Nico, Carol and her dog Euro explain financial concepts in a simple way so that your children can better understand how the economy works, from the origin of money to the meaning of inflation.
Recommended for ages 4 and up.
When financial technology ceases to be neutral
Instant payments, banking apps, digital money. Everything seems convenient. But behind financial technology there are political and power decisions.
Financial technology has integrated into everyday life with surprising speed. We pay with our phones, send money in seconds, contract financial services with two clicks. Everything is more agile, more efficient, more “user-friendly”. But this convenience has a downside that often goes unnoticed: financial technology is not neutral. It has never been.
Every digital infrastructure incorporates a worldview. And, in the case of money, this vision has profound consequences for economic freedom, privacy, and the decision-making power of citizens.
The end of anonymous money
For centuries, money has allowed something fundamental: anonymity. Buying, selling or saving without leaving a trace. Not as a criminal privilege, but as a basic expression of individual freedom.
The total digitalization of the financial system radically changes this paradigm. Electronic payments, cards, banking apps and digital currency projects imply absolute traceability. Every transaction is recorded. Who pays, how much, where and when?
What is regularly presented as efficiency and the fight against fraud also opens the door to an unprecedented level of control. Not only by financial institutions, but also by states. In this context, initiatives such as central bank digital currencies —promoted, among others, by the European Central Bank— generate a legitimate debate: how far does convenience go and where does surveillance begin?
Eliminating cash is not only a technological change. It is a change in the social contract.
When every action leaves a trace
In a fully digitalized system, money ceases to be just a medium of exchange and becomes data… and data has value.
Consumption habits, payment frequency, types of merchants, geographical location. Everything can be analyzed, cross-referenced and exploited. Not necessarily with bad intentions, but with clear incentives: risk control, customer segmentation, profit optimization.
The problem is not only who collects this data, but who decides how it is used. And here the citizen frequently remains in a passive position, with little room for manoeuvre and limited capacity for oversight.
Algorithms that decide for you
Credit granted or denied. Spending limits. Insurance premiums. Financing conditions. More and more financial decisions pass through automated systems.
These algorithms are not objective by definition. They are models designed by humans, trained with historical data and oriented toward maximizing certain outcomes. Often, efficiency and risk reduction for the institution, not necessarily the well-being of the client.
The problem is opacity. When a person decides, it can be questioned, negotiated or appealed. When an algorithm makes it, the answer is usually “does not meet the criteria”. Without clear explanations. Without context. Without a real right to reply.
This creates a new asymmetry of power: systems that decide over people’s economic lives without them understanding how or why.
Automation and dependency
Financial technology promises autonomy, but it can generate dependency. Dependency on platforms, private infrastructures and criteria we do not control.
When everything goes through apps and digital systems, being excluded —by age, knowledge, resources or personal choice— implies real marginalization. Access to money ceases to be universal and becomes conditional.
Moreover, technological concentration in few hands reinforces power dynamics that are difficult to reverse. The system becomes efficient, yes. But also more fragile and less plural.
Technology yes, but with critical thinking
Technology is neither good nor bad in itself. It depends on who designs it, with what incentives and under what rules. Accepting it uncritically is as naive as rejecting it altogether.
The challenge is not to stop innovation, but to govern it. To ensure that financial digitalization respects fundamental rights such as privacy, freedom of decision and universal access. It is necessary to ensure that technology serves citizens, not only the financial system or institutional control.
This requires regulation, transparency and, above all, informed citizens. Without knowledge, there is no capacity to choose. And without the capacity to select, freedom dissolves.
Knowledge as defense
Understanding how digital financial systems work is not a technical issue reserved for experts. It is a tool of personal sovereignty.
Knowing what it means to pay without cash. Understanding how automated decisions are made. Questioning what data we give away and in exchange for what. All this is part of a new essential literacy.
In a world where money is increasingly digital, ignorance is no longer neutral. It plays against you. Understanding financial technology is essential to preserve economic freedom.
