Connecting RURAL Areas to the World – Episode No. 1: Mari Satur Torre Calero, Manager of the Spanish Red Cross Foundation

In this episode, we talk with Mari Satur Torre Calero, manager of the Spanish Red Cross Foundation, about how technology can bridge the digital divide and improve the quality of life in rural areas. We explore connectivity initiatives, the importance of purpose-driven technological development, and the challenges of the future.

Enjoy the episode on YouTube or Spotify

“Technology must have a social, inclusive purpose that takes everyone into account”

Episode Transcript

Pedro Abad, CEO of Asteo Red Neutra (PA): We are delighted to have you with us, Mari Satur. A telecommunications engineer. A technical profile. You have developed your career in innovation projects where you focus on technology as a way to help people. You spent a large part of your career at the Vodafone Spain Foundation, and since 2020, you have been the manager of the Spanish Red Cross Foundation. Tell us, what is the Spanish Red Cross? In this case, what are the functions of the Foundation?

Mari Satur Torre Calero (MS): At the Spanish Red Cross Foundation, our mission is to support and promote the fundamental principles of the Spanish Red Cross; to help the institution reach a greater number of people and to raise awareness about the importance of humanitarian issues.

In that sense, since 2020, we have been working on defining a new stage in which the Foundation’s purpose is to promote humanitarian thinking in society to contribute to changing mindsets and carrying out transformations, always with people in mind.

PA: You have held sessions with conversations specifically focused on this world. What conclusions have you reached?

MS: At the Foundation, we are developing various activities within the lines of talent research and humanitarian thinking. We call them “humanitarian conversations.”

Humanitarian conversations are our common thread for inviting experts and leaders from different fields to contribute their knowledge, experience, and vision to the analysis we conduct on current trends in our society that impact people’s situations of vulnerability. In that regard, we have dedicated 2024 to how technological developments impact people’s vulnerability and the importance of an increasingly digital society also being increasingly people-centered. We want to harness the full potential of technology because we are very aware that, in situations of vulnerability, people with fewer resources or other limitations can find solutions and opportunities, and they must not be left behind by this technological development.

PA: Mari Satur, regarding this roadmap you are telling us about for the year ’24, you mentioned they were conversations about technology. Which activities would you highlight from those you carried out this past year?

MS: Well, we have addressed topics that I consider very relevant and key. We have talked about neurorights, artificial intelligence, social robotics, and issues of cyber-vulnerability—how people in vulnerable situations are more exposed to risks when using technology. Also, the topic of gender perspective. It is very important that gender perspective is taken into account in the design of technological developments to avoid bias and inequality. In that sense, all these conversations are available on our YouTube playlist, and I invite everyone to watch these topics addressed in depth by great people from the field of technology.

PA: And have you also dealt with topics such as mental health, unwanted loneliness, or social well-being?

MS: As I was saying, we have a roadmap to consolidate the Foundation as a center for reflection in the analysis of trends. The trends we have planned for 2025 speak of emotional well-being and vulnerability. Since technology is transversal, digital well-being will appear, as experts conveyed to us the importance of the conscious and appropriate use of technology in the family and employment spheres to avoid situations that cause mental health problems or anxiety, and to be very aware that rules must be established in both the family and work environments, where we are all responsible.

PA: Before we started filming, you mentioned that “technology must have a purpose,” which is exactly what you are explaining to us right now.

MS: Yes. Both through the research we conduct with interviews and co-creation sessions—where we invite both experts and users—the conclusions led us to that: technology is not neutral. It is born with a purpose, and it is important to define those goals and the purpose of that technology. Having multidisciplinary teams helps us assess the consequences, not only the intended ones but also the unforeseen ones, and to frame everything within a context of ethical technological development. It should be something born from constant conversation and review from different perspectives to ensure we truly achieve a social, inclusive purpose that takes everyone into account.

PA: And how do you think technology can change the context in which Asteo operates, for example? How do you think technology affects the rural world? How does it change people’s lives?

MS: I believe technology changes everyone’s life, regardless of where they are. Furthermore, I think we are all aware that it is not optional; it is here to stay, to transform our lives, and what we must do is align ourselves so that this transformation is positive. Technology has changed the way we access education, services, and rights, as well as how we fulfill our obligations as citizens. In that sense, in rural areas, there were many limitations inherent to geographical location, access to services, and perhaps limitations due to the number of people living in that context, which restricted access to health services. Telemedicine, for example, can help there; if the development is appropriate and the purpose behind it takes those characteristics into account, it is an advantage we can offer to rural areas.

Similarly, regarding employment, the use of remote work is now much more widespread. So, for both entrepreneurs and those who can work for a company, if they are offered the possibility of teleworking, they can also carry out their life project in a rural environment. What must be guaranteed is an adequate infrastructure and that the quality of service is comparable to what we have in cities.

