Madrid, 21 May 2012.- Javier Nadal, executive vice-president of Fundación Telefónica, and Alejo Ramírez, Secretary General of OIJ, met at Fundación Telefónica headquarters to start talking about youth, and how to join forces to support young people.

It is no secret that young people are having a hard time finding their way in the job market, and, in some contexts, their educational background does not help them to compete in an increasingly demanding world. This is why the collaboration initiative between two organizations such as Fundación Telefónica and the OIJ is so crucial to improve the chances of those who are transitioning into adulthood.

Carmen de la Serna, Head of Social Projects at Fundación Telefónica, and Paul Giovanni Rodríguez, Head of Cooperation at the OIJ, also attended the meeting.

This formal meeting is the result of the Youth Expert’s Meeting hosted by Jóvenes Fundación Telefónica (Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Programme) in December 2011. Active participants in this meeting, apart from the OIJ, included members of the European Commission, the International Labour Organization, and prominent academic figures specializing in youth.

Days after the event, Fundación Telefónica was invited to take part in the round table discussion “La coyuntura de la juventud iberoamericana: reflexiones y perspectivas (The Juncture for Latin American Youth: Reflections and Perspectives)”, organized by the OIJ in Madrid, and coordinated by Enrique Iglesias, Secretary General of the General Latin American Secretariat, Segib.

San Salvador, 21 May 2012.- Two members of Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Programme in El Salvador put the skills they acquired in their professional training programmes to work in an attempt to transform their communities.

The first one of them is Santos Miguel Lemus, a second-year Electrical Engineering student, who after presenting a project to electrify the church in his community, in the Coquiamita village, in Cantón Coquiamita, Sonsanate, raised the support he needed to see it come to fruition.

Asociación Ágape approved Santos Miguel’s initiative one week after the student presented it. “The association donated the electrical material, and Escuela Superior Franciscana Especializada, the school where I study, provided its support by assigning a group of students who where able to get some practical training by helping with the electrical installation”, explained Santos Miguel. The amount invested in the project was approximately 875 dollars.

The church benefiting from Santos’ initiative was built in the 1970’s, at a time when the area had still not been entirely electrified. Due to the obvious need to do so, Coquiamita representatives gathered in a meeting, and requested electrification in 1995. However, as a result of the economic conditions of the region, even today, some homes lack electricity. “My goal was to help these families by means of organizations, and to cater to the needs both of these people and of the local church”, explained Santos Miguel.

Santos Miguel, a member of Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Programme, concluded by sharing his excitement at being able to support his community - and about 17 families – in a project that he was able to carry out thanks to good teamwork.

A young man finds the way to contribute using mathematics

David Orlando Quiteño is a third-year student pursuing a Mathematics Professorship degree at the University of El Salvador. A few months ago, he began to think that he could help his community with the knowledge he had already acquired, and decided to submit a project proposal, aimed at offering support to the Secondary Education Graduates preparing for the National Secondary Learning Assessment Exams (known as PAES), and so he did.

This is how, since the beginning of the current month, David Orlando is teaching at the Dr. Camilo Arévalo Educational Centre at the Juayúa community, in Sonsonate, to help students improve their maths skills.

The 90-hour volunteer project is scheduled to run until 28 September. David Orlando’s goal is to offer a solution to classroom and community difficulties, by helping the graduates to pass their PAES exams.

Madrid, 17 May 2012.- Over ten Telefónica volunteers, coordinated by Fundación Telefónica, introduced a group of disabled children and young people to the benefits of equine therapy, at the “La Ricarda” estate, in Prat de Llobregat, with support from the association Disprat LLeur.

The volunteers accompanied and assisted the children throughout the duration of the activity. Two volunteers and one therapist specialised in equine therapy accompanied each child and horse. The activities were carried out under the supervision of coordinators from the association, as well as Telefónica Volunteer representatives. The contact with nature, in a unique setting – the delta of the Llobregat river – contributed to the development of this educational, recreational and therapeutic activity, which concluded with carriage rides around the estate, and a picnic.

The benefits of equine therapy for children with disabilities

The aim of equine therapy is to utilise the horse’s movements to transmit acute neuromuscular stimuli to young people suffering from physical disabilities, helping them to improve their muscle tone and sense of balance. Also, by helping to keep them clean and well fed, the youngsters establish an emotional connection and a feeling of responsibility towards the horses. Through these activities, children with physical and mental disabilities beginto obtain the level of personal and social skills required to reach the degree of social integration that will help them to cope in today’s society.

Another objective of the activity is to give parents and relatives a “break”, so that they can devote that free time to address other issues in their lives, or enjoy the leisure time activities they are not able to do whilst taking care of their children.

Santiago de Chile, 10 May 2012.- Five young people from Fundación Telefónica Chile have a new meeting on the third Friday of every month. Telefónica’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Cultural Transformation departments are organizing a series of Innovation Workshops in which different experts will share their views on the topics of creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Federico Sánchez, architect and director of the Design School at Universidad Diego Portales, was chosen to open Telefónica’s series of lectures on Innovation before an audience of 100 collaborators, including members of Fundación Telefónica’s Young People's network.

Innovation Through Language

Sánchez referred to the possibilities for innovation that language offers, stating that, in his opinion, people have drifted away from symbolic language, adopting a merely operative one.

“Innovation is a connection to the truth of words that is reached by resorting to etymology”, said Federico. During his presentation, the architect spent some time explaining the Latin root of different words that explain their true meaning, and indicated that innovation is not always what it seems.