If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, we recommend:
TecnologiaAlgorithms now also play at being economists
4 min readThe automation of work is creating an occupational...
The onslaught of economic sanctions against Russia by the United States and the European Union was intended to destabilise the government and sink the Russian economy. However, Russia’s gold reserves have played a key role in thwarting the attempt to undermine the country’s financial stability.
The unprecedented economic sanctions imposed by the Western bloc on Russia are designed to attack the Russian economy on all fronts. On the one hand, to emasculate its financing capacity by requisitioning half of the country’s foreign exchange and gold reserves, some 400 billion euros, which are mostly held by the US bank J.P. Morgan. As well as making it impossible for Russia to pay its foreign debt in dollars, despite its willingness and ability to do so, in order to force a suspension of payments.
On the other hand, to limit its exports and ability to bring in capital through sanctions, excluding the country from international trade by expelling some of its main banks from the SWIFT system. Likewise, the ban on the purchase of Russian coal, restrictions on gas imports and the partial embargo on oil exports are aimed at eliminating the main sources of income of the country’s economy.
The latest list of economic measures against Russia approved by the EU and its American partner last June banned the purchase of Russian gold. It should be noted that Russia is the world’s second-largest gold producer after China. To the London market alone, it exported gold worth 15.5 billion euros in 2021 and is the country with the world’s fifth-largest gold reserves.
An antidote against economic sanctions
Although countries not aligned with US geopolitical interests have been buying gold on a massive scale for a decade, Russia’s gold-buying spree spiked in response to Western sanctions following the 2014 annexation of Crimea. In less than a year, Russia’s gold reserves rose from 8.4% to 10.6%, and by 2021 the figure was around 20%.
The use of economic sanctions by the US and its client states as an instrument of coercion is not new. Countries such as China, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Russia and even the European Union bloc have been suffering, to a greater or lesser extent, the consequences of this geopolitical doctrine linked to an incessant trade war for years.
This is why many countries have been forced to implement anti-sanctions measures and seek alternatives to Western financial interdependence in order to guarantee their sovereignty and shield their economies. The events of recent years have only reinforced the need for these measures and confirmed the quality of gold as a safe-haven asset and antidote against the economic sanctions.
The temporary convertibility of the rouble to gold at a fixed price did not mean a return to the “gold standard“, but it was a key tool to recover and stabilise the value of the rouble after the fall experienced by the sanctions. A revaluation of the rouble against the dollar has even allowed the Central Bank of Russia to lower interest rates in order to avoid an excessive appreciation of the state currency.
China’s purchase of Russian gold is exponentially increasing
After a large part of Western governments banned Russian gold imports, China has been buying Russian gold in record numbers. In July alone it imported 109 million euros worth, an increase of 750% over the previous month and 4,800% over the same month last year.
The G7 countries, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United States and the European Union, used to buy 90% of Russia’s gold, equivalent to some 19 billion euros a year. China and other non-aligned countries are more than willing to fill the vacuum left by the West.
Another consequence of the sanctions has been the Russian government’s announcement of the creation of its own precious metals exchange, tentatively named Moscow World Standard (MWS), to compete with the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), often accused of manipulating the price of gold. A scenario that could be a paradigm shift if other major gold producers and buyers such as China, Venezuela, India and Peru support it, controlling 62% of the world gold market.
If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.
Durant molt de temps el sud-est asiàtic ha observat de reüll l’expansió dels BRICS, però en els últims mesos cada vegada més països de l’ASEAN estan considerant la possibilitat d’unir-se al grup a la recerca de noves oportunitats comercials i com a cobertura enfront dels riscos geopolítics.
L’acrònim anglès BRICS, de Brasil, Rússia, Índia, Xina i Sud-àfrica, va ser suposadament encunyat per un economista de Goldman Sachs per referir-se a les economies emergents. Inicialment com a BRIC, amb la “S” afegida més tard quan Sud-àfrica es va unir formalment al grup el 2010.
