Massive 'March for Dignity' converges on Madrid, Spain (Video)

You probably won't see anything about this in the mainstream media or on Google News. In fact, you will most probably never, ever, see Spain trending in the U.S. or U.K. version of Google News.

If you search on the keywords "Madrid March 2014," you will get a weather forecast or details of the latest football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Despite this, and for the last several days, tens of thousands of Spaniards have been heading from all over the country to the capital city, Madrid.... read more and watch video.

Spain's loss is Harvard's gain as scientist is offered position

After working for 18 months without pay at Jaén University in Andalucía, Spain, a Spanish researcher has landed a job at Harvard's prestigious medical school.

Thanks to an agreement between both universities, Leticia Díaz Beltrán was snapped up by Harvard’s Computational Biology Department over a month ago and they are happy to have her.

Díaz was doing a PhD on genetics and autism, but is one of many Spanish scientists who have suffered from the cuts in Spain's research and development (R+D). 

 

Díaz has labeled the future of scientific investigation in Spain as “devastating,” stating that she has received no funds since starting her doctorate in January 2012.

 

She told the Spanish newspaper, El País via email:

"It's frustrating that the Spanish state spends money on our training, only for other countries to later reap the rewards. It doesn't make any sense."
"Making cutbacks in R&D is the worst thing you can do at a time of crisis; the logical thing to do is invest in knowledge, science, technology and innovation to increase productivity and export values. To incentivize R&D in universities, centers of investigation and companies is primordial right now." 

Díaz says that the only way she can progress with her work into autoimmune diseases and their relationship with autism genes, is to do this out of her home country.  

Díaz's contract at Harvard is for one year, on a monthly salary of 2,200 euros and despite this, she is keen to return home once her contract is up. However, she doesn't have much optimism for the future in Spain, saying: 

"The situation for R&D in Spain is demoralizing. I would like to go back to my university and open new lines of investigation and put into practice everything I'm learning here, but it all depends on the opportunities available - I hope the situation changes. If not, I'll have to think about going abroad again." 

Explaining her research, Díaz said:

"Basically, from the molecular point of view, we are searching for the genes that are implicated in autism and their relation with other auto-immune diseases, with the aim of detecting possible therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications, above all for an early intervention for the illness."

As yet another victim of Spain's research crisis, which has taken the jobs of 10 per cent of Spanish scientists in the official research centres (CSIC) in the last 18 months due to drastic government spending cuts, Díaz will likely be one of many scientists taking the drastic step of leaving Spain.

Díaz's department professor at the University of Jaén, Francisco Esteban, is proud of his pupil's move to such a prestigious university, saying:

"It represents a huge slice of recognition and a very important advance in the investigations she is carrying out."

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/356129

Spanish scientists protest against spending cuts countrywide

Friday saw hundreds of Spanish scientists along with their supporters, marching through the streets of Madrid, as well as 18 other cities including Barcelona and Seville.

The march on Friday was a nationwide protest against government cuts to research and development which scientists say are forcing them to leave the country.

Some wearing their white lab coats, the protesters blew whistles and chanted as they headed to the Economy Ministry.

Once there, they delivered a petition signed by more than 40,000 people, demanding that the government reinstate and raise spending on science.

Public spending on research and development has been cut by 40% since 2009 according to the petition, which calls on the government to boost spending on science "to avoid the massive exodus of our human capital".

Part of the petition reads:

"The government cutbacks are causing the Spanish science and technology sector to suffocate." "We are on the brink of the collapse of what we believe to be one of the essential ingredients of the recipe that will allow us to get out of the economic crisis."

The protest marches were organized by "Open Letter for Science," a platform grouping the main scientific bodies in Spain including unions, universities and societies that specialize in science.

One of the protesters was Irene Amigo, a 25-year-old biotechnologist. She told the media, "The cuts have been brutal. Many labs can't carry out research because they don't have the means."

Amigo was seen to be wearing a hat made from styrofoam and cardboard, which depicted a human brain as a symbol of the "brain drain" Spain is facing. She said that she plans to seek work outside of Spain once her internship at a public research center ends early in 2014.

It was not only scientists protesting, as many academics also joined the march, due to the effect of the cutbacks on disciplines across universities. A 32-year-old Spanish linguist, Xose Alvarez, has been working in Portugal since 2009 because he could not find a job in Spain.

He attended the march in Madrid with a sign on his back that read: "Researcher for rent. Good price". 

Alvarez said, "I would like to work in Spain, it is my homeland, it is the country that invested in my education. Spain could benefit from my work, from my training. It was Spanish taxpayers who paid for my education."

One protester said: "Our situation? Well, as the song goes, we have three solutions. By land, by sea or by plane. Currently there is no future for us in Spain and its not because we lack the will."

Another said: "We are just asking for funding in the research field and for the deadlines of the projects already approved to be met."

"Today these projects are paralyzed. The whole field of science if paralyzed in Spain."

However, despite the brain drain, which must have a serious effect on the country as a whole, Spain is struggling to trim bulging annual deficits, which are rapidly pushing up the overall public debt.

Mass demonstrations countrywide have been ongoing, as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vows to find €150 billion ($195 billion) in savings between 2012 and 2014 through a painful austerity program. The big question is, what will be left should these savings finally be found? 

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352313

Cost cutting exercise: Spain's national police buy own bullet-proof vests

Due to lack of government funding, many members of the Spanish national police are being forced to cough up around €1,000 each for bullet-proof vests and slash-resistant clothing.

There are several branches of the police force in Spain, and the National Police Corps are those responsible for dealing with high-risk situations, such as armed robberies.

However, with the current austerity measures and budget cuts in the country, they are digging deep in their own pockets for their protection in such dangerous incidents.

José María Benito Celador, a spokesperson for the Unified Police Union (SUP) told the Local: “On average each national policeman has to pay €1,000 for bullet-proof vests, slash resistant gloves and other equipment that can be the difference between life and death.”

“A lot of this kit is only guaranteed to be effective for ten years, so the investment has to be made again.”

According to police sources, a lot of the equipment given to officers is in disrepair, and this can only worsen with the current economic crisis. SUP has warned that only half of Spain’s national police force have their own slash-resistant gloves and even fewer are equipped with bullet-proof vests. 

Each individual officer is also expected to buy other routine equipment, including boots, holsters, new uniforms and torches. 

“The government has to invest in the safety of the people who are fighting to protect Spanish citizens,” Celador said.
 
 “Other police forces like the local police, who don’t have to deal with such dangerous situations, get their funding from regional governments and are far better equipped, and paid, than Spain’s national police."

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/351505