“In fashion, the new is temporary, and disappears from one season to the next. I rebelled against fashion a long time ago. I use my father’s and grandfather’s jackets and stay away from the harmful consumerist game. Innovation is not a value per se, and it is not always good” emphasized the architect.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are not synonyms.

Regarding entrepreneurship, Sánchez highlighted the importance of separating this concept from innovation. “We often confuse entrepreneurship and innovation. People say we are innovative entrepreneurs. There are wonderful startups, but they are exactly the opposite of innovation. For instance, what Ralph Lauren, the emperor of fashion, did was re-visit a series of traditional values. He rebelled against innovation as a continuous value per se”, he pointed out.

For the architect, innovation is a challenge that requires one to reflect, take charge of their surroundings, and take on an ethical duty.

“We must progress from understanding to living. By means of a simple demonstration exercise, we will realize that words pave the way to innovation. They help us build an idea, because the word conveys it. When engaging in an innovative process, what we have to do is to communicate, understand, and position ourselves in the world,” concluded Sánchez.

These workshops provide a great wealth of useful information for the young members of the audience that aspire to develop entrepreneurial projects, and who today form part of Fundación Telefónica’s International Young People's Network.

Madrid, Tuesday 8 May 2012.- Almost one century later, the Company’s historic headquarters is still  spearheading social change from its location in Madrid’s Gran Vía, with a new space that offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on the adventure of telecommunications and art in the past, present and future.

The Prince and Princess visited the new space which, spanning over four floors, totaling more than 6,000 sqm., restores the clear and open spaces envisaged in the original design of the building, accommodating an auditorium and several spaces that will be hosting different exhibitions, such as the three inaugural ones that will be showing: Telefónica’s Cubism Collection (4th floor), the retrospective “Arte y Vida Artificial: Vida 1999-2012 (Art and Artificial Life: Vida 1999-2012 ” covering the thirteen years of Fundación Telefónica’s International Awards (3rd Floor), and the “History of Telecommunications” (2nd Floor).

• Espacio Fundación Telefónica is a place for debate, reflection, communication, and meeting, in a unique and emblematic location, which grants continuity to historical vanguards, and opens a dialogue to the new participative approach to culture.

• Almost a century later, the Company’s historic Gran Vía headquarters in Madrid remain at the forefront of social change with a new space where the artistic and technological avant-garde movements of the 20th and 21st century meet.

• To commemorate its opening, the Espacio will be showing three exhibitions: “Telefónica’s Cubism Collection” on the 4th floor, which uses the work of Juan Gris to evoke the context of technological change of vanguards; a retrospective “Art and Artificial Life: Vida 1999-2012” exhibition on the 3rd floor, looking back at the 13 editions of the International Contest that Fundación Telefónica has been organizing; and the “History of Telecommunications”, with a sizable sample of remarkable pieces, in physical and virtual format, belonging to Telefónica’s collection, on the 2nd floor.

Madrid, 7th May, 2012.- Espacio Fundación Telefónica has been created to accommodate the new culture of the 21st century in the heart of Madrid, with the aim of becoming a place for debate, reflection, and communication, a meeting point in a unique and emblematic location, which provides continuity to the encounter between historical vanguards and the current knowledge revolution.

Almost one century later, the Company’s historic Gran Vía headquarters in Madrid remain at the forefront of social change, with a new space that is an exponent of 21st Century culture, offering a wonderful occasion to reflect on the adventure of telecommunications and art in the past, the present and the future. The dialogue between art, technology and new forms of communication takes place in different workshops, an auditorium and several exhibition spaces, spanning over four floors of the Group’s historic headquarters, in the heart of Madrid.

To commemorate its opening, the Espacio will be hosting three exhibitions: “Telefónica’s Cubism Collection”, which uses the work of Juan Gris to evoke the technological change context of vanguards, with paintings that are part of Telefónica’s most important art collections; the anthological retrospective “Art and Artificial Life: Vida 1999-2012”, from the International Contest that Fundación Telefónica has been organizing, with a sample of 23 works chosen out of a total of 1,478 proposals submitted to date, from over 50 countries; and the “History of Telecommunications”, with an assortment of pieces, in physical and virtual format that belong to Telefónica’s valuable technological collection, built up over its almost 90 years of history.

The Espacio is divided in four floors: the entrance hall and shop on the ground floor; the 2nd floor, accommodating the Auditorium - an innovative stage for our activities, such as conference and debate cycles, educational sessions, film projections, book presentations, etc - and an exhibition area, where the “History of Telecommunications” is on show; the 3rd floor, conceived as a space for exhibitions and different rooms for the conduction of complementary workshops, currently hosting the “Art and Artificial Life” exhibition; and the 4th floor, also intended to host exhibitions, and which currently accommodates the exhibition “Telefónica’s Cubism Collection”.

Creativity, innovation and technology in a space open to everyone

This new Espacio is born as an exponent of culture in the 21st Century, a culture that proposes a participative way of seeing things and developing knowledge, art, and technology, contributing to its creation and bringing it closer to society. In fact, the techno-artistic change which marked the beginning of modernity also defines the spirit and genesis of Espacio Fundación Telefónica, which proposes a thrilling vision from the vanguards of the 20th century, the authentic melting pot for technological progress and new ways of communicating, to the emergence of the Internet and the smartphone, and the social network revolution that they entail, plus a reflexive and interactive journey through the history of this unstoppable process.