D’aquests cinc membres originals, l’organització intergovernamental s’ha anat ampliant fins a conformar deu membres, afegint Egipte, Etiòpia, l’Iran, l’Aràbia Saudita i els Emirats Àrabs al grup que ara es coneix com a BRICS+. Els diferents països membres exerceixen la presidència de manera rotativa durant un any, sent també el país que presideix l’encarregat de dirigir el cim anual.
La popularitat d’aquesta força multipolar que pretén redefinir l’ordre polític i econòmic internacional, fins ara dominat per les organitzacions creades per les potències occidentals que sovint han vetllat pels seus propis interessos i han descuidat les necessitats de les economies en vies de desenvolupament, s’ha vist reflectida en els més de 40 països que han manifestat el seu interès per unir-se a l’agrupació.
Durant molts anys, els països del Sud-est Asiàtic, una regió vital del Sud Global, han estat els grans absents dels BRICS. Una conjuntura que està a punt de canviar després d’observar d’aprop com l’associació s’ha convertit en el bloc de producte interior brut (PIB) més gran del món, contribuint amb un 31.5% al PIB mundial.
Diversificació i noves oportunitats de comerç
Més enllà del PIB, els BRICS+ representen el 45% de la població mundial, el 25% del comerç mundial i una gran oportunitat per a les economies en vies de desenvolupament que volen diversificar les seves aliances econòmiques i polítiques en un món cada cop més multipolar.
Malàisia i Tailàndia són les últimes nacions del sud-est asiàtic que han presentat una sol·licitud d’adhesió al grup ampliat dels BRICS, mentre altres nacions com Myanmar, Laos, Cambodja, Vietnam i Indonèsia també han manifestat el seu interès per unir-se a aquesta associació d’economies emergents.
La Xina és el major soci comercial de Malàisia i Tailàndia des de fa més d’una dècada, per tant, que aquestes nacions formin part dels BRICS és una progressió natural de les seves bones relacions amb el gegant asiàtic. Segons James Chin, professor d’Estudis Asiàtics de la Universitat de Tasmània, “tant Tailàndia com Malàisia són vistes com a potències mitjanes. És millor que s’uneixin a grups com el dels BRICS per a tenir més veu en l’escena internacional. Però el benefici més gran serà el comerç.”
Per altra banda, el creixent antagonisme de Washington amb l’ús de sancions econòmiques contra la Xina, Rússia o qualsevol altre país que desafiï la seva hegemonia econòmica i geopolítica, està provocant que l’opinió pública es giri en contra dels Estats Units. Segons l’última enquesta sobre l’Estat del Sud-est Asiàtic 2024 de l’Institut Yusof Ishak (SSEA), la majoria dels enquestats conclou que, si es veiessin obligats a triar, preferirien que l’ASEAN s’alineés amb la Xina abans que amb els Estats Units.
Això suposa una inversió de les tendències d’anys anteriors, en els quals es va observar un major suport regional a l’alineació amb els Estats Units. Si més no, és un clar exemple que els BRICS no són només un grup purament econòmic, com afirmen algunes de les parts, sinó que s’han convertit en un actor important del joc d’escacs geopolític global, on la Xina i Rússia cada vegada hi tenen més influència en detriment dels poders establerts occidentals.
Si vols descobrir la millor opció per protegir els teus estalvis, entra a Preciosos 11Onze. T’ajudarem a comprar al millor preu el valor refugi per excel·lència: l’or físic.
The new Cold War between the United States and Russia has been spurred on by the conflict in Ukraine. Economic sanctions imposed by the Western bloc controlled by the American giant are punishing the Russian economy, but also that of the European Union. Russia has taken measures to counter the American threat, and gold plays a key role that could trigger a paradigm shift in the international economic order.
The use of economic sanctions by the US and its client states as an instrument of coercion is not new. In recent decades, it has been a doctrine that has been applied extensively by the US administration. Democrats and Republicans alike have used it against any country that opposes US economic or political interests.
