Fundación Telefónica presents in ARCOMadrid 2012 the winning works of the VIDA 13.2 Awards, the Art & Artificial Life International Contest, which, from its inception, over a decade ago, has become one of the most prestigious awards in the field of media art, reflecting the growing interest of artists for the increasingly diffuse frontier between the notions of life and artificial life.

In this occasion, the first prize was awarded to Naked on Pluto, by Marloes de Valk, Aymeric Mansoux, and Dave Griffiths, all from the Netherlands, an online game that mocks the deceitfully invasive nature of most “social
software” platforms. 

Ocular Revision, the Second Prize, by Paul Vanouse, from the US, is the third one in a series of Biological/Genomic works that use DNA and a gel-based electrophoresis system as medium and subject. With this live installation, Vanouse addresses the idea of a “genetic mapping” and reflects on the ever changing focus/object in “life” studies within scientific disciplines.

Protei by César Harada, from France, took the Third Prize. Protei is a self-governing unmanned wind-powered sail-robot, which drags a long petrol-sucking boom, using the power of nature to solve a problem caused by man.

Information:

Dates: From 16th to 19th February
Venue: Hall 10, stand 10G30 Juan Carlos I Fairground




 

Guatemala City, 6th February 2012.- The schools, located in the communities of Los Manantiales, Chichimuch and Xesampual, in Santa Lucía Utatlán, Sololá, needed to have their roofs repaired, their water channels and downpipes treated, and their electrical systems upgraded, as well as some painting.

José Antonio Fernández Valbuena, Director of Fundación Telefónica, highlighted that these educational centres are part of the Proniño programme, which aims to contribute to securing schooling for working children and adolescents.

Teresa Ligorría, representative of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) took advantage of the works' opening ceremony in the Mixed Rural Official School in Xesampual, to hand out school material, backpacks and clothing. This school has also enabled a computer lab, to improve the education of the students.

For his part, Mr Pedro Chávez Yaxón, School Principal, expressed his satisfaction for the improvements achieved, which will help to raise the education level.

Caracas, 1st February 2012.-  The Collection, which showcases 39 works from 28 noteworthy creators of international level, will continue showing in Periférico Caracas, for the enjoyment of anyone who has not had the opportunity yet to visit this assortment of photographs selected among Telefónica’s artistic heritage.

Photographer Luis Molina Pantin recently stated that the most important exhibition of 2011 was Telefónica’s. “It was obviously the most important in terms of photography. Not since 1993 had so many key figure works been featured under the same roof. It is a luxury”, he pointed out.

The 39 selected photographs, include works by notable international creators, such as Cindy Sherman, Mona Hatoum, Helena Almeida, John Coplans, and Olafür Eliasson, to name a few. In this sense, it reflects how the paradigm in visual culture is shifting – especially over the course of these last few decades – when photography, film and video become instruments of artistic value.

The Inception of the Collection

Established in 2002, “Telefónica’s Contemporary Photography Collection” was originated with the aim of reflecting this area of emancipation as of which photography reasserted its validity as vehicle for artistic expression, freeing itself from its documentary role. The shift in the paradigm that transformed visual culture as a result of this new approach opened a new ground for one of the most prolific fields of creation and experimentation in the History of Art.

From analogical to digital photography, the new technologies applied to art are present in this ever-evolving project which is “Telefónica’s Contemporary Photography Collection”, just as it includes key examples of the photography’s formal relationship with performing or social documentation. Different genres anchored in the roots of the History of Art, such as the portrait, landscapes, and architectural photography are part of a body of work that covers subjects typical of contemporary art, from the recovery of the historic memory, to social criticism, the criticism of artistic processes, or the use of the body as a platform for plastic communication.

“Telefónica’s Contemporary Photography Collection” can be visited at Periférico Caracas (8th Transversal with Av. Ávila, Los Chorros) until 29th February 2012. Admissions are free.

Bogota, 31st January 2012.- Edgar Rodríguez Ramos was born in the beautiful bay of Cartagena de Indias, in Colombia, is 23 years old and has just completed his degree as musical technician. His passion permeates his studies, his everyday life, and his career: he dreams about becoming a Christian music singer. His dedication and skills have turned him into a quite popular figure in his neighbourhood.

Edgar’s Experience

Doctor Krapula is one of the groups in Colombia that is most highly committed to the eradication of child labour, collaborating with Proniño. During one of their concerts, at a school in Cartagena, Edgar had the opportunity to meet the band members.

In private, he took his guitar out and played “Seguiré” for the band, the same song he had played for a 700 strong crowd during the First National Meeting of Fundación Telefónica Colombia Youths, within the context of the 2nd World Summit for Youth Volunteers. A few days after, Edgar was travelling to Bogota to record the same song in a professional music studio.

Once the song was finished, Edgar shared what his experience had been in a few words: “Great! Awesome! I thought it was going to be complicated, but it wasn’t. It was amazing, Doctor Krapula’s crew were just wonderful to me, and were very supportive. I had a blast!”.

The song is not finished yet, but it is expected to be ready for inclusion in some audiovisual piece of the Fundación Telefónica’s Youth Programme.

Keep On Working

Edgar’s achievement is just another step in the road full of dreams that he has envisioned for himself. He will keep on working on what he likes the most, music, and he hopes to be able to study to become a sound engineer.

However, he will not set his other dream aside: to be of as much help as he can in his neighbourhood, especially among younger residents, who, like him, cherish great dreams.

• A new figure is emerging: the permanent digital communicator. Over one million Spaniards remain connected to social networks in real time.

• E-books, television and the mobile phone were the drivers of the digital transition in Spanish households

• in 2011. Thus, 45.5% of electronic books, 39% of 3D TVs and 38% of smartphones were purchased over the course of the last year.

