Many points on the planet are ideal to visit and enjoy life. But many others are the opposite. There are more than twenty countries in armed conflict, but if states with high sociopolitical tension are also included, those with serious environmental problems and in which there are conflicts over coexistence or different ways of life, the figure is shoot. Almudena Ariza proposes starting next Wednesday the 26th, an incursion into those areas through the vision offered by the new format ‘Spaniards in conflict’. The first installment of the program, ‘United States: more weapons than inhabitants’, can also be seen tomorrow, Sunday, at the BCN Film Fest.
Can this program be defined as a ‘Spaniards around the world’ but visiting conflict zones and not tourist areas?
It is a similar format. They are episodes conceived as a trip, but not as a tourist one, but rather as a way of learning about the real problems of a country. Our objective is to identify the social, political, economic and environmental conflicts that affect our planet and it is the Spaniards residing in those countries who explain these conflicts to us, in first person, how they affect them, how they experience it, what are the causes, the consequences, how they see the future… We have come across exciting stories, some hard, but all of them provide us with information, context and understanding. I go from one country to another, meeting these Spaniards and trying to get them to explain their lives to me in the midst of those conflicts, and they do it in a close, warm, human way, and with messages full of strength. I think we achieved two things; fall in love a little with those characters and understand much better some of the great problems of the world.
How did the project come about?
For me it has been a great gift. After finishing my eight-year stint as a correspondent in New York, I was sent to cover the war in Ukraine, where I spent three months. On my return, they spoke to me on TVE about this project. And it seemed custom designed to me. I said yes immediately. Many people identify me with conflict coverage, because it’s something I’ve done all my life, but this program brought new ingredients; It is an informative program but at the same time attractive, easy to understand, educational and very entertaining… and where you will see me in a register very different from that of the news. I continue doing journalism, but I tell and they tell me things with more freshness, with a lot of closeness, there is a lot of spontaneity, a lot of truth and authenticity in the stories. With some of the protagonists I have spent several days filming. So interviewing them was like being among friends, and that shows a lot in the result.
What areas have you already visited and what topics have been covered?
In South Africa, inequality and racism; in the United States, armed violence; in Honduras, the gangs; in Poland, homophobia; in the Peruvian Amazon, deforestation; in India, pollution; in Mexico, violence, drug trafficking and femicides; in Türkiye, earthquakes; in the Philippines, the sea of ​​plastics; in South Korea, suicides due to pressure to “be the best at everything.” A broad, diverse and exciting catalog of topics.
Will the vision of those Spaniards in conflict help us better understand the situation there? What is your added value?
They are people of different social profiles to whom life has taken them to countries where some want to be and others do not. But many can no longer escape. They speak to us very naturally about their life adventures, about their connection with the countries in which they live, about how the problems of those countries affect them… Some have suffered direct violence, extortion, threats… Others work to help the victims or to help resolve these conflicts. When they tell us about their lives and their stories, they do it without mincing words, as they would tell their family or friends. They cry, they laugh, they get excited. They open the doors of their houses to us, they introduce us to their children, to their partners. The “compatriot” factor is also an element of success. It is easier for us to understand the keys and explanations that a Spaniard gives us than for someone from another country. All this, I think, is a good combination of elements that will make the program appeal to a majority audience and of any age group.
Have there been some Spaniards who have avoided participating or what has it cost for them to participate due to the difficulty of the conflict?
It has not been easy, above all, due to geography. In large countries, such as India, the challenge was to find Spaniards who were not too far away from each other. In Turkey, for example, many Spaniards had been evacuated, because we arrived shortly after the last earthquakes. In other countries some did not want to speak, for fear of reprisals. But, in general, we have found people who are very open and willing to tell us about their reality, however hard it may be.
You, who have been a correspondent and special envoy to various areas in conflict or in difficult situations, what is your assessment of the ability of human beings to complicate their lives and that of others?
Humans are complex beings who manifest that complexity constantly in all our relationships, and we often do so with unnecessary complications, to the point of exercising violence among ourselves and even declaring war on each other. We are capable of doing the most wonderful things but also the most harmful. There are many challenges facing humanity, and we talk about it on this show: climate change, inequality, poverty, racism, violence against women… However, there are also many people working very hard to address those challenges and find innovative solutions. I have hope for a better and more sustainable future.
And also with that experience, and beyond ‘Spaniards in conflict’, which would you say is the worst place in the world to live and which is the best?
It depends on what each one is looking for. There are many rankings that measure a series of parameters: health systems, education, security, economic and political stability, etc… to determine which are the countries where people live best. However, the destinations where there is the best quality of life, in objective terms, are not the countries with the highest happiness index. I have just returned from the Peruvian Amazon where I have seen that the indigenous communities live in a state of happiness that we do not have in more developed countries. Someone who knows the values ​​of these peoples very well explained to me the keys to “Amazonian happiness”: live in the present, not be attached to the past or be overwhelmed by the future. And help others because if you show solidarity with your neighbor, he will also help you when you need it.
And the worst place on the planet to live?
I think the worst place could be anywhere where you cannot feed your children or guarantee their safety: countries at war, with famines, facing extreme poverty and a lack of basic services. In this program we have traveled to the Philippines, to India… where thousands of families live on the streets, or to the Peruvian Amazon, where you still see people collecting rainwater to drink. It is dramatic to see how the world continues to travel at two speeds: with two billion billionaires having more wealth than 4.6 billion people.
