every country, and if I have to switch to a different subject or if something happens very quickly, I have a file ready to go. Of course, it's also necessary to cultivate a lot of contacts, to talk regularly with people in the countries that interest you the most. — How do you think international reporting is affected by the fact that there are many places where the safety of journalists cannot be guaranteed? — Things are getting more dangerous all the time, but it's simply not true that you are putting your life on the line daily. Conflicts are getting more danger-
"I have also received a lot of support from the Spanish embassies, and I think the embassies have also been able to count on my support" “The media have an enormous influence on the foreign policy of a country, and that is why they must be as responsible and as rigorous as possible” “You have to arrive at every new place with a lot of humility, admitting that you know nothing, and then learn from those who have been there longer" “In Asia we are a great unknown as a modern country. Spanish business needs to form a strategy and to establish a country brand, so to speak"
interview 73 ous for two reasons: first, because there are more and more journalists, who are less prepared but under more pressure from their employers to be first on the scene. In this regard, the combination of meager experience and high pressure is extremely dangerous. Also, journalists used to be considered neutral observers, but we've gotten to the point where it seems an attack on us is a major accomplishment. Journalists didn't used to be a target, but now anyone who want to call attention to his cause and have an impact knows he can accomplish it by going after us. It's really our fault. We have let ourselves become pawns in the game because of all the noise we make whenever something happens to a reporter, when really, it just comes with the territory. It is also the case that conflicts now are much more spread out. There used to be a battle front that clearly separated the sides. Now, the violence happens in the midst of civilian society. More civilians die than ever. This puts you in risky situations on a constant basis. — I take it, then, that what worries you a lot more than the danger, is the lack of freedom to report... — Yes, the most important thing is to achieve maximum knowledge and a precise understanding of whatever you are reporting on. Another horrible perversion, begun by the Japanese and the Americans, is to pay for information, which completely adulterates the news. You never know whether they're telling you something because you're paying for it, or because it's the truth. That kind of information requires twice the effort to corroborate, which you don't have time to do, all of which adds to the lack of rigor. — A few days ago we celebrated Womens' Day, but the data continue to be discouraging: we continue to be underrepresented in the circles of political and economic power, and the salary gap between men and women remains enormous. How has your being a woman influenced your career? — Being a woman can limit you in cer-
tain situations, but these have been quite rare. 97% of the time I have simply done exactly what I wanted to do. There are some cases, in fundamentalist Islamic countries, for example, where there have been people who didn't want to be interviewed by me, places where they have not allowed me to enter, and the camera crew had to go in instead. When I started out there were no women, especially in international reporting--none in Spain and very few in the world--but now we're the majority, although very few are in management. And so we have to continue struggling and persisting, because equality is a matter of education. — Precisely, the struggle for real equality between men and women is one of the principles that will govern the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council next year. What else do you expect to come out of our term? — What I hope for is that we don't focus entirely on the financial crisis and on last-minute economic patches, because we risk losing long-term focus. The problem is serious and requires action, but not just to make things look better today, but rather for the long term. I would like to see agreements reached in other areas. — What role do you think the new United States Administration will play in the coming years? — A very important one. While it is true that the USA has lost some influence and status, it remains the world leader, and what happens there is going to affect us all. What I'm afraid of is that Obama is being saddled with too many expectations, as if the poor man could just wave a magic wand. We have to keep in mind that on his own he can do very little, and that there are a lot of other powers in play that condition what he can do. How the USA comes out of this crisis is very important, but it's also clear that Europe must remember that it has a role to play in all this, other than simply trailing along behind. The USA has been drifting lately and has almost touched bottom in several
regards: politically, and as a moral and ethical leader. Everything has become so devalued that it is now necessary to revive a culture of effort and ethics, and to recognize that economics is not everything. Politicians have become businessmen, and somewhere along the way have forgotten that not everything is realpolitik. — The most recent phase of your career was in Asia. Based on your experience, how do you see our relationship with the fastest-growing region of our planet? — There is much to do. Our relations with individual countries, in general, are good. There are no serious points of contention, and we are well-perceived. We are seen as friendly, but we are still a great unknown, especially as a modern nation. Knowledge of Spain is still largely superficial and stereotyped, and we have not established a "country brand," so to speak. We arrived on the scene very late, much later than France, Italy, or Germany, and although we have an economic presence, Spanish business is much less developed. Generally speaking, our activity level is not at that of other countries. Things are improving, but very slowly, and rather disjointedly, with isolated successes here and there, but no follow-up. — What do you think our companies could do to position themselves better in that market? — They need to work on knowledge, which involves a long-term investment in the things that really have an impact. They also need to follow up responsibly on contacts. I have seen many, many cases of companies that have managed to establish a contact, but then have been very lackadaisical or have simply failed to meet their obligations. Our autonomous regional governments also complicate things, because we are exporting a lot of the tensions that exist here among the autonomous regions, and that is definitely a negative. Other countries arrive and simply present their products, while we show