• The new digital life profile: multidevice, in real-time, personal, ubiquitous, intensive, social, mobile, and spontaneous.

• Spain, along with the United Kingdom, is the European leader in the use of smartphones. 46.3% of mobile phones in our country are already smartphones.  

• The smartphone is becoming the most versatile device to access digital contents, with significant figures as a platform for web browsing (14.5%) gaming (21.9%), and e-book reading (2.4%) .

• Social networks drive the concept of a “long-tail” in relationships by increasing the average number of regular contacts to 25 people, up from 7 with fixed phones.

• 5.5% of SMEs and independent contractors use Cloud-based services, and 4.4% manage M2M applications.

Madrid, Wednesday, 25th January 2012.- The report highlights the fact that 2011 was a year in which Spain’s Information Society took a decisive step towards a digital lifestyle mainly as a result of the increase in the digitalisation of content and activities beyond entertainment, which grew by 34%. As detailed in the data collected by Telefónica, cultural and productive activities such as education, reading (both of newspapers and books) and Public Administration procedures were the areas in which digital formats gained the most ground over the last year.

By activity, 13.4m Spaniards already get their news from on-line newspapers, while 6.6m read e-books, and 12.3m carry out their Public Administration procedures on-line. Thus, the growth of these actions complemented audiovisual consumption habits as the traditional driver for the advent of digital lifestyles in Spain. As the report concludes, during the last year, the reading of e-books increased by 53.7%, of digital newspapers by 38.7%, Public Administration procedures by 36% and training courses by 50%. Likewise, the internet already surpasses traditional media in terms of use of street-maps and maps, searches for travel-related information, and publication and search for advertisements for second-hand articles.

E-commerce is another one of the key drivers in the evolution of Spanish society towards digital consumption, with a 23.1% increase in turnover as compared to 2010, which translated into a total of EUR 2,055 million during the first quarter of 2011 . Travel is still the main target of expenditure in e-commerce, although concepts that used to be much less receptive to online business, such as clothing and education, are also growing notably. To reflect the importance of the sector, it is worth mentioning the ROPO (Research Online, Purchase Offline) effect.

In Spain, the number of purchases that are “researched” online, and completed offline is 2.7 times larger than online purchases.

Spain surpasses the European average in social networks

Another of the key trends that characterise the behaviour of internet users during 2011 has been the move towards a new phenomenon which has emerged from the internet: the permanent digital communicator, users that exchange information in real time, who already exceed one million people in Spain, or 9.2 per cent of social network users. Being a “permanent communicator” entails an intensive use of the Internet beyond connecting several times a day, and represents a change in the behavioural model of users, who now share experiences on an ongoing basis.

As reflected in the report, this trend will be consolidated over the next few years, as 29.3% of social network users intend to increase their use or join new networks, as compared to 18.5% who aim to reduce their presence.

Spanish internet users are adopting internet-specific social habits at an intensive rate. During the last year, the percentage of users keeping their social network profiles updated and visiting them on a regular basis has increased by 17 percentage points (pp), from 39% to 56%, and that of users joining an “online conversation” has increased by 21 pp, from 28% to 49%.

Spaniards are also much more active than European users. Specifically, Spain exceeds the average of the Europe 7 by 7 pp in users creating web content, by 8 pp in users engaging in conversations, by 8 pp in users voicing their opinions or posting comments, by 9 pp in users gathering information, and by 10 pp in users who keep social network profiles and visit them regularly.

The progressive digitalisation of Spanish society is also evident in the way interpersonal communications are
changing. Thus, social networks have become the third means of communication among the youth, second only to mobile and face-to-face communications. On an age basis, it is worth highlighting that among the young, this digital trend has not come at the cost of face-to-face communications, which has grown by more than 2 pp.

However, a decline in face-to-face communication among people aged 65 and above has been detected, while other means such as the mobile phone or the e-mail are growing.

These new ways of communicating foster the application of the “long-tail” phenomenon to social relationships, due to the notable increase of the circles with which users communicate on a frequent basis. In this sense, social networks, with 25 contacts, already exceed face-to-face relationships (22.7 contacts), standing way above mobile phone communications (10.3), SMS (9.6 contacts), and fixed line calls (7.2).

Spaniards are digitalising their habits and households

The smartphone is the star of the development which has been achieved, thanks to the significant level of adoption of this device in Spain. Accordingly Spain, along with the United Kingdom, leads the European ranking in terms of use, with a penetration of 46.3% . On the other hand, global sales of smartphones have exceeded computer sales for the first time ever: Specifically, during the second quarter of 2011, the amount of smartphones sold in the world was 107 million phones, compared to the 85 million PCs sold.

In terms of content consumption, a great leap towards digitalisation has taken place in 2011, during which it became a more multi-device, simultaneous, personal, ubiquitous, intensive, social, mobile and spontaneous action.

According to data from Telefónica, 52.4% of consumers who access multimedia content do so through television, 27.8% through mobile phones, 37.9% desktop PCs, and 42.6% laptops. The report also points out that 36.2% of multimedia content users and 37.4% of gamers are browsing online while consuming said content. In the case of younger consumers, this trend is even more marked, with more than half of them (53.4%) browsing online while consuming multimedia content.

This significant transformation in the way content is consumed has been possible thanks to the availability ofoffers combining access to fixed and mobile networks, as a result of which users have been able to connect anytime, anywhere by means of different terminals.

As regards household adoption, e-books, television and smartphones are key devices in the adaptation to the digital world, with a significant percentage of terminals purchased over the last year. Thus, 45.5 per cent of households with an e-book purchased it during 2011, 3D TV and Internet TV is recent in 39% of cases, while smartphones in 38% and HD-TV in 23.5.

