by Sydney Ramgolam
The main reason for the crisis in Spain? First, it’s a simply matter of spending: there’s smart spending and wasteful spending, and Spain simply needs to restore balance between the two. The Spanish crisis was one of too many credits in too short time.
In 2009 with a group of international people, we created planet-bpm.com, a site to promote the European idea and spirit, with the slogan “it is nice to be different”. We were mostly Germans, therefore we were especially thankful for everything that Europe offered us, from freedom to choose where to live and work without boundaries to ever-increasing cultural exchange between the European countries and its people, so different in so many things, not just with regard to the language. Now facing a deep crisis in many senses we believe that social integrity is more needed than ever.
By Meghan Morris & Stefanie Müller, Madrid
Satin, hairspray and camera flashes of the five-day Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid are a glamorous front for an integral industry in Spain, one that is slowly emerging from the crisis with mixed economic signals. The “show must go on”, despite the crisis.
Europe, a source of different cultures and traditions, is attracting more and more young people from all over the world, but especially from Latin America. They come to Spain to be part of the most important European Business Schools (IE, Esade, Iese) or to universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to get to know German or the worldwide well known Germanic way of working, inventing, organizing…Sometimes they realize not everything is like it is known in Latin America or like it seems to be… They teach us Spanish, Salsa, realities about their country, their habits and we learn about their worries.
Five Spanish entrepreneurs explained to an audience in Casa América’s “Españoles en Silicon Valley” event Feb. 20 how they spotted technological needs – from boring videos to information access – and created solutions that have grown into global businesses.
Her aunt was a famous Spanish actress, her partner is an artist, her kid is gifted with music and she is creative in everything she does. “Why not trying to write”, Sonia Bautista thought and that is how “Atardecer Químico” (see the illustration made by herself) was born, a very original short story about friendship.