MISSION SPAIN ROUNDTABLE ON "ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MADRID 001234 SENSITIVE SIPDIS S/P FOR G.BEHRMAN S/SRMC FOR K.CHANDLER R FOR S.NOOR-ALI EUR/PPD FOR L.MCMANIS EUR/WE FOR A.MCKNIGHT, S.ZERDECKI BARCELONA FOR G.CROUCH E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SCUL SOCI XF XI ZR ZP CN PU MV SO, SP SUBJECT: MISSION SPAIN ROUNDTABLE ON "ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT" REF: (A) STATE 112468; (B) MADRID 1149; (C) MADRID 1144 SBU - ENTIRE TEXT ¶1. SUMMARY: As part of Post's ongoing outreach to migrant, ethnic, and other marginalized communities, and in response to tasking in reftel (A),Embassy Madrid hosted a roundtable on December 17 with Muslim entrepreneurs, representatives of NGOs and institutions representing Muslim interests, and academics, including nominees for the Entrepreneur Summit. Participants highlighted some of the challenges faced by Muslim entrepreneurs - and Muslims in general - including negative stereotyping; informal discrimination; institutional discrimination in Spanish laws that restrict Muslims' ability to gain residency and establishing businesses; barriers and taboos within Muslim communities with respect to the participation of women in the workplace; language barriers; access to credit; and the lack of consensus and coordination among Spain's two main Muslim federations. There was general agreement on the importance of education and the promotion of entrepreneurship from an early age, dissemination of information about entrepreneurship and economic opportunities, and the need to strengthen institutions that support and promote entrepreneurship and access to credit. END SUMMARY ¶2. In opening remarks as host, the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) linked the roundtable to the initiative proposed by President Obama in his June 5 speech at Cairo University to hold a "Summit on Entrepreneurship" early in 2010, and characterized the roundtable as part of the Embassy's ongoing dialogue with a cross-section of Spanish society, including immigrants, Muslims and other marginalized groups. -------------- INTEGRATION AND DISCRIMINATION -------------- ¶3. Participants reached back centuries to the 1492 surrender of the last Muslim kingdom in Spain and the subsequent expulsion of the Muslim population from the peninsula in 1609 to emphasize that a negative image of Islam has been burnished in Spanish culture; this legacy, coupled with more the more recent experience with Islamic terrorism, extremist Islamic ideologies, language barriers, the relatively recent influx of Muslim immigrants, and the lower economic status of the Muslim immigrant communities all contribute to negative stereotyping of Muslims in Spain. (One participant referred to "Islamophobia"). ¶4. Participants noted that some obstacles to Muslim entrepreneurship and integration are due to discrimination by Spanish Government (GOS) regulations or by Spanish society in general. For example, they felt that Spanish immigration law discriminated against Arab and Muslim immigrants, who have to wait nearly twice as long as Latin American immigrants (i.e., 10 or more years) to obtain legal, permanent resident status or naturalization, a requirement for establishing a business. (NOTE: The GOS would likely cite the strong historical and ancestral ties to Latin America for the more favorable treatment). Overall, participants believe Muslims face more obstacles to obtain start-up funds or micro-credit for small businesses. Other obstacles arise from restrictions from within the Muslim communities themselves, for example, ultra- conservative interpretations of Islam, discrimination against women, or self-imposed isolationism that discourages integration and co-existence. -------------- OTHER CHALLENGES -------------- ¶5. Most participants agreed that, overall, "Spain lacks a tradition of entrepreneurship." This affects not only Muslims, but all segments of society. Thus, it is more common for Spaniards to aspire to a job in government or in an established company than to start one's own company. ¶6. Not all Muslims intend to become permanent residents of Spain; many plan to work here only until they save enough to return to their countries of origin to set up businesses there. Therefore, a global strategy would have to account for this phenomenon among some temporary "economic immigrant" groups. ¶7. Participants agreed that the two Islamic federations recognized by the GOS do not see eye-to-eye, are internally MADRID 00001234 002 OF 003 fragmented, are not democratic, and don't reflect the views of the communities they are supposed to represent. As a result, they are not effective advocates of Muslim interests, and do not have a constructive dialogue with the GOS. ¶8. There was general consensus that entrepreneurship is not in conflict with Islamic values, and there certainly are many more entrepreneurs among the Muslim populations of Spain than are known publicly; however, due to the difficulty in obtaining the required residency permits to open a business, many businesses operate clandestinely or under a "front" provided by a legal resident. This creates an unmonitored informal economy that runs parallel to the formal economy and does not contribute to economic statistics - or the tax rolls. Also, some business people prefer to be "entrepreneurs" as opposed to "Muslim entrepreneurs." -------------- MECHANISMS FOR PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP -------------- ¶9. Several institutions help promote entrepreneurship in Spain; however, Muslim or Arab access to and participation in their initiatives and programs are negligible. For example, a program of the Madrid regional government called "Madrid Emprende" ("Madrid Start-up"),promotes small enterprise by helping entrepreneurs navigate the bureaucracy. The Young Entrepreneurs club has existed for 25 years; however, despite moral support from the Prince of Asturias, this organization has little impact in promoting entrepreneurship. Savings banks in Spain offer some micro credit under restrictive conditions; however, the overall lack of access to funding for small businesses is creating a void which is being filled in some cases by Arab banks and financial interests controlled from Morocco and Saudi Arabia, among other foreign sources. ¶10. The Halal Institute of Csrdoba is registered with the Government of Spain and is authorized to certify products as compliant with Islamic standards. This regulatory organization is providing opportunities for Muslim-owned businesses in Spain to gain access to the growing halal market in Europe. (Note: The Director General of the Halal Institute has been pre- selected as a participant in the Summit.) -------------- PROPOSALS -------------- ¶11. Many of the proposals suggested by the participants could generate positive benefits across Spanish society. They reflected a perception shared by many of the participants that, while Muslims feel marginalized here, Muslim communities in Spain desire not special concessions, but rather equal access to Spanish society and to economic opportunities. In this context, Muslim entrepreneurship might need a jump-start with special incentives for Muslim businesspeople. (a) Participants noted that if Spain is to develop an entrepreneurial spirit, the first step is to encourage and develop a new culture of entrepreneurship. Training and mentoring in entrepreneurial practices and business development should begin at an early age in public schools with education and programs to promote a better understanding of entrepreneurship. Universities should develop business curricula that teach entrepreneurship. (b) The Spanish Government, NGOs and businesses need to focus more on creating opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs. Establishment of an "entrepreneurship fund" or promoting commercial loans for entrepreneurs, specifically including Muslim entrepreneurs, would be a useful step. (c) The environmental degradation in Arab countries presents opportunities to develop entrepreneurial programs that promote sustainable development, respond to the needs of populations, and establish development models that are consistent with Arab and Muslim values, culture, and traditions. Those traditions include respect for water and nature, two critical factors for human survival which support worldwide efforts to address environmental issues. (d) With respect to the issues of discrimination and negative stereotyping, participants cited traditional values, building on the ancient and positive legacy of Islam in Spain: a rich cultural heritage which can still be seen in the architecture and landscape, the tradition of tolerance (to which President MADRID 00001234 003 OF 003 Obama referred in his Cairo speech),and a respect for the environment. Access to Spanish language instruction and activities would promote integration and help demystify the Muslim community for Spaniards. (e) Social media offer forums for promoting entrepreneurship and for confronting and correcting negative stereotypes. A representative from WebIslam, the largest Spanish language Muslim website and a member of the European Media Islamic Network (EMIN),a cooperative venture among Islamic websites in Europe, was present and recognized that social media and websites are avenues to educate the public on both issues. -------------- OBSERVATIONS -------------- ¶12. Post was fortunate to have a window of opportunity guest at the roundtable. Ms. Helen Hatab Samhan, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute Foundation, was in Madrid at the invitation of a local institution, Casa Arabe, whose mission is to promote better understanding of Arabs and Islam. In addition to the proposals raised by local participants, many of Samhan's observations and conclusions tracked closely with Post's own: (a) The Muslim communities in Spain are still relatively new and not yet integrated into society. Although the Muslim populations have grown significantly in the past 20 years, as a whole, they still only represent just over two percent of the Spanish population. (b) Spain and Muslims must address some basic issues of social integration, residency status, and religious accommodation before any serious progress can be made in promoting Muslim entrepreneurship. Many of the institutions and NGOs working on these issues are dependent on government funds and therefore subject to political winds and uncertain budgets. (c) Spanish businesses appear to be unaware or uninterested in promoting integration. Spanish government initiatives and program are not sufficiently funded or focused on the problems. (d) American or other successful entrepreneurs may be effective mentors to Spanish entrepreneurs. ¶13. Embassy Madrid and Consulate General Barcelona will continue to engage these participants and other minority and marginalized audiences to seek long-term dialogue and solutions to these issues. CHACON