The level of maturity of the Spanish digital society has allowed it to reach 23.2 million internet users aged 16 to 74, of whom 16.6 million are already intensive (i.e. daily) users; 7.8% more than in 2010. The conclusions of the report confirm the trend hinted at during the previous year regarding the dynamism of the segment of people aged 45-54, with a growth of 5 pp, which translates into an adoption level of 65.1%.

As regards access technology, fixed broadband continues to grow, achieving 5.2% during the last year, with 11.1 million lines in Spain. The development of the fibre optics has been instrumental for this development, with growth rates of over 220% in 2011, although its penetration level is still at 1.4%.

In 2011, 63.9% of Spanish households were already equipped with internet access, up from 59.1% the previous year.

Of the 9.9 million family dwellings with internet access, 9.6 million already use broadband. Of the total number of households, 74.9% access the internet through ADSL, while 15.8% do so through the cable network.

On the other hand, the total number of mobile broadband lines hit 16.07 million in September 2011, a 33% increase compared to the end of 2010. Therefore the ratio of mobile broadband lines per person surpasses that of fixed broadband, with 34.8 lines vs. 23.6 lines, respectively. In September 2011, a total of 12.45 million mobile phones were actively connected, 43% more than the previous year.

The penetration of mobile internet in Spain stands at 20%, while the EU-27 average is 11% . The percentage of households with broadband connection through mobile networks in Spain amounted to 13.1% of households with internet, or 12% more than the previous year.

Throughout the previous year, the use of the internet has also evolved towards a new stage characterised by the range of available options. As regards the access device of choice, the mobile phone has stolen the show, with 26.1% of Internet users going online via their handsets, although the personal computer is still the most popular access device (98.8% of Internet users). At the same time, connection is becoming more ubiquitous, with 22.8% of users connecting either from their homes or from other places.

Intelligent cities and connected SMEs

One of the novel aspects within the evolution of the Information Society in Spain in 2011 was the development of multiple pioneering initiatives in the field of smart cities. These digital platforms allow the maximising of the economy, society, the environment, and well-being of cities, and facilitate the transition towards an increasingly sustainable behaviour. In this sense, Fundación Telefónica’s study entitled “Smart Cities: un primer paso hacia la Internet de las cosas (A First Step Towards the Internet of Things)” concluded that through the application of ICTs, cities could be saving up to 10% in  electric power consumption, 7% of private water consumption and 17% of atmospheric CO2 emissions  by managing traffic properly.  From a business perspective, 2011 was marked by the importance lent by companies to network connectivity, regardless of their size, with a notable increase in data services, both in fixed, with an increase of 4 pp, and mobile broadband, with 7 pp. Overall, 87% of SMEs (from 50 to 199 employees) have mobile broadband access.

The smartphone is the key driver for mobile broadband, with an increase of 8.4 pp. As regards SMEs and Independent Contractors, in the last year penetration increased by 38.5%, and almost of one third of this business segment already has smartphones.

As regards more advanced services, one of the key features is the level of implementation among Spanish SMEs and independent contractors of Cloud-based services and Machine to Machine (M2M) applications. The data gathered by Telefónica show that the use of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications is already a reality, with 5.5% of SMEs and independent contractors using them, a percentage that increases to 21.5% in the case of larger companies. 4.4% of companies in this segment have rolled out M2M technologies, and this percentage increases to 21% in larger SMEs.

The evolution towards a digital lifestyle encompasses all the key sectors of the Information Society in Spain. In the field of healthcare, Spanish internet users are also beginning to adopt advanced practices, and already 46.6% of users resort to the internet to engage in health-related activities. During 2011 we also witnessed an increase in the use of m-health applications, and the social use of the internet to share health-related experiences.

The e-Administration also continues to progress in terms of availability and level of sophistication of its services. 92% of the administrative procedures of the General Administration of the State are already available online. Also, its citizen-oriented services reach 97% of sophistication, and those devoted to companies 100%. These rates stand above the European average figures, which are 87% and 94%, respectively.

The importance of the internet for dealings with the Administration is increasing in Spain, where 31% of citizens use the internet to look for information, a percentage that exceeds the EU-27 average, which stands at 28%. The most frequent digital procedures are payment of taxes (42.2%), requests for documentation (35.2%) and the submission of applications (16.9%).  

Madrid, 24th January 2012.- The “Journey into the heart of the Guernica” project will be carried out without the need of touching the painting, and with the aim of putting the results at the disposal of all sorts of publics, using the most innovative multimedia tools. For the project, a 9 metre long and 3.5 metre high computer controlled robotic automatism has been designed and built, capable of moving in front of the painting with an accuracy of 25 microns, and equipped with different sensors and cameras which, during the painting’s scanning process, will take millions of extremely-high resolution images and absolutely accurate data, a good number of them unknown up till now. The pictures will be taken using the latest technological advances in visible light, multispectral infrared, ultraviolet light, spectral reflectography, and 3D scanning.

Significance of an unprecedented study

This is the first time in which a Cartesian robot of these dimensions has been built to scan images taken from a work of art. Also, it can be said that we will be witnessing the carrying out of an unprecedented study, not only because of the development and use of this modern automated system for capturing digital images in extremely high definition, but also because it boasts the latest technological innovations available for its purpose, offering a wide array of possibilities for rendering virtual recreations that will allow to show how the work is evolving from a material point of view. Thus, restorers will be capable of anticipating the deterioration of this work of art and will be able to work on its preservation in a more precise manner.