Throughout history, the application of sanctions has been shown to be ineffective in forcing a change of behaviour. Still, it can be a useful tool when the aim is to punish a country economically, especially the working class, or to weaken its defensive capacity in preparation for a coup or military intervention. However, the application of these punitive measures also has a downside.
While countries with little military capacity or global economic clout have no choice but to resort to the black market or trade agreements with states not aligned with the West in order to circumvent economic sanctions, big global players such as China or Russia are creating an alternative or multilateral economic system to shield their economies, as well as their technological and military capabilities.
Alternatives to Western interdependence
As in so many international conflicts, the rhetoric applied by Western media and politicians when they constantly repeat that the “international community” has decided certain things or condemns the actions of certain countries, we cannot forget that this so-called “international community” only includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and perhaps Australia, Japan, and some Micronesian islands, but leaves out a large part of the international community that either opposes this rhetoric or prefers to remain neutral.
Therefore, we have to keep this multilateral world in mind when understanding that, while the mislabelled “international community” includes a very significant part of the most influential global actors, there are other important economic actors such as the Asian bloc, led by China, which are quite relevant and are increasing their global influence year after year.
That said, it is true that the power of influence that the West boasts thanks to its dominance of the interconnection tools of the global financial system goes beyond its myopic definition of the international community. The hegemony of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, the Swift protocol for communications between banks, banking transactions via Visa or Mastercard, together with control of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, give the West, especially the United States, an unparalleled capacity for persuasion.
In this sense, both Russia and China have already created alternative systems that have come into operation in recent years and that to a greater or lesser extent are lessening the negative effects of the sanctions imposed by the West in recent decades, and more recently due to the conflict in Ukraine. Domestic digital money or merchant-to-merchant payment systems, such as UnionPay and Mir, are growing in popularity beyond the borders of these two countries.
The new gold rush brings us closer to the gold standard
It is no secret that countries outside the Western sphere have been buying large amounts of gold for years, but it is perhaps less well known that central banks of other states are doing the same. The safe-haven asset value of the precious metal in times of crisis is more than established, but the increased interest in buying gold transcends concerns about sovereign debt bubbles or runaway inflation.
As seen last month from Russia, it can also serve to stabilise a monetary system whereby the value of currencies is underpinned by their convertibility to gold. This is known as the “gold standard”. Thus, the Russian government announced the temporary convertibility of the rouble to gold at a fixed value, which stabilised the value of the rouble, recovering from the fall against the dollar.
Still, it remains to be seen what final strategy will be pursued and the consequences for the international monetary system. The Russian government’s announcement that countries that apply US sanctions would have to buy oil and natural gas in roubles or gold could cause much of the global energy trade to shift away from the dollar, breaking the status quo.
Although, as Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov reported, Western sanctions have frozen half of the country’s foreign exchange and gold reserves, about $300 billion, Russia remains the world’s second-largest gold producer after China, with reserves worth $140 billion. The intrinsic difficulty in tracking purchases or sales made with precious metals calls into question the effectiveness of sanctions.
The viability of Russia keeping the rouble pegged to gold is closely related to Russian energy demand. Interdependence with EU countries will wane, even though countries such as Hungary and Germany have already announced that they will continue to buy gas from Russia paying in roubles, or euros converted into roubles, through Gazprom’s bank account.
Still, given the multipolarity of global power and the response of the (real) international community, Moscow’s ability to make a winning move in this international geopolitical chess game cannot be underestimated.
If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.
The world is constantly evolving, but information does not always move at the same pace. Wikipedia takes this need and makes it its strength: everything you need to know is just a click away. We talked to Pau Colominas, Wikipedian and one of the people in charge of social networks in the Catalan-language version of this encyclopaedia.
In a world where everything advances at an accelerated pace, keeping information up to date is practically a luxury exclusive to social networks. With a filter of objectivity (to a greater or lesser extent) and under deontological codes, the media joins in to explain the daily events that happen everywhere. But where is all this information collected? Be it facts, people, concepts, or dates, the scope of information from the internet is so complex that it becomes diffuse and even unreliable.