Thus, in the opening exhibitions, users are offered advanced relational search tools that will allow them to become acquainted with the Group’s artistic wealth; several Google Play apps and the Apple Store App, consisting of over 1,200 works; audiovisual guides for iPhones and tablets, with artistic, technological and photographic contents, catalogues adapted for Apple and Android; an interactive model of the building, with four information levels; over 170 audiovisual and interactive elements, over 40 touchscreens with information, contexts, interviews, documentaries, and games covering topics such as Juan Gris, the new languages of cubism, the influence of Latin American vanguard, documents, books and letters written by Dali, Gertrude Stein, Albert Gleizes, André Lhote, Daniel Henri Kahnweiller, Joaquín Torres García, Vicente Huidobro, etc. Visitors will also be offered the opportunity to embark on a journey through art and artificial life, with 23 works from 13 countries, addressing subjects such as the cell, robotics, the environment, new urban surroundings, etc. And they will also learn about the history of telecommunications in Spain, represented in a sizable sample, in physical and virtual format, of outstanding pieces from electric telegraphy, to communication guidelines.

Thus, the new Espacio Fundación Telefónica seeks to be, above all, a centre that speaks and listens to its audience, that encourages everyone to get involved, and that provides answers to some questions on artistic creation, artificial life, multimedia communication, videogames, music, conferences and debates, robotics, cinema, design, books, technological innovation, visual arts, interactive exhibitions, entrepreneurial actions, etc. Users of Espacio Fundación Telefónica are active agents, who research, discuss and take part in the generation and transfer of knowledge through the successive activities scheduled.

The artistic and architectural project of Espacio Fundación Telefónica

The Espacio is located in the emblematic building on the Gran Vía of Madrid. The main entrance is located at calle Fuencarral, No. 3. The building, constructed between 1926 and 1929, opened in 1930 as the company’s new headquarters, becoming the first skyscraper in Europe, and, for almost a year, also the tallest. Espacio Fundación Telefónica’s location was chosen to provide it with a singular setting, within what was, and still is, a historic building with a remarkable architecture, in a state-of-the-art, stylish and modern space.

The project is the result of a collective effort led by Fundación Telefónica and studio Quanto Arquitectura – directed by the architect Miguel García Alonso – in collaboration with Moneo Brock Studio, DADA NYC, Úrculo Asociados and NB 35. Throughout its 6,370 sqm., the Space recovers the clear and open spaces envisaged in the original design of the building, connected by the overarching vertical atrium that spans across all four of them, contributing to the versatility in using the halls as museums, the temporary exhibition programs, the meeting and consultation areas, the rooms, the construction work archive, etc., making sure that the spotlight is shone on the original highlights of the building. In this sense, the Espacio has preserved its original industrial look and feel, underscored with the addition of modern “resources”, such as the iron in the structure of the spiral staircase, covered with steel plates, the polished concrete and stainless steel floors, the steel pillars, metal ceilings, and oak wood, which communicate with the birth of the historic and architectural vanguards of the past century.

One of the highlights is the entrance to Espacio Fundación Telefónica, on Fuencarral street, an overarching atrium that spans vertically across the four floors of the space, and which helps visitors get a more accurate idea of the overall dimensions of the Espacio. This integral vision is reinforced with the panoramic elevator, with its exposed structure, with a capacity for 30 people, in the main hall of the building, and the spiral staircase adjoining the Fuencarral street façade. Behind the elevator, the exposed brick wall is a testimony of the original walls of the building, a glimpse into the essence of the original architectural project.

Fundación Telefónica: knowledge to transform

Fundación Telefónica contributes to social development by accessing knowledge, engaging in its own social innovation programs, based on new technologies and collaborative networks.
Its key social objectives include the eradication of child labour in Latin America, and improving the quality of education and knowledge through the dissemination of art, technology, and digital culture in society. Also, for twenty years now, it has been organizing art and technology exhibitions thanks to which it has become one of the key reference institutions in culture.

Being a global foundation, its actions are developed in the societies of the twenty countries where Telefónica is present, three of which – Argentina, Chile and Peru – also have their own Espacio Fundación Telefónica.

Panama City, 4 May 2012.- Representatives of Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Program in Panama took part in the 2nd National Youth Forum of the Armando Paz ("building peace"), an initiative run by the Organization of American States, which seeks to raise awareness and mobilise the youth and the different agents in society, in connection with their responsibility in building peace and a shared well-being.

Mónica Chirino, head of Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Program in Panama, and Vanessa Perigault, said programme’s coordinator, joined by three young members of the program, shared their knowledge and insights with one-hundred young leaders chosen for the ideas they submitted regarding their vision of the national situation and their proposals to face them.

Through this meeting, the OAS is seeking to build a peace culture that engages Central American youth through social dialogue, art and the mass media.

Private Companies and Public Sectors unite for peace

The 2nd Armando Paz ("Building Peace") National Youth Forum brought together the private and public sectors with one single objective: to build peace. Government officials, businessmen, and NGOs discussed the alternatives to implement the proposals aimed at preventing violence.

As part of its participation in the Forum, and during the Project Fair, Fundación Telefónica set up a booth to showcase the work it conducts with Panamanian and Latin American youth. Also, a space was provided for international cooperation projects, foundations and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that target youth. The purpose of this space was to foster alliances, synergies, and networking, as well as to encourage the young audience to take part in the initiatives conducted at different national levels.

One of the tasks that Fundación Telefónica took up was to engage in one of the OAS’ projects, where our young members will be able to work with children from a public school in one of Panama’s most violent areas.