PA: That is precisely the motivation we have at Asteo in our daily activity. Moreover, you are talking about a very interesting topic because we are going to approach it from the digital divide, related to what you are saying, Mari Satur, and especially regarding the elderly, who are ultimately a vulnerable group. How do you think it might affect us if we are unable to ensure this part of the population is connected to new technologies? In other words, can digitalization training be relevant to this social divide?

MS: Training is relevant in all contexts and at all ages. I believe one of the things technology brings us—for example, we have invited Professor Senén Barro to our Summit on technology and vulnerability—and I heard him say that “we have to learn to learn every day,” and technology leads us to that, regardless of our age. Specifically, what we must do is adapt that training and learning to people’s needs. An older person does not learn in the same way as a young person, and an older person in a rural context or even in a large city can end up feeling isolated, and technology can help them feel more accompanied. You mentioned earlier that I previously worked at the Vodafone Foundation; in fact, we carried out many projects with the Red Cross in the area of the elderly, and there we were pioneers in introducing topics like mobile telecare and video care. Video care connected older people through a video call. What did we do? We identified how people used it. We started by connecting the television, and now there are devices that allow that connection in a much simpler way.

So we always looked for what the needs were and what the best way to address them was, accompanying that necessary process of cultural change and learning for the elderly, but it can also apply to other people in a situation of vulnerability.

PA: How do you think the lack of internet connectivity affects the rural world from the perspective you mentioned—the effect of depopulation, such a negative effect that we have historically had in our rural society? How do you think the lack of that connection can affect this?

MS: I believe that lack of connection, considering that digital access now allows you to access many public and private services and many development opportunities, both educational and business-related, limits the ability of those in rural areas to be on equal footing regarding all those rights and obligations we have as citizens.

PA: Could we say that connectivity is starting to be not just a right but an obligation for society to provide to every citizen?

MS: Yes. I believe that lies with public policies and the support of the private sector to ensure that, regardless of where you are, you can have that equality in terms of access to health services, education, and opportunities to develop your personal and professional project.

PA: If you don’t mind, Mari Satur, we would also like to take the opportunity to talk a bit more about Mari Satur as a person, to get to know you better. We have a mandatory question: do you have any relationship with the rural world? Do you have a hometown of reference, Mari Satur?

MS: Yes. My hometown of reference is my parents’ village. I was born in Madrid, but they are both from a small village in the province of Cuenca called Osa de la Vega, and my childhood, part of my youth, and now, more sporadically, I remain linked to it. It is just over 50 square kilometers and has a very low population density because there are barely 440 inhabitants.

PA: We say that Spain is a rural country, and we also base this on demographics: 60% of municipalities in Spain have fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. In other words, Osa de la Vega fits into this segment that is very large in terms of the number of towns but has a very small population. A question related to the rural world and how life is there: do you think relationships are closer and more empathetic in the rural world than the relationships we have in the urban world?

MS: I have that memory from when I was younger. Now I’m not sure if I would bet so much on that. I remember my parents returning, and even if they had been away from the village for months, not just the family but the extended family of friends was like a very close-knit group. Now I think that has also changed—the way we relate in both cities and villages—but possibly in villages, that unity, empathy, and working together is still maintained more. Since things are a bit more difficult for them, I think they are more resilient by working in collaboration.

PA: What are the challenges facing the Spanish Red Cross Foundation for 2025 and beyond?

MS: Returning to what we mentioned about the roadmap to be this center for reflection on humanitarian thinking and trend analysis, we began this exercise in 2023 with the challenge of climate change. 2024 has been technology, and in 2025, our plan is dedicated to emotional well-being and vulnerability.

PA: Very interesting. You mentioned a Summit you are organizing that I believe is coming up soon; tell us a bit about what this meeting consists of.

MS: Each year, we close our humanitarian conversations, which have been developed in different formats, with a special, unique event. This year it will take place in February. We have invited leading figures on various topics. Specifically, we are going to hold four inspiring conversations on health in a digital key, connected education, human rights in the age of AI, and a closing panel with our president, María del Mar Pajeo, who is also the president of the Spanish Red Cross. We will talk about the opportunities and how to build a more egalitarian, equitable, and inclusive present and future for everyone. We believe it will be very interesting to see how it unfolds with these 12 people who are key due to their knowledge, experience, and vision of the future. I would also like to highlight that for the definition of this new stage, the support and backing we have had from our board of trustees has been very important. It includes not only the Spanish Red Cross but also ONCE, Fundación Iberdrola España, Vodafone, Santander bank, BBVA, the Bank of Spain, and also Thérèse Jamaa and Emilio Butragueño in a personal capacity.

PA: Mari Satur, you’ve given us quite a bit of homework. We have an appointment at the Summit. We need to watch these conversations on technology, as you are undoubtedly dealing with the most pressing issues at the moment. If you agree, we’ll leave this first conversation here.

MS: Thank you very much, especially for giving us this space to share the work we are doing.

PA: The work your Foundation does is certainly commendable, Mari Satur, and we can only applaud it and join in as much as possible.