In a new episode of People, we talk to Pau Colominas about Wikipedia, a free encyclopaedia where many volunteers collect and disseminate all kinds of content in our language. Everything we would find in a printed encyclopaedia is there. With an important nuance: the information can be updated at any time. A milestone that can only be achieved thanks to digitalisation and the efforts of hundreds of Wikipedians who dedicate their time to disseminating knowledge in Catalan to the Catalan and international community.
Searches in Catalan and quality
Pau Colominas highlights a crucial fact: “Catalan was the second language to upload content to the platform, after English“. Since then, the creation of content in our language has been on the rise, reaching the 700,000 articles that we can currently find. The impact of our language on the platform is significant, and Colominas highlights, in particular, the quality of this content, which, he says, “is often superior to that of other languages”.
The focus of the problem, however, remains when it comes to doing searches, and he points out that “even native Catalans tend to search the internet in Spanish“. Among the reasons, Colominas identifies the configuration of computers and search engines, and the imaginary of times gone by when the presence of Catalan on the internet was low and with lower quality content.
Episode 18 | People: Wikipedia
The involvement of an entire community to disseminate knowledge
A large team of volunteers makes it possible for Wikipedia’s mission to come to fruition. Colominas explains that you don’t need to be a scholar in any of the subjects, but you do need to be willing to dedicate time. He stresses that the dissemination of knowledge does not start from the content, but from the sources: “The guarantee of Wikipedia is the guarantee of the sources you use“.
All the information that Wikipedia collects is characterised by the fact that it has been published before, and this alone reduces the scope for inventiveness. In addition, a team of Wikipedians like Pau filter and identify any content that may be offensive to individuals or groups, or that may represent a conflict of interest.
11Onze is the fintech community of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut on Android and Apple and join the revolution!
Most of the time we learn about economics on our own. Not enough financial concepts are taught at school. That is why, if you want your son or daughter to have knowledge in this field, we recommend five books to help them understand the value of money and saving.
‘Mi primer libro de economía: ahorro e inversión’, María Jesús Soto (2012)
‘Mon y Nedita: mi primer libro de economía’, Montse Junyent Ferrer and Lucía Serrano (2017)
It is about two mice who want to give a present to their mother and start an adventure to discover the value of money. It helps the youngest children to understand that everything has a price and that to withdraw money from a cashpoint you first have to deposit it in the bank.
Recommended for ages 4 and up.
‘Finanzas para ardillas (Vol. 1): El Dinero’, Gabriela L. del Cid and Pablo A. Blázquez (2017)
Through games and interactive crafts, the youngest members of the household will learn about the economy with Gardi the squirrel, who explains what money is, its functions, its origin and its evolution over time.
Recommended for ages 5 and up.
‘Simplemente dinero’ series, Steve Way and Mark Beech (2013)
This series consists of six books and will teach your children, through stories, illustrations, photos and diagrams, how money came about, how it has evolved in different parts of the world and how we use it.
Recommended series for ages 6 and up.
‘¿Dónde crece el dinero?’, Laura Mascaró (2019)
Based on different peculiarities, this illustrated book teaches children basic financial concepts, such as value and price.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Sant Jordi celebrates books and roses. Culture and emotion. But what if this year we add a third layer? Understanding how the world around us works. In a context of permanent crisis —inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, fiscal pressure— reading is no longer just a pleasure: it is a tool of defense. And this is where La Plaça by 11Onze makes sense.
Sant Jordi has always been a celebration of culture. But today, economic literacy is more necessary than ever. It is not just about knowing what is happening, but understanding why it is happening. We live in a complex reality, where concepts such as inflation, interest rates, or public debt shape our daily lives, yet remain largely unknown to most people.
This is not by chance. As shown in the article on children’s financial education, the education system devotes fewer hours to these topics than other countries, despite having longer school days. The result? Adults making financial decisions without tools. Reading, therefore, becomes a form of self-defense.