The need to build young leaders

One of the conclusions of the engaging day of plural dialogue is that it is essential to collaborate in order to address and solve the challenges posed by violence in Panama, highlighting the importance of inviting young people to take part in positive leadership programs, capable of funnelling efforts towards initiatives that help to lower violence levels, and facilitate access to recreation and sporting spaces.

Finally, the importance of promoting the ongoing involvement of young people in initiatives in communities and teaching centres, through workshops, mentoring programs, volunteering, videos, social networks, theatres, music, dance, and other activities was highlighted.

Panamá, 4 may 2012.- For 10 years Jeremías participated in the Proniño programme, he has formed part of the Fundación Telefónica's Young People’s Network since last year and his background includes a number of successes. His most recent achievement is being picked to be a Risk Prevention Analyst at Telefónica Panama, which came after competing with other candidates for the position.

In his new position, the 21-year old will investigate and process fraud cases and will analyse information in order to detect irregular patterns.

Jeremías lives in Panama City and he is in the third year of a degree in Accountancy. The young man arrived at Proniño at the age of 10, after a social worker at one of the NGOs linked to Fundación Telefónica found him selling cartridges in Calidonia.

While he was in the programme, Jeremías represented Panama in a debate held in Guatemala in 2007 along with young people from different countries. Last year, the student registered with Jóvenes de Fundación Telefónica (Telefónica’s Young People’s programme), when he participated in the programme’s National Conference. Having maintained a good academic record, this year he received a grant from Fundación Telefónica in order to continue his studies.

Madrid, 4th May 2012.- The International Labour Organisation continues to listen to young people in order to find out their thoughts and proposals on youth unemployment, something which has been made worse by the worldwide economic crisis. In these debates, the young people in Jóvenes Fundación Telefónica's are making their presence felt. On this occasion, representatives of the programme in Chile and Colombia shared their views on the current situation.

Entrepreneurship and First Jobs in Colombia

In Colombia, four members of our Fundación Telefónica International Young People's Network took part in the conferences and themed workshops that made up the ILO's debate: social dialogue, education and work, employment and entrepreneurship. After hours of feedback, the participants, which also included experts on young people in the private and public sphere, concluded the following, amongst other things:

• -The First Jobs Act represents a good start in promoting the link between young people and companies with the work conditions laid down in law. However, it should be strengthened in order that it might equally benefit young people and companies.

•  It is necessary to strengthen the education system which is closely linked to future job opportunities.

• Improvement in entrepreneurial processes is a key factor in promoting new business ideas and initiatives amongst the young.

Adapting profiles to business demands in Chile

In Chile the forum was attended by the Minister for Labour and Pensions, Evelyn Matthei. Along with young leaders and business representatives such as Fundación Telefónica, the debates focused on the 44% youth unemployment in Chile and on expectations that remain unfulfilled after finishing higher education. The following were some of the conclusions:

• There is frustration at having completed training and not finding work. There is even regret about having studied in the first place
• It is necessary to adjust young people's profile to business needs. Many years of studies are undertaken and often the training received does not meet workplace requirements.
• The creation of an educational model that equips young people with the necessary skills and abilities required in the workplace is a matter of urgency.

Fundación Telefónica has been working with those that are in the process of transition to adult life since 2010. Through research with experts and constant follow-up, we support academic and entrepreneurial projects that offer skills to young people that help them progress successfully in their lives. Debates like those in which the young people from Chile and Colombia participated in are a source of knowledge in order to better understand young people and their expectations.

According to data from the International Labour Organisation; the world is facing a crisis in youth employment. Some 75 million young people are unemployed around the world and more than 150 million live on less than $1.25 a day.

Mexico 28th April 2012. The event took place at 8:00 in the historical centre of Mexico City, a place where the schools benefiting from the Proniño programme meet. The programme aims to eradicate child labour by giving them a quality education.

In the park, the children enjoy activities such as giant mazes, abseiling and zip line and rolling on water inside water balls. While they have fun, the Volunteers organise their snack time and the children are given a basket of sweets at the end of the event.

The children went away with a pleasant memory seeing that every now and again they referred to the park's name by putting it in the expression: “I'm having a supermultipadrisimo time”.

Our team member, Nataly Diego, from Accounts and Consolidation, attended a Volunteers event for the first time and commented: “I've carried out these types of activities with my family to benefit children of limited means and that is why I didn't have time to attend the events organised by Fundación Telefónica. In my opinion, the event helped the children forget about their situation for a while.  They also learnt a lot and made new friends. Personally, while I contribute by helping out, I also give thanks for what I have. I really encourage my colleagues not to miss out on the opportunity to make children smile”.

These types of activities represent not only a fun event, but are also a way in which the Fundación, along with the Telefónica Volunteers, fulfil a basic right of childhood: To play and enjoy free time. Seeing that the beneficiaries carry out work activities or are susceptible to working, they do not have the time needed to do that.
 

Miami, April 26^th 2012 .-This event started 25 years ago and has continued with one goal:  to promote lifelong fitness at all levels and encourage camaraderie in the workplace through healthy, happy employees. The charitable beneficiary of the Corporate Run is the American Red Cross South Florida Region.  Participation provides funds necessary to the ongoing mission of the Red Cross to provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

History of the Corporate Run/Walk - The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run Series is an institution in South Florida and has become one of the largest 5K races in the nation. The first event drew local runners who were hooked on the benefits of running and keeping fit and the first Miami Corporate Challenge had just 1,315 participants. Local runners now had a fun event that they could share with their co-workers and participation grew exponentially over time. In 2011, Miami alone drew over 20,400 participants and over 600 companies.