The last great research study on the preservation conditions of the Guernica was carried out in 1998 at the Reina Sofía Museum. On that occasion, the development of the study and its results were presented in the symposium “Guernica. Ethical and Technical Problems in the Manipulation of Works of Art”, and in the publication “Study on the preservation status of Picasso’s Guernica”. The recently launched project
will provide infinitely more accurate information on the work, and will allow to penetrate in its different layers in order to recreate the surface and discover aspects that remained unknown up until now, both in terms of their gestation, materials and techniques, preservation status, etc.

Project Stages

The “Journey into the heart of the Guernica” project began to take shape in 2009 with the research, identification of technical problems and suppliers, design and development of the Cartesian robot. Now, the painting be digitalized with the help of the robotic automatism through a process that, due to its complexity, will not be completed until June 2012.

Once this first stage has been completed, the images will be digitally processed, and contents will be generated for their study and publication in different formats, which will be made available both to the scientific community and to the public interested in gaining an insight into the materials and techniques of this essential work in the history of art in the 20th century. It will be possible to, for example, travel through the surface
of the painting in 3D, or overlap different layers of the different scans performed, in an exhilarating journey into the heart of the work.

As regards the robot, once it has finished with the Guernica, it will be taken back to the Museum’s Department of Preservation-Restoration in order to carry out the in-depth studies of other works of the Collection without having to touch them directly.

Panama, 23rd January 2012.- Over the course of two days, 50 participants, gathering from different parts of the
country, met in Punta Chame, a dream destination located 100 kilometres away from Panama City, to share life experiences and take part in a series of activities that, while entertaining, provided them with clear tools regarding teamwork and perseverance.

A history in the Telefónica family

One of the speakers that took the stand during the 1st Fundación Telefónica National Youth Meeting was Álvaro Visuetti, architect, specialising in projects and buildings for Telefónica Móviles Panamá and mentor of the programme. He is an active and professional young man that proves his commitment on a daily basis.

At age 15, Álvaro lost both legs in an accident.  Despite the trauma that an event of such scale could have entailed, he decided to move on and pursue his dreams. The message he wanted to share with the youths is that one should never give up on their dreams: “Life will always be full of obstacles, you may fall over many times, but you must get on your feet again, and keep going at it. Never give up on your dreams”

After speaking these words, Álvaro shared a video with the young audience showing some of the projects that he has designed, as well as pictures of him climbing mountains and volcanoes and piloting an airplane.  He added: “if I was able to do it, you don’t have an excuse for not even trying.”

Fun and reflection

Hand in hand with experts, the young attendees participated actively in each one of the activities proposed during the event; one of them required them to build a bridge, a task that did not seem easy at all, but which
they were able to achieve through teamwork.

Fundación Telefónica´s 1st National Youth Meeting in Panama was attended by those who had had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador for the International Meeting. Thus, they were able to share their experiences and encourage the other youths to pursue their dreams.

The event concluded with a performance by one of the young attendees, who interpreted a song he had written about the change that his life has gone through.

Lima, 20th January 2012.-Truth, solidarity, liberty and innovation; these were the four values that set the foundation for the 1st National Meeting of the Fundación Telefónica Youth Programme in Peru.  In Cuzco, 25 members of our network reflected, debated, shared and vibrated with each one of the activities that sought to strengthen these values, training leaders and finding the answer to the question set forth by one of Fundación Telefónica’s slogans, “knowledge to transform”… but, transform what?

Through creative languages such as drawing, painting and collages, and recreational and highly participative activities, the 25 Peruvian youths developed the profile of the ideal Fundación Telefónica young member, based on the four values that had been set forth. This is how they arrived at the conclusion that they needed knowledge to transform their environment, their social reality and their country.

As a surprising highlight of the event, and also to share his solidarity experience with Fundación Telefónica, Camo, the singer, arrived straight from Colombia, and shared his talent with the youths of the Network. The

moment, highly emotional, also encouraged the managers attending the meeting to share their personal development and commitment stories.

Upon conclusion of the event, the youths started designing the activities in which they will take part in 2012,
one of them being reaching out to other youths in their towns. The proposals will be validated with Fundación Telefónica’s local teams, to launch them during the new year.

Madrid, 13 January 2012 - Fundación Telefónica, in association with the NGO Development Coordinator (CONGDE), Pontifical Mission Societies, the Episcopal Missions Committee (CEM), and the Spanish Institute of Foreign Missions (IEME), have ensured that this Christmas 5,500 phone calls could be made by volunteers and missionaries working abroad and their families in Spain thanks to the free 900 123 500 service, handled by the Atento elephone service platform.

The initiative, which benefited thousands of Spanish families, allowed parents, spouses, siblings and children to contact volunteer family members abroad, offering them free calls with a maximum duration of 12 minutes. The calls were made through Movistar’s International Communications 1408 Service, 24 hours a day.

This Christmas, be close to your loved ones

The programme was run by Fundación Telefónica for the past 16 years, with nearly 170,000 free calls made to volunteers. During the 2011-2012 festive period, Madrid (877), Navarre (384) and Barcelona (317) were the three provinces which made the most calls, followed by Burgos, Valladolid, León, Saragossa, Biscay, Salamanca and Seville.

Most traffic, around 60%, focused on Latin American countries followed by Africa, with 26% of all calls, then Asia, Europe and Oceania. Peru (405), Venezuela (368), Cuba (304) and Mexico (288) were the most-called countries, followed by Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, India, Ecuador and Colombia. The Carmelite and Dominican religious orders were the organisations that received the most calls.

Together against the Recession

Fundación Telefónica continues to work for those that most need it. As a result, and as you will know, we are
working with Cáritas on the “Together against the Recession” campaign. This initiative seeks to alleviate the effects of the recession, a crisis which is clearly visible in Spain with unemployment standing at 4.5 million people.