La Plaça: much more than content
La Plaça is not just a space where articles are published. It is a knowledge ecosystem designed to empower the community. Here you will not only find headlines. You will find context. When discussing the cost of living, it does not stay on the surface: it explains that the minimum salary required to live with dignity in the Barcelona metropolitan area significantly exceeds the official minimum wage. This difference is not anecdotal: it is key to understanding why saving is becoming increasingly difficult.
When discussing taxes, it does not simply say they are rising. It analyzes how inflation acts as a hidden tax that increases fiscal pressure without changing tax rates.
And when discussing money, it questions the system. Articles about CBDCs bring an uncomfortable debate to the table: to what extent are we willing to give up control in exchange for convenience? This space does not tell you what to think. It gives you the tools to think.
There is a core idea running through much of the content: the current economic system is not neutral. The series of articles analyzing the extractive system shows how major powers have built a model that concentrates power through currency, technology, and finance. Or the concept of crony capitalism, which highlights how relationships between politics and large corporations can distort the market and harm the majority. This critical perspective is key, because understanding the system is not just an intellectual exercise: it is a matter of financial survival.
Deciding with criteria
One of today’s major challenges is knowing where to put your money. In a world of constant uncertainty, making financial decisions without criteria can be very costly. This is where this ecosystem makes the difference: it does not just provide quick answers, but opens up options and helps you understand them. Gold, for example, is presented as a safe-haven asset with thousands of years of history, capable of preserving value in times of crisis and instability.
At the same time, cryptocurrencies are analyzed as a disruptive phenomenon transforming the financial system, while also highlighting their volatility and associated risks. Because this is not about following trends or searching for magic formulas. It is about understanding what lies behind each decision. About understanding the rules of the game so you stop playing at a disadvantage. That is what La Plaça offers: criteria, context, and tools so you stop reacting and start deciding.
Sant Jordi: culture that protects
Giving a book for Sant Jordi is giving a story. But it can also mean giving awareness. In a world where headlines simplify and social media accelerates everything, stopping to read is almost a revolutionary act. And if what you read also helps you understand how money, the system, and power work, even more so. La Plaça turns reading into a practical tool: it does not just inform, it transforms.
Perhaps the key question is this: what is the point of earning money if we do not understand the system in which we use it? Without financial education, any crisis can catch us off guard. With knowledge, however, we can anticipate, protect, and decide. This Sant Jordi, among roses and books, there is a clear opportunity: to start looking at the economy with different eyes.
If you want to go beyond headlines, if you want to understand what is happening to your money and be part of a community committed to knowledge and transparency, La Plaça is where this shift in perspective begins. Step into La Plaça by 11Onze and start reading the world with clarity.
11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!
The Booksellers’ Guild predicts a record-breaking day for this Diada because there are more book stands than ever before. But among this sea of new books, which ones talk about the economy or address the current economic situation?
ADULT NOVELS
Guerra i Pau
Edicions 1984 reissues this classic by Lev Tolstoy, at a time when it could not be more topical. One of the great classics of Russian literature that delves into the great issues of humanity, as current today as Tolstoy’s Russia. It is a key work, with countless rounded and memorable characters. This is the first translation, by Judit Díaz, made directly from the canonical Russian version. Virginia Woolf said that there was no experience of human existence that did not appear in this work and, perhaps, reading these two very long volumes is a good opportunity to see that neither Russia nor the past are as far away as we think.
Source: Edicions 1984
ESSAY
Tecnofeudalisme
Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister, launches a very suggestive idea in this essay: the successor to capitalism is what he calls techno-feudalism. Tecnofeudalismo, unfortunately, can only be found in Spanish in a Deusto edition, nonetheless, it is a remarkable work that follows the star of Shoshana Zuboff’s La era del capitalismo de la vigilancia. Varoufakis’s point is so obvious that no one has ever said it before: we have entered an age of techno-feudalism, where Big Tech appropriate our data, just as feudal lords appropriated the fruit of the land. Understanding this astonishing alteration of the social order is key if we want to work towards a more economically just society. And the way out, as the Remenses would say.