A portion of the race proceeds each year go to The American Red Cross.  All of the services provided by the American Red Cross are made possible through the generosity of individuals and community partners. By Telefonica USA being a race participant and providing contributions we can ensure that the Red Cross will always be ready to respond to our neighbors in need both locally and internationally.

Caracas, 24 April 2012.- Continuing with their academic development activities, several members of Fundación Telefónica's Youth Program took part in a History and Culture Tour at the Antímano parish church in Caracas, while another group started learning about the variables that influence their academic performance.

In order to encourage students to relate to the values and history of their parish, students from four high schools in Antímano joined young people from Fundación Telefónica's Youth Program, as well as other volunteers from AUSJAL, Fundación Medatia, and Voluntariado UCAB, to develop the Antímano History and Culture Tour.

Eager to learn and develop their civic skills, the youth and members of the community shared and developed their ideas to ingeniously overcome the different challenges they had to face throughout the tour.

In order to encourage the youth to relate to the values and history of their Parish, the tour was structured in four stages:

“Show your talent” was aimed to inform of the biography of three Honorary Citizens of the Parish: popular salsa singer Oscar De León, painter Tito Salas and boxer Vicente Paúl Rondón, one of the first world boxing champions in Venezuela.

“Breakitechture” raised awareness among the youths as to the importance of taking care of the architectural wealth of the Parish. Thus, they had the opportunity to learn about some of the characteristics and history of the Casa de Campo Guzmán Blanco (a building commissioned by former president Antonio Guzmán Blanco as a country house in the mid 1880’s), the old match factory building (the first building designed in the country following an ecological approach), the Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (inspired by the church of La Madeleine, in Paris) and the Bolivar Plaza (recently remodeled, and built for the leisure and recreation of Antímano citizens).

“Recreating history”: The House of Guzmán Blanco was the ideal setting for young participants to re-enact different milestones in the history of Antímano using recyclable materials.

“Throw in your suggestions” allowed the youths to identify the main problems of their community and to design proposals to solve them

Speech: How to be strategic and successful at university?

In another event held in Caracas, members of Fundación Telefónica's Youth Program were accompanied by a group of psychologists from the "Centro de Asesoramiento y Desarrollo Humano” (Centre for Counseling and Human Development) of the Andrés Bello Catholic University, learning which are the variables that influence their academic performance.

In an environment characterized by cordiality and trust, and inspired by the feeling of being understood, the youths reflected on themselves and shared experiences that allowed them to clearly illustrate the influence of the variables they identified.

Highlighted variables included anxiety, depression and social support; they expressed how, when they feel very nervous, sad, or when surrounded by fellow students that do not care as much about academic issues, it is harder for them to concentrate and optimize the time spent studying. They also learned about the need to organize their time and set priorities based on how hard each subject they study is for them.

Conveying in a schedule the way they currently allocate their time helped them to think about better ways to get organized, and therefore fight for their well-being. In this sense, the importance of keeping healthy habits such as eating well, sleeping enough, sharing with friends and family, leisure and sports was emphasized.
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Lima, 24 April 2012.- Estimates show that over 2 million youths in Peru believe they could earn more money if they started their own business. However, according to the First National Peruvian Youth Survey, 71.7% of them lack the required funding to carry out their business initiatives.

Faced with this reality, Fundación Telefónica, through its Youth Program, signed an agreement in order to become one of the strategic partners of “Obra: Alianzas por la juventud”. The project comprises 21 organizations that encourage youth entrepreneurship, better educational opportunities, and a healthy lifestyle among young people aged 15 to 29 years, in rural and urban areas.

Thanks to this agreement, the 1,247 members of Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Program, as well as those that will join in the future, will have the opportunity to attend the national workshops and meetings to promote digital literacy, decent youth employment, and new businesses, among other issues. At the same time, the companies comprising “Obra: Alianzas por la juventud” will offer funding to the young entrepreneurs who wish to engage in innovative projects.

The aim is to increase the impact of successful social interventions, and to promote a collaborative learning approach between public and private institutions that share the same goals. Thus, it will be possible to continue to increase the constant flow of knowledge, benefiting young people.

The initiative originated after a public address by Barack Obama

The network “Obra: Alianzas por la juventud” is an initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), launched in 2009 by the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its objective is to build alliances between state entities and the private sector, to raise the level of reflection on issues related to young people in risky situations, in order to improve their education, their employment prospects and their ability to face life.

The project was launched after a speech delivered by US President Barack Obama in the Summit of the Americas, which took place in 2009, where he stressed the need to focus efforts on broadening educational and employment opportunities for the Latin American youth.

In this sense, the IYF, with the support of the USAID, developed an international program called Obra. After several months of work on the elaboration of an Action Plan, and the compilation of successful experiences, Obra: Alianzas por la Juventud, was launched to the public.

• This is the first time in which Spanish, as a language, has been the object of an economic study, with a sufficiently representative sample of countries: the book analyzes the results of the gravitational model, based on a 51-country sample, 11 of which are Spanish speaking.

• At a global scale, Spanish is a powerful commercial exchange catalyst, in a percentage higher than English is among English-speaking countries, as it helps lower transaction and information costs, in a way similar to a common currency.

• It also helps to reduce the psychological gap, favouring migratory and economic movements: due to its international nature, it ranks second, behind English, and ahead of Chinese, thanks to its level of cosmopolitanism.

• Our language is a broad “economic bridge”, which connects not only the vast American subcontinent, but both sides of the Atlantic, with Spain at the forefront.