So far, over 15,000 euros has been raised, with a further 15,000 euros to be donated by Fundación Telefónica to support the campaign. Your money will be used to undertake a number of projects that Cáritas Spain is carrying out in the field of primary care, offering urgent help - either goods or cash - where most needed; support to prevent people from losing their homes in the form of information, awareness raising and advisory services, as well as programmes encouraging employment through vocational training courses and self-employment initiatives.

Help us to help them!




 

Lima, 30 December 2011.- Telefónica Volunteers Peru, workers at Terra Networks, dedicated a day's work full of effort, commitment and joy to students at the Alto Peru School No. 1223 in Huachipa, in the San Juan de Lurigancho district in Lima province.

As soon as they had got off the bus, the Volunteers went over to the pergola under construction in order to close

off the floor, varnish the wooden columns, paint benches and footpaths; sow flower seeds and grass and paint the walls of the community Cultural Recreation Centre I, an area covering 30 m2 within the school grounds for the benefit of its students.

This recreation space had been commissioned by the General Manager of Terra Networks Peru, Ricardo León, and the

Head of Human Resources of Terra, María Pía Cabrejos, both of whom declared they were happy to have contributed to the overall development of Alto Peru School and the settlement of the same name.
Nelly Villegas Torres, a teacher of over 28 years standing and head of the school, expressed her thanks for the work undertaken by Fundación Telefónica and Terra Networks Peru in collaborating in the development of children's and adolescents' culture within the settlement.

“This space will serve as a fine example of the scope of the technical and cultural work that the students do, as
well as providing constant stimulation through their creativity. I am sure it will last for many generations to come”.

The Terra volunteers then gave a special present to the pupils who had joined the school that year as part of the
“Adopt a child and put a smile on their face this Christmas” programme. They also gave over 70 gifts of staple
rations to infant and primary school students, accompanied by their teachers and representatives of the local authorities.

Finally all present had a cup of hot chocolate and watched a song and dance contest before the volunteers bade their farewell having wished all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Managua, 22nd December 2011.- During their visit to the school, Telefónica Volunteers carried out different recreational activities with the children during the course of a joyful morning. Afterwards, volunteers handed out toys among the Rosa María Martínez School students.

“We feel proud of the charitable work carried out by Telefónica Volunteers, who collected the toys to give away smiles during Christmas time”, the organisers of the event said.

“This celebration is a symbolic way of closing a successful year at a schooling level, where we highlight Fundación Telefónica´s impact on educational quality”, said Juan Manuel Argüello, Country Manager for Telefónica Nicaragua.

Sports pitch opening

Fundación Telefónica also opened a sports pitch in the school, as part of the social and institutional improvement that it promotes within the schools where it engages. The ceremony was attended by Miriam Padilla, Vice Mayor of the city, who underscored the key support which Fundación Telefónica provides to the education of the children from Chinandega.

In this Western region, Fundación Telefónica’s activities cover the cities of Chinandega, Posoltega and Chichigalpa, where it also provides support to the “Efraín Tijerino, “Ricardo Morales Avilés” and “Rubén Darío” schools.

These schools have a Fundación Telefónica Classroom equipped with 16 computers, with access to Internet, multimedia environment, encyclopaedias and educational programmes, tools that allow students to become familiar with these new information and communication technologies.

• A Smart City is a city that uses ICTs to offer more interactive and efficient infrastructures and services to benefit its citizens, and enhance their living standards, cutting public expenditure and increasing efficiency.

• Key services include those dealing with urban mobility: real-time traffic management, mass transport systems, parking, vehicle fleets, the use of bicycles, supply tracking with RFID Technology (Radiofrequency identification), toll payment, electrical vehicle support, vehicle services, or the smart vehicle EU i2010.

• They also focus on the improvement of energy efficiency, sustainability, and the improvement of resource management, with solutions such as the Smart Energy Grid, which grants control over household electrical consumption by means of measuring devices connected to the Internet, the handling and collection of urban waste, or the measurement of environmental parameters.

• The improvement and development of the e-Administration and e-Particiaption, the Open Data movement, which seeks to increase Governance Openness, and the public emergency and civil protection services, are some of its advantages.

• In Spain, the current paradigm of smart cities is made up by five capitals: Málaga, Barcelona, Santander, Madrid and San Sebastián.

Barcelona, 20 December, 2011.- The cities that are already smart provide its citizens with interactive and networked public services, according to the report on Smart Cities: un primer paso hacia la internet de las cosas, published by Fundación Telefónica / Ariel, presented in Barcelona, and which offers some insight on the services and technologies of, and proposes the target models for, a Smart City.

The presentation was attended by Kim Faura, Director of Telefónica Cataluña; José de la Peña, Director of Networked Education and Knowledge of Fundación Telefónica; Pablo Rodríguez, Director of Telefónica’s R&D Centre in Barcelona; and Salvador Pérez Crespo, Manager of the Technological Observatory and Head of Communication for Telefónica R&D.

A Smart City is a city that uses the ICTs to offer more interactive and efficient infrastructures and services so that its citizens can benefit from them, and enjoy higher living standards, cutting public expenditure and increasing efficiency.

This context will provide the setting for the development of the Internet of things, and therefore the Internet of the future, which will not only entail increasing levels of connectivity between people, but a digital world where buildings, cars, household appliances, meters, etc. will be connected to each other and individuals will have access to this information in real time. In short, a “new networked reality”.

Integrating the use of ICTs in the evolution of a city will not only entail notable improvements in the provision of services, but will also represent a sustainable way for developing the economy of cities, and therefore of countries, over the course of the coming decades.