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up with a Madrid pavilion, a Catalonia pavilion... and since we are talking about countries and regions where we are not well known, the host countries really don't understand what all that means. — How much interest in learning Spanish have you perceived in the region? — In Asia, and especially in China, there is increasing demand for learning Spanish, but I'm afraid it's not so much interest in the language itself, as in penetrating the Latin American market. More people are signing up for classes, but it's not exactly a boom. In China, the Cervantes Institute has fewer students than the Goethe Institute for German. For example, in the Philippines, where for historical reasons there should be great interest, the Cervantes Institute has students, but demand has increased mainly due to interest in learning Spanish in order to work in call centers for large companies that serve the Latin American market. We are improving, but very slowly, and it's an area where we must invest. — The Philippines, by the way, was the subject of your latest program on TVE…why? — Yes, I've been wanting to do it for years, because of the undeniable historical linkage, and because this country has been completely forgotten in spite of being one of the priorities of the Asia Plan. They are also at an immense humanitarian crossroads, with 350,000 displaced persons in the country as a result of the Mindanao conflict, a series of events that heavily impact a democracy, such as assassinations of activists and journalists, along with tensions and local political fiefdoms that they have had a very hard time eradicating. In spite of all this, and even though a great deal happens in the Philippines, the Spanish media pay absolutely no attention to it, and so I felt it was necessary to produce a program conveying this information. As a going-away present, and since I had been insisting for so long, TVE gave me the go-ahead to do it. It all happened very quickly, and was made pos-
“I hope that our Presidency of the EU focuses on more than the financial crisis. Politicians will have to accept being unpopular, and think of the people instead of the party" sible thanks to the collaboration of my camera crew, my producer, and also the Ambassador, who helped us a great deal with official matters. — One of the last events that you attended as a journalist was the Beijing Olympic Games, at a very interesting time in history... to what extent was the coverage orchestrated? — The feeling and concern that was shared by all of us there was that everything was focused on the sports, which is logical, and on the spectacle and the business aspects of the Olympic Games, while social and political issues were pretty much set aside. TVE allowed me to submit a Weekly Report entitled “The Two Faces of the Games,” because there really were two faces: a positive one and a negative one, characterized by repression and disregard for individual rights. We really had to fight to be able to bring up subjects along these lines. We did what we could, but in the end we all had the feeling that much more should have been done to reveal that other side, rather than allow it to be swallowed up in an aura of triumphalism and an attitude of submission by the whole world at the feet of China, which was allowed to do things that would not be tolerated in other countries. There are at least a few points that we should not allow ourselves to forget. The good does not erase the bad: China has progressed in many areas, and they put on a brilliant Olympics. The Chinese have never been as free as they are now in their personal lives--for example, the right to marry the partner of their choice--but there is still repression and control and a lot of other things that we ought to be talking about. — After 24 years as a correspondent,
you grudgingly accepted the TVE Downsizing Plan (ERE), which you had always been critical of… — In principle the ERE is voluntary, but when it was proposed two years ago, it was only relatively voluntary, you might say. I went along with it then because I didn't have much of a choice. The new management offered me an extension and proposed that I cover the Olympic year in China. Once I was definitely leaving, they gave me the option to stay on until retirement, but I have always been critical of the ERE, not so much for myself, since I'm 63 years old, but for the sake of all those 50-year-olds who still have full mastery of their abilities. Staying under those circumstances seemed inconsistent to me, and so I Ieft voluntarily as did many others. But I am, in fact, emphatically opposed to the plan. Its effect is to decapitalize a public enterprise and to throw away everything that has been invested in training professionals. This would be unthinkable for our colleagues at the BBC or with American broadcasters. A few days ago Paul Harvey, a mythical figure of American radio, died. At age 82 he had signed a 10-year contract with CBS as one of its top commentators. Not only did they not retire him, they got everything they could out of him right till the end. In the meantime, it seems we are throwing everything overboard. — How will you ensure that you are able to transfer your experience to the coming generations? — I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have received, and I think I have an obligation to give something back. I think that the university is one of the best avenues for offering all I can to young people, especially when it comes to the issues that nobody talks about, such as ethics. Also, by participating in colloquiums and conferences and every other type of human contact: bringing the profession to the citizen, so that he realizes it is something that he needs and that he has a right to demand quality. And finally, I'll keep travelling, since it is one of my great passions.
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Rosa María Calaf, on her last television broadcast as the Asian correspondent for TVE. Images of her period as a correspondent in Nepal and Thailand. PHotoS ángel zorita and Miguel Torán .
the profile of rosa marÍa calaf Rosa María Calaf is the most senior correspondent for Televisión Española. Born in Barcelona, she holds degrees in Law and Journalism, as well as in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A). She has completed a Masters in European Institutions at the Free University of Brussels. She was part of the team that founded Cataluña Television, TV-3, where she was programming and production director. At TVE, which she joined in 1970, she has served as a foreign correspondent in such diverse locations as New York, Moscow, Buenos Aires, Islamabad, Rome, Vienna, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Among other awards, she has received the Ondas Prize for the highest professional achievement in 2001 and the Casa Asia Prize for her coverage of the tsunami that wreaked havoc on Southeast Asia in December
of 2004. In 2007 she was awarded the Cirilo Rodríguez Prize for highest achievement by a foreign correspondent or special envoy. After serving as the link to Asia for thousands of viewers during the final stage of her career, she retired last December 31 after producing a report on the conflict in the Southern Philippines. Although she voluntarily signed the RTVE Downsizing Plan (ERE), she has criticized it openly because she feels it amounts to "divesting the company of its own memory and experience”. Immensely grateful for the opportunity she has had of living history in the first person, she now feels "obligated to give back to society some part of what I have learned." She was recently named as President of the Barcelona International Press Center (CIPB) , a position she took over from fellow-journalist and friend Xavier Batalla. Rosa María Calaf believes that “a journalist never retires.”
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