Madrid, 24 April 2012.- Trade between two countries increases by 300% if they both belong to the pan-Hispanic community of nations and share Spanish as a language, according to the book by Juan Carlos Jiménez and Aránzazu Narbona, El español en los flujos económicos internacionales (Spanish in International Economic Flows), a new addition to the Fundación Telefónica / Ariel Collection.

The study, which indicates that the purchasing power of the vast Spanish-speaking condominium represents 9% of the world’s GDP, defines our language as a broad “economic bridge”, connecting not only the vast American subcontinent, but also both sides of the Atlantic, with Spain at the forefront.

The book is published within the context of the project “El valor económico del español: una empresa multinacional (Economic Value of Spanish: a Multinational Company)”, launched in 2006, and was presented at the Instituto Cervantes by Víctor García de la Concha, Director of the institute; Javier Nadal, Executive Vicepresident of Fundación Telefónica; José Luis García Delgado, co-director of the project and professor of Applied Economics at the Complutense University of Madrid; Juan Carlos Jiménez, co-author of the book, co-director of the project and tenured lecturer of Applied Economics at the University of Alcalá, and Emilio Ontiveros, chairman of AFI and professor of Economics at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

This is the first time in which Spanish is targeted by an economic study based on a sufficiently representative sample: the book analyzes the results of the gravitational model of 51 countries, 11 of which are Spanish speaking. The authors conclude that Spanish is a powerful commercial exchange booster in the world, in a percentage higher than English among English-speaking countries, as it helps lower transaction an information costs, in a way similar to a common currency.

Spanish, a key factor of economic rapprochement

On the other hand, Spanish helps to narrow psychological gaps, encouraging economic and migratory movements within a large linguistic condominium with nearly 450 million speakers, its essential asset. In fact, to assess the value of Spanish, it is necessary to consider its multiplying effects over large migratory, trade and capital flows.

The book, in its different chapters, covers subjects such as Spanish purchasing power, its capacity as an economic rapprochement agent, the significance of the language as a determining factor for bilateral flows, or the interrelationship between language and direct investment. In the same way as a common currency does, a shared language has the property of broadening markets, and facilitating transactions by both reducing their costs and narrowing psychological gaps, thus encouraging all types of economic movements, fro international investments, direct or portfolio, to migratory movements themselves.

Juan Carlos Jiménez and Aránzazu Narbona have built and developed an analytical basis to explain the differential value of Spanish as a major language for international communication, based on the research of its multiplying effects over large direct-investment flows and international trade flows. If sharing a language means, at a worldwide trade level, a multiplying factor of almost 190% for transactions between the countries that share it, applying it within the pan-Hispanic community of nations increases bilateral trade between them almost by 300% (even more than English among English-speaking countries). As regards Direct Foreign Investment (DFI), sharing a language triplicates the direct investment flows between the countries that share it.

Furthermore, Spanish adds a multiplying effect, thanks to its essential quality as a club asset. Another element that helps perceive the true measure of a language’s value is its international relevance, and in this aspect Spanish is only second to English, ahead of Chinese, thanks to its cosmopolitanism.

A language is an asset that does not wear out with use; on the contrary, the more people use it, the more valuable and useful it becomes. In addition, its differential value depends on the number of speakers and their economic level, which determine the intensity of their exchanges and the economic power of a language as compared to other languages: this is an essential asset of Spanish, being a major language for international communication

Conclusions

Spanish is an asset that brings several hundred million people closer, which translated into increased levels of commercial exchange between countries; it is also a useful work tool, both for international companies, which operate and engage in business without linguistic barriers in at least twenty countries, and for hundreds of thousands of migrants.

It is also a language that has a direct boosting effect on highly dynamic industries – cultural and teaching industries in particular, followed by telecommunications –, in the current world, a source of wealth and employment.

Guatemala, 23 April 2012.- Telefónica Guatemala Volunteers organized a craft activity to celebrate Friendship Day with the school children.

The school, Escuela Rincón de la Piedra, located in the municipality of Palencia, Guatemala, is attended by an average number of 270 primary school children, of which 144 boys and girls, in years 1 to 3, had the opportunity to spend some fun time with Telefónica Volunteers, working on the activity they had prepared to carry out with the chidlren of the school.

The main purpose of the activity carried out by Telefónica Volunteers was to teach the boys and girls of Escuela Rincón de la Piedra that everyone has a lot of materials at home that can be recycled or reused, which we can do lots of things with, and which, just by decorating them, can be used for different purposes, as well as the importance of being good friends.

Each boy and girl was provided with a Jumbo Roll base, a square of thick cardboard, one or two red, white or pink temperas, a paintbrush, a strip of corrugated paper, and a transfer sheet to make their piece of craftwork; a pencil holder.

During the activity, the children were joined by teachers, the headmistress of the School and NGO workers, who helped Telefónica Volunteers ensuring that all the children paid attention and followed the instructions in the preparation of their pencil holder.

Additionally, each boy and girl of Escuela Rincón de la Piedra was treated to a nutritious snack, in what was a delightful moment that Telefónica Volunteers were able to share with the children.

Guatemala, 20 April 2011.- Fundación Telefónica through its Telefónica Volunteers program, organized an activity so that 105 boys and girls of the Saquitacaj school, in the municipality of San José Poaquil, in Chimaltenango could visit the La Aurora National Zoo.