Main Services of the Smart City

Service highlights include those that focus on urban mobility: real-time traffic management, mass transport systems, parking, vehicle fleets, the use of bicycles, supply tracking with RFID Technology (Radiofrequency identification), toll payment, electrical vehicle support, vehicle services, or the smart  vehicle EU i2010.These solutions also address the improvement of energy efficiency, sustainability, and the improvement of resource management, with solutions such as the Smart Energy Grid, which provides control over household electrical consumption through measuring devices connected to the Internet, the handling and collection of urban waste, or the measurement of environmental parameters.

The improvement and promotion of e-Administration and e-Participation, the Open Data movement, that seeks to promote Governance Openness, public emergency and civil protection services, video surveillance, law enforcement, fire prevention and protection, remote-monitoring and remote healthcare (electronic clinical records), remote assistance and social services, public services, public healthcare, e-learning and remote working, e-tourism and cultural information services, e-Commerce are just some of the breakthroughs and advantages that smart cities will offer to citizens.

The concept of mobility makes reference to sustainability, safety, and efficiency of transport infrastructures and systems, as well as local, domestic and international accessibility. Some of the most outstanding solutions that are being developed in this area include MARTA (Movilidad y Automoción con Redes de Transporte Avanzadas – Mobility and Automation with Advanced Transport Networks) project, mobile applications such as Trànsit, which offers real-time access to traffic data, or the management models of means of inner-city transport , such as the one implemented in the London subway. Other solutions focus on parking management, fleets, bicycle use, tracking and logistics applications, toll payment, electrical vehicles, etc.

Due to an increase in energy prices and the climate change challenge it is essential to increase the efficiency of energy applications, while promoting renewable energies Many cities are already deploying the Smart Energy Grid, one of the major initiatives in Smart Cities. We have remarkable examples of applied solutions in the management of public infrastructures and buildings, such as the one implemented at the city of Lyon, yielding public lighting savings of up to 80%, or in Vitoria, enabling leak detection and pre-location capabilities. Another example is Bustia Ciudadana, an iPhone application that allows Barcelona citizens to report incidents in their neighbourhoods.

In short, all these and other services will be part of that internet of the future, where information and communication technologies will permeate all sectors and environments of human activity, increasing the accessibility and sustainability of the world.

Also, Smart Cities boost the economy and innovation, offering new business opportunities to entrepreneurs and local companies. According to the IDC Report, in a city with a population of 1 million inhabitants, business opportunities for the ICT industry may exceed the USD 700 million mark.

Quito, 20th December 2011.-  Telefónica Volunteers celebrated Christmas with over 600 children who are benefiting from the Proniño programme, an initiative which has been fighting against child labour in Ecuador for thirteen years. 

On 20th December in Mundo Juvenil (World of Youth), a day full of smiles and unity took place, in an event designed with special activities aimed at turning this Christmas into a time of fun and friendship.

The Christmas event between Telefónica Volunteers and participants of the Proniño programme aimed to integrate adults and children in order for them to take part in manual activities and have fun while celebrating the Christmas season, and sharing, yet another year of dreams come true for each child or teenager who has been able to leave work to enjoy their childhood.

Child labour deprives children and adolescents of their rights and interferes with their physical and mental development. It is a problem which affects Ecuador and all Latin American countries. The change still requires more commitment, and, for that reason, Fundación Telefónica, concerned about these indications, develops the Proniño programme which carries out actions to cater for sustainable, sustained and quality schooling for thousands of children and adolescents.

Fundación Telefónica manages and promotes the social action of its collaborators forming an international volunteer network in the countries in which Telefónica operates, allowing them to become direct agents of social change.
 

México City, 16th December 2011.- Abrígame (Cover Me) aims to provide warm clothes to those who have the least, giving them blankets and/or jumpers. This initiative encompasses the nine trading regions, distributing more than 2,500 blankets in region nine alone (Mexico City), and 5,000 in the whole country.

Volunteers not only hand out blankets, but become acquainted with the needs of each person, the community and it surroundings. They visit areas which are hard to reach, which is what joins the collaborators in a team that seeks to fulfil the objective of delivering, looking for the means for transportation once the official Telefónica lorry can no longer get access due to lack of roads or the narrow streets they visit.

Then it was Regalar Sonrisas (Giving Away Smiles) time, inviting children benefiting from the Proniño programme to visit Telefónica’s premises, although in some regions it was the Volunteers who visited some of the institutions that help people of limited means. The aim was to share time with Proniño children, carrying out a recreational activity with the involvement of each corporate department: for example, the SMEs Division carried out a rally, the Human Resources Division a race, among other activities.

Afterwards, the youngsters went to the canteen where they played with inflatable toys and games of skill, to later be given toys donated by Fundación Telefónica and a “Christmas box” full of sweets which the volunteers themselves had prepared beforehand.

Over 1,500 children benefiting from the Proniño programme enjoyed a morning full of smiles, and Volunteers were able to learn a little bit more about the activities promoting positive spare time activities that Fundación Telefónica organises for the working children.

Madrid, 15 December 2011.- The aim of this conference was to analyse in depth the different causes of youth unemployment and how ICT can help alleviate this problem by providing solutions to combat unemployment among young people in a climate of uncertainty brought about by the world economic crisis.

The experts who took part were: Guillermo Dema, ILO regional expert on youth employment and child labour; Paul Giovanni Rodríguez Niño, director of development cooperation of the Ibero-American Youth Organisation (OIJ); Isidro Laso Ballesteros, European Commission expert on the Information and Social Networks Society; Anthony Chapman, expert on young people from St Chad’s College of the University of Durham, in the United Kingdom, which itself manages the team that assesses the social impact of Telefónica’s programme “Think big” in Europe; Miguel Melendro, lecturer and researcher on young people with social problems at the UNED (National University of Distance Education) and Leopoldo Tornarolli, researcher at the Centre for Distributive, Labour and Social Studies (CEDLAS) of the Universidad de La Plata university, in Argentina.