Source: Deusto
ESSAY
Ecomitos
Victor Resco de Dios is a professor of forestry engineering at the University of Lleida and has published Ecomitos, with Plataforma Editorial. It analyses the lies about the measures to combat climate change: how can a small percentage of the population pollute so much more than most of the population; are the measures being implemented effective; do they have scientific support or only political support? The fight against climate change is essential, but this book helps us avoid being taken for a ride. The only regret is that despite being a Catalan publisher and a book by a Catalan university professor, there is still no edition in our language.
Source: Plataforma Editorial
YOUNG ADULTS
L’Alè dels Llaurats
After the good reception of Nascuts per ser Breus Toni Mata publishes the second part of this devastating and bloody dystopia that dissects the selfishness, fallacies and hopelessness of today’s capitalism. In L’Alè dels Llaurats, Mata returns to the Eternal City that captivated young people and won him the Joaquim Ruyra, Protagonista Jove and Menjallibres awards. The Head of Content and Communication at 11Onze offers a new dose of moral dilemmas and extractive economics in this long-awaited second part that explores the limits of dehumanisation.
Source: Grup Enciclopèdia
CHILDREN
El refugiat
Maria Barbal, winner of the Premi d’Honor de les Lletres Catalanes and author of the Joaquim Ruyra Prize for “Pedra de tartera”, presents El refugiat. It tells the story of a squirrel who has to leave the forest where he lives because of a fire and ends up in a new place where he has to win over everyone because no one knows him. At a time when war adventurism and rampant xenophobia coexist, Barbal’s proposal is tremendously appropriate to make children understand that nobody leaves home just because they want to.
Source: Grup 62
In an increasingly connected—and fast-paced—world, finding moments to stop and look outside (or inside) has become a luxury. And in this context, books remain one of the best ways to travel. No need to pack your bags or buy plane tickets: reading takes us far away, transforms us and changes us.
We propose a literary journey through travel —both historical and internal— via Catalan literature. A selection of works that take us around the world without leaving home:
- Journey to Russia, Josep Pla.
Published in 1925, this book recounts Pla’s journey to post-revolutionary Russia. He arrived a year after Lenin’s death and met figures such as Andreu Nin. His sharp, ironic and lucid gaze transforms the journalistic account into a literary document of the highest order. - The Last Muleteer, Josep Maria Espinàs.
A journey on foot through the Aran Valley and Pallars in 1956. Espinàs, with his friendly and observant tone, takes us into a rural world that today seems almost mythical. The landscape, the people, and the details make this work an emotional and cultural journey through the Pyrenees of yesteryear. - The Great Book of Catalan Explorers, Joan de Déu Prats.
With illustrations by Maria Padilla, this book recovers fascinating stories of Catalans who travelled the world: from the court of the Great Khan to Africa and India. A carefully documented and visually delightful work, published in 2021. - Sensual and fanatical Morocco, Aurora Bertrana.
Published in 1936, it recounts the author’s journey to Morocco. A courageous book by a woman ahead of her time, it analyses the relationships between men and women in a different culture. A critical and passionate view, full of humanity and respect. - Stories of Japan, Xavier Moret.
A direct immersion in Japanese culture through the author’s travels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and the islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Moret guides us with good humour and curiosity through this country of contrasts. An ideal read for broadening horizons. - The Fire bird, Emili Teixidor
- Seemingly juvenile, but with layers that can be enjoyed by any reader. Set in the 13th century, it follows in the footsteps of a young troubadour who enters the world of the Cathars, monasteries, and minstrels. A great literary adventure set in medieval Catalonia.
- Border Days, Vicenç Pagès Jordà.
A different take on the concept of travel: the border. This novel is set between Figueres, La Jonquera and Perpignan, where geography merges with the emotional tensions of a couple. A delicate and profound book that speaks to us of physical spaces and personal boundaries. - All My Mothers, Victoria Szpunberg.