The activity took place last Friday, 20 April, at the facilities of the La Aurora Zoo, which is ranked as one of the best in Central America, spanning over 16 blocks of land and gardens, which make it one of the largest lungs in the City of Guatemala.

The mission of the zoo is to ensure and promote the preservation and survival of all animal species, both native to the country or exotic, and to contribute to the recreation of the people of Guatemala, in a natural and stimulating environment.

Telefónica Guatemala Volunteers, aiming to promote this preservationist and caring message among Proniño children, coordinated the activity to provide them with a space in which to learn while having fun, share knowledge and develop activities, turning the visit into a very special moment for every single kid.

The tour through the zoo’s facilities helped build up the excitement among the kids, who were able to learn more about the diversity of nature in our country, enjoyed themselves, and, above all, understood the importance of, and were really motivated to, preserving all animal species and to study more about them.
Besides the tour through the park, Telefónica Volunteers also arranged everything so that the children could attend a show at the Panchorizo theater, and enjoy some mechanical attractions at the park. The children’s joy was evident in their faces, and was reflected in the appreciation messages sent by the Principal, teachers and PRODI personnel to Fundación Telefónica, for the opportunity that they had been offered to take part in a different and fun activity.

The collaboration and involvement of the Volunteers was remarkable at all times. They devoted themselves entirely to caring for the Proniño Program children, who, in order to organize the event were divided into groups of 8 children each, which helped both Telefónica Volunteers and Proniño Program children to share unforgettable moments.

The visit to the zoo started at 09:10 am, when children were allowed into the facilities, visiting the theater at first, to enjoy the 50-min odd presentation. Then they visited the food court with the volunteers, and were treated to a snack by Telefónica Volunteers, to then embark on the tour through the Zoo, to enjoy the diversity of animals it holds. Finally, they were able to enjoy themselves at Esquilandia’s mechanical attractions. The visit ended at 1.30 pm.

Proniño

Proniño’s goal is to contribute to the eradication of child labor by providing schooling for boys and girls. The programme is active in 14 Latin American countries where Telefónica operates, benefiting over 280,000 children and adolescents. To date, the program benefits over 32,500 children in the eleven regions of the country.

Managua, 20 April 2012.- Within its Corporate Responsibility program, a group of Telefónica Volunteers, with support from Movistar, the Town Council and Fundación Nicaragüense para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Fundenic – Nicaraguan Foundation for Sustainable Development), engaged in a cleaning day at the San Juan de Sur bay, to contribute to the beauty and preservation of one of the country’s most beautiful beaches.

Throughout the morning, over 130 people, including Telefónica Volunteers, and students from Universidad Americana, Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales (University of Trade Sciences), and Youth Center/Centro Juvenil Don Bosco, collected solid waste, such as cigarette butts and matches, which are carried by currents and pose a threat to marine species.

The cleaning day came to an end with a closing speech delivered by Mr. Jorge Sánchez, Mayor of San Juan del Sur, during which he expressed the importance of the activity, as it promotes the sustainable development of the port, and the preservation of the environment. Fabio Buitrago, representing Fundenic, stressed that through volunteer involvement it is possible to raise the level of awareness among the local population and visiting tourists.

“We continue to get strongly involved in actions that benefit the environment, with a serious and sustainable commitment to work in Nicaragua’s favor." For this purpose, we always seek to establish links with high-quality and potential allies, such as Fundenic and the San Juan del Sur City Council, with whom we will be able to guarantee a positive impact on society”, declared Catalina Chávez, Expert in Corporate Responsibility at Telefónica Nicaragua.

• Today, there are 14 million children working in Latin America: 10% of the children in the region –141 million –, of which 9.4 engage in hazardous tasks that compromise their physical and mental health.

• The purpose of this wide, open and participative space is to gather and share experiences and lessons learnt in different parts of Latin America regarding the prevention and elimination of child labour.

• The Congress is divided into four stages: the first one, taking place in June and hosted in Ecuador, will address issues concerning the Andean region; in Nicaragua, in October, the issues covered will concern Central America; in March 2013 the focus will turn on the situation in Mexico; and the final one, in June 2013, in Brazil, will tackle issues affecting the Southern Cone.

• The virtual meetings will take place one month prior to the on-site events, and will continue fifteen days after the conclusion of the latter, to foster the sharing of experiences and conclusions arising or obtained during the on-site event: the virtual stage will begin on 7 May at www.redcontraeltrabajoinfantil.com, and will conclude with the first onsite meeting, on 7 June in Ecuador.

Madrid, 19 April 2012.- Fundación Telefónica, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), i promoting this event as a broad, open and participative space aimed at gathering and sharing experiences and lessons learnt in Latin American countries regarding the eradication and prevention of child labour, as preliminary work to the forthcoming World Conference against Child Labour, which will take place in Brazil in 2013.

Through this congress, Fundación Telefónica aims to promote the social, institutional and political conditions that will foster the fight against child labour in Latin America, in order to increase its level of effectiveness, as the goals of the congress, shared by Fundación Telefónica, include eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

The virtual meetings will take place at www.redcontraeltrabajoinfantil.com one month prior to the on-site events, and will continue fifteen days after the conclusion of the latter, to foster the sharing of experiences and conclusions. The virtual stage will begin on 7 May, and will conclude with the first onsite meeting, on 7 June in Ecuador.