The conference moderator was Diego Carcedo, president of the European Journalists Association, and it was chaired by Javier Nadal, executive vice-president of Fundación Telefónica, aided by Alejandro Díaz Garreta, the foundation’s director of Voluntary Work and Youth.

During the conference, the expert from the European Commission gave a presentation about the role that ICT can play in terms of youth employment. In addition, the following papers delivered by two of the experts participating were discussed: “The transition to adult life in times of economic crisis: young people with problems, employment and technology", given by Miguel Melendro and “Young People, Employability and the Objectives of the Development of the Millennium (Latin America and the Caribbean)” delivered by Leopoldo Tornarolli.

The analysis of these papers engendered an interesting discussion, based on which the experts, with the help of the moderator, drafted a document in which they set out their Conclusions and Recommendations.

Fundación Telefónica is well aware of the difficulties young people are experiencing as a result of the world economic crisis. For this reason we promoted this multidisciplinary conference so that experts could give their opinion on the situation of certain groups of young people, the difficulties they are having finding employment and possible recommendations regarding intervention from these bodies. The discussions at the conference established that information and communications technology is key to creating opportunities for young people both in Europe and in Latin America and, in particular, for those who are most at risk of social exclusion.

Furthermore, throughout the last decade, Fundación Telefónica has set in motion and participated in a number of initiatives on line with the recommendations of the High Level Group of the Youth Employment Network, created by the UN, with various projects such as Proniño, a social and educational initiative of which its purpose is to foster schooling for children in Latin America in an attempt to eradicate child labour, or the ILO pilot programme PREJAL (Promotion of Youth Employment in Latin America), aimed at promoting decent jobs for young people through awareness raising, technical assistance  and the inclusion of youth employment in public policies and programmes and the development of social-work training with the public sector, and more recently, the activities in the Youth area of the foundation.

As part of our strategy, we at Fundación Telefónica accordingly aim to collaborate with institutions, international organisations and governments in order to meet the development objectives of the Millennium, among which are support for objective eight, which promotes youth employment and the institutional strengthening of the public sector to increase work opportunities and improve young people’s working conditions.

• A tu lado is part of her new album Amaia Montero 2

• Amaia Montero is the first Proniño’s Friend and has been collaborating on this Fundación Telefónica initiative since 2007

• The song can be downloaded from Fundación Telefónica’s website and from the iTunes Apple Store for €0.99

Madrid, 14 December 2011.- Fundación Telefónica and Amaia Montero want to give a very special present to children this Christmas, and in order to do so she will be donating the royalties of the song A tu lado, which is part of her new album Amaia Montero 2, to Fundación Telefónica’s Proniño programme, whose goal is to contribute to the eradication of child labour in Latin America. In 2010, Fundación Telefónica provided more than 211,000 children in 13 countries in the region with quality education, allowing the sustainable withdrawal of children from work.

Since 2007 Amaia Montero has collaborated on this social initiative undertaken by Fundación Telefónica and has visited many schools where these boys and girls study.

In 2009, while she was touring Latin America, she visited schools in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela. In these visits, the singer talked to the children, invited them to her concerts and encouraged them to turn music into their hobby. In addition, the singer, former vocalist of the band La Oreja de Van Gogh, had lent her voice to the hit Aquí estoy (Here I Am) in 2009, which Camo composed for Proniño and which they both presented in Bogota. Today, she is giving her voice, her music and all her affection to these boys and girls.

The song can be downloaded from Fundación Telefónica’s website and from the iTunes Apple Store for €0.99.

Guatemala, 13 December 2011.- Fundación Telefónica, through its Telefónica Volunteers programme, organised an activity aimed at 233 pupils from the Xejolón school, in the Chimaltenango Department, Guatemala.

The activity was carried out on 9th December with the aim of showing children that dreams do come true. Telefónica Volunteers joined forces and with their monthly contribution towards projects of the Proniño programme, made the dream presented by the children from the Xejolón school come true, which they wished for by drawing a play area.

The play area was built just as the children from the Xejolón school wanted. This is how Volunteers have given shape, from September, to what was wished for. The play area now has 2 slides, 2 swings, 2 see-saws, 1 handrail, 1 tunnel and a set of monkey bars. In order for the area to seem cosier and friendlier, Telefónica Volunteers painted a mural.

The participation and collaboration of Volunteers was essential at all times. From the very beginning they had the support of the assistant mayor, the COCODE, teachers, the headmistress and parents, who all together made the play area become a work of art.

In order to present this project, a small function was held in which Telefónica Volunteers presented the play area to the children who had wished for it, promoting the expression and communication of ideas and dreams among children. Children benefiting from the Proniño programme showed their joy and gratitude by thanking Telefónica Volunteers, the Headmistress and the teachers. They thanked them in the name of the entire community, and gave a small present and a handicraft of Patzún to the volunteers.

The Xejolón school is located in a community in the town of Patzún, in the Chimaltenango Department, about 90 kilometres from the capital city. Volunteers arrived at 10 a.m. in the school bus with the aim of painting a mural and building the swings which are now part of the play area. When they finished the mural, the mothers invited them to lunch, which they had prepared. Parents, teachers, the assistant mayor, members of the COCODE and Volunteers all shared this very special moment.

The inauguration ceremony began with a short speech and a tour round the play area. Then each child received a Christmas present, bringing this pleasant day of solidarity and joy to an end.

With the implementation of this project, Telefónica strengthens its commitment to carrying out actions that improve the spheres in which children benefiting from the Proniño programme come across: their family, schools and the community.

• All those carrying out humanitarian work abroad may receive free calls through the free telephone number 900 123 500

• The service will operate from 12 December 2011 to 8 January 2012.

Madrid, 12 december 2011.- As in previous years, Fundación Telefónica, through its Telefónica Volunteers programme and in collaboration with the NGO Development Coordinator, Pontifical Missionary Work (OMP), the Episcopal Missions Committee (CEM), and the Spanish Institute of Foreign Missions (IEME), is promoting this campaign, offering free phone calls to Spanish people whose relatives are working as volunteers abroad: from 12 December 2011 to 8 January 2012. The free phone number 900 123 500, operated by the Atento call platform, will be in service from 9 am to 7 pm, seven days a week.

The initiative, which is being run for the sixteenth consecutive year and which will benefit thousands of Spanish families, allows parents, spouses, siblings and children to contact volunteer family members abroad, offering them free calls with a maximum duration of 12 minutes. The direct family members of volunteers must set up the call to the same number at least 24 hours in advance, indicating the day and time when they wish to call. Likewise, they must provide the name of the missionary or volunteer, the organization to which he/she belongs, telephone number, country and town where he/she is located.

The call is made through Movistar’s International Communications 1408 Service, 24 hours a day.

This Christmas, our dreams can change things

In 2010, this campaign allowed 6,400 international calls to be made and thousands of families to feel closer to their relatives working abroad on volunteer programmes over Christmas. Over the past 16 years that this programme has been run, nearly 160,000 free calls have been made to volunteers.

Castile and León and Madrid were the two autonomous regions which made the most of these calls last year – 35.5% of the total. Most traffic, around 60%, focused on Latin American countries and, in second place, on Africa with 27% of all calls. As in previous years, the Carmelite and Dominican religious orders were the organisations that received the most calls.

In 2010, Fundación Telefónica invested 80 million euros, worked with over 800 educational, social, and cultural entities, both public and private, and carried out over 5,000 initiatives, benefiting over 37 million people through these activities.

Managua, 12 December 2011.-The entrepreneurial spirit is a very important factor when developing projects that promote personal development, boost economy and create employment, both during the economic downturn and in times of prosperity. In order to get this spirit you do not just need the will and enthusiasm but also basic knowledge to develop those business ideas. This is one of the reasons why Fundación Telefónica's Jóvenes programme organised a course on entrepreneurship for young people.

The course, which was organised in two sessions and lasted a total of twelve hours, provided information to ten members of Fundación Telefónica's Jóvenes programme on how to undertake an entrepreneurial project. It was divided into three modules including various subjects, such as entrepreneurship concepts, management models based on motivation, marketing, business plans and business analysis.

Practice was combined with theory, allowing participants to see the projects developed by other young people that are already underway. In addition, they devised a business plan together.

After the course, young participants shared their conclusions on entrepreneurship as an element that will allow the generation of employment and will help towards the economic growth and development of the country. In addition, Jorge Rosales highlighted the necessary conditions to achieve it: “I enjoyed learning how to develop a Business Plan. I learnt that with patience and perseverance I can achieve my goals and objectives as far as I want and I am able to”:

At the end of this entrepreneurial process, Fundación Telefónica’s Jóvenes programme in Nicaragua announced the support that Keyla Masis Ubau will be receiving. She is a member of the programme who already has a family business project. For a month, an expert in the matter will be giving professional advice to her in order to devise a Business Plan. After this, she will receive financial support so that she can carry it out.

• Fundación Telefónica’s strategy for 2012 was presented during the convention, attended by 125 people.

• The running of social agent networks through Fundación Telefónica’s virtual spaces and the promotion of networks involving the main agents and local governments are essential for a sustainable intervention.

Guatemala, 12 December 2011.- Fundación Telefónica invited to its Convention 2011 to the executor agents of the Proniño programme in Guatemala. The event was attended by over 125 people (administrative personnel, social workers, and the Management of the organization that executed the Proniño Programme in Guatemala) from different regions: Guatemala, Jalapa, Chimaltenango, Sacatepéquez, Escuintla, Suchitepéquez, Retalhuleu, Sololá, Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango, San Marcos.

Fundación Telefónica’s Convention was organized to inform collaborator’s about the strategy for 2012, based on fundamental pillars such as the Sustainable Retirement of the labouring child, and the promotion of conditions that will enable the child to generate a Lifelong Project, with guidance from his/her parents and educators.

Another key element in the new strategy is the running of the networks that are already configured within the programme, those integrated by the social organizations that execute Proniño in 13 countries, comprising experts in child labour issues, communication means, the teaching networks that are provided with training in ICTs, among others, with the purpose of generating knowledge and enabling the systematization of the practices carried out through Proniño initiatives.

The Convention was enriched with a speech by Mr. Javier Villar, Vice-director of Finance in Telefónica de Guatemala, who offered attendees an engrossing vision of Telefónica in the world, thanks to which they were able to learn about the company’s position as one of the leading telecommunications companies on a worldwide scale.

A large amount of time was provided for the presentation on Telefónica’s Action Principles, which reflect its alignment with the management of the business in the countries, and the investment in society that is articulated through Fundación Telefónica.

The key results of the programme were also presented during the event, which include: schooling indicators, child labour indicators, Proniño child coverage in Guatemala on a department basis.

Fundación Telefónica’s Convention was held to strengthen the relationship and commitment with the efforts of the executive organization of the programme with Fundación Telefónica and Telefónica as an operator.