Aim: to eradicate the worst forms of child labour, prior to the World Conference on Child Labour, that will take place on 2013, in Brazil

Fundación Telefónica has conceived the 4th Congress as a participative, learning and consensus process involving the most representative Latin American agents and institutions on the matter. The Congress will be developed throughout 2012 and 2013, both through large onsite events –to be held in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Mexico and Brazil– and through a permanent and collaborative virtual space in the platform of the Latin American Network against Child Labour (www.redcontraeltrabajoinfantil.com), jointly promoted by Fundación Telefónica and the ILO.

Each one of the debates envisaged in the 4th Congress will not only benefit from the virtual and collaborative online virtual work, but will contribute with the conclusions, agreements, and commitments generated through the onsite events. The Congress is divided into four stages, one for each Latin American sub-region, and based on its specific characteristics: the June meeting, in Ecuador, will address issues concerning the Andean region; the Nicaragua meeting, in October, the issues covered will concern Central America; in March 2013 the focus will turn on the situation in Mexico; and the final one, in June 2013, in Brazil, will tackle issues affecting the Southern Cone.

Fundación Telefónica against child labour

14 million children, aged 5 to 17, currently work in Latin America, 10% of the children in the region –141 million–, of which 9.4 engage in hazardous tasks that compromise their physical and mental health.

Eradicating child labour has become an international commitment, shared by governments, social organizations, researchers, professors, companies, families and members of the community in general.
Faced with this reality, Fundación Telefónica, whose mission is to contribute to development by providing access to knowledge through its own social innovation projects based on the new technologies and collaborative networks, aimed especially at children and the youth, includes among its key social objectives the improvement of educational quality and knowledge through ICTs and the eradication of child labour in Latin America.

Fundación Telefónica understands that the previous objectives can only be achieved by raising the awareness and mobilizing society and institutions, significantly contributing to increasing the effectiveness of public policies protecting childhood, the families and a decent employment. Thus, being a global foundation, its action is developed in the countries where Telefónica operates: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in Latin America, and in Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom and the Czech Republic in Europe.

Lima, 16 April 2012.- Jóvenes Fundación Telefónica Perú was one of the participants in the debate organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on youth employment. The goal of the discussions, which will take place in 46 countries, is to listen to opinions on how to tackle the unemployment and informality problems affecting young people throughout the world.

The national forums, which started on 6 March, reached Peru two weeks ago. The discussion, in which we took part, yielded some interesting insights on the current youth unemployment situation. Peru is one of 11 Latin American countries taking part in the forums.

This initiative is a prelude to the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference to be held in Geneva. The ILO wants to know what youngsters have to say about the situation they are facing in the labour markets and the possible solutions to this problem.

Problem: a threat to social cohesion

According to ILO data, there are currently 75m youngsters in the world out of work and more than 150m live on less than $1.25 a day. The Organisation has warned that this situation might lead to a “lost generation” and has remarked that this poses a threat for social cohesion.

In Latin America and the Caribbean the position of youngsters is also a source of worry. The urban youth unemployment rate stands at 14.9 percent, which more than doubles the overall 6.8 percent rate and triples the current 5 percent adult unemployment rate. On the other hand, it is estimated that 6 out of every 10 youngsters that manage to get a job are stuck in informal jobs with poor working conditions and low wages.

The ILO's national consultations will culminate in an important Forum on Youth Employment to take place in May and in which almost one hundred kids belonging to employers', workers' and youth organisations from all over the world will take part.

Jóvenes Fundación Telefónica tries to offers alternatives and support for those who are transitioning into adult life. Our objective is that our youngsters acquire professional skills, develop an enterprising attitude and learn how to work online.

Caracas, 16 April 2012.- “Psicomecánicos y otras proposiciones” (Psychomechanics and Other Proposals), a solo exhibition by Asdrúbal Colmenárez, brings together a selection of the author's recent output, who on this occasion tackles the use of machines for artistic creation. This exhibition, which is sponsored by Fundación Telefónica, includes electromechanical devices, boxes that can be touched and handled, magnetic items and videos which use different media ranging from paper to projections on the walls of the gallery.

The series of drafting machines that go by the name of Drawintor and combine the power from electrical motors and the energy generated by the viewers to create drawings on flat surfaces is a highlight of the exhibition. Resized versions of the psychorelative pieces, arranged relief-like on walls or horizontally like gambling tables, are also exhibited. Likewise, the exhibition includes a large-format psychomagnetic and a monumental-scale, graffiti-inspired psychograffitiearth, both made of sheet steel and metal dust on magnetised sheets. Furthermore, the work Círculo de levitación (Levitation Circle) (2012), a 3D mixed-media proposal where the author recreates the relationship between art and language, is also shown.

Born in Trujillo in 1936 and living in Paris since 1968, Colmenárez views the artwork as a tool for playful and intellectual interaction where sensitivity and invention converge. Taking this principle as a starting point, the exhibition “Psychomechanics and Other Proposals” proposes a sort of kinematic automatism that combines the cognitive and action aspects while giving plenty of leeway to random configurations. Human body and machine complement each other to leave a print where turns, oscillations and shifts (in which discontinuous patterns and instinctive variations alternate) are seen. Regardless of the results, the meaning of these pieces is the recording of the psychomechanical exchange process that takes place between the individual and the technical artefact.

In this occasion, Colmenárez not only gives continuity to an artistic endeavour lasting almost four decades but also brings to the fore some subjects which have great currency in contemporary society such as the utopia of participatory art, the role of playfulness, the concept of language and the impact of technology on art processes.

Fundación Telefónica has just finished showing for the first time in Venezuela Telefónica's Contemporary Photography Collection, an exhibition which had more than 9,000 visitors at Los Galpones from 13 November 2011 to 26 February 2012.