A story of migration, identity, and roots. From Barcelona to Argentina and back, through exile and the reconstruction of family memory. A journey that is not made with the feet, but with the heart and memory. One of the most powerful contemporary female voices on the Catalan scene.
Books are true travelling companions. They help us grow, imagine and understand the world from unexpected angles. That is why, today more than ever, it is worth revisiting that quote from Joana Raspall: ‘With books as friends, you will never lack company. Each page can be a star that guides you.’ Have a good literary journey!
11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!
When a route breaks, the world trembles. This is not a metaphor: it is the reality of a global economy that still depends on millennia-old pathways. Global trade is not only a matter of supply and demand, but above all a matter of geography. From the caravans of the Silk Road to the large ships crossing the oceans, trade routes have been the true arteries through which the world’s wealth has flowed.
But these arteries are not infallible. When they are blocked or become unsafe, the system tightens and conflicts emerge. History demonstrates this time and again: behind many wars that appear ideological or religious lies, in reality, the need to control the flow of goods, resources, and wealth. When trade is threatened, power reacts.
The Crusades are a paradigmatic example. As historian Steven Runciman explains in his landmark work A “History of the Crusades”, these conflicts cannot be understood solely from a religious perspective, but also as a struggle for control over trade routes between East and West. And today, far from disappearing, this logic has become more sophisticated: wars are no longer fought with swords, but with tariffs, sanctions, and logistical control. The forms evolve. The battle remains the same.
The global economy has always been shaped by geography. It is no coincidence that great empires have emerged at strategic points: trade crossroads, natural ports, or mandatory transit zones. These locations not only facilitated trade but also allowed its control, becoming true centers of economic and political power.
The logic is simple: whoever controls trade flows controls wealth. Trade routes function like a circulatory system that keeps the global economic body alive. When the flow is steady, there is growth and stability; but when it breaks, tensions, shortages, and inflation arise, directly affecting both markets and daily life.
When the Silk Road breaks… the Crusades arrive
The Silk Road was the first great global system: a network connecting Asia and Europe through which goods, technology, and knowledge flowed. But this system had a structural weakness: its dependence on political stability. When balances broke in the Middle East and routes became unsafe, Europe was cut off from Eastern goods. It is in this context that the Crusades emerged, wrapped in religious discourse but with a clear economic objective: to regain control over trade flows.
Faced with this terrestrial instability, Europe chose a strategic solution: to seek alternative routes. Thus were born the great maritime explorations, turning the sea into the new Silk Road. Maritime transport offered greater capacity, lower costs, and less dependence on hostile territories, driving the rise of maritime empires. From that moment on, trade ceased to be merely exchange and became a tool of power: modern geopolitics was born.
Maritime routes: the new arteries of the world
Today, more than 80% of global trade travels by sea. Maritime routes have become the main arteries of the global economy, true invisible highways connecting continents and markets. Through these corridors flow raw materials, energy, and manufactured goods that sustain the daily functioning of the global economic system.
Some points are especially critical—true bottlenecks of global trade: the Strait of Malacca, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Panama Canal. These strategic passages concentrate a large share of global maritime traffic and, when functioning normally, allow the system to be extraordinarily efficient. But this same concentration also makes them points of vulnerability.
When one of these routes fails, the impact is immediate and global. The blockage of the Suez Canal in 2021 demonstrated this within days: supply chain delays, rising logistical costs, product shortages, and inflationary pressure. It is the clearest proof that, despite its efficiency, the system is also extremely fragile.
This fragility is not just recent history. It is present. Right now, attention is focused on the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil passes. Any geopolitical tension in the area—such as threats of blockade or recurring military incidents—has an immediate impact on energy prices and, consequently, on the entire global economy. It is not just a logistical issue: it is a lever of geopolitical power capable of destabilizing entire markets within hours.
Trump’s new trade war
The so-called “Trump wars” are not an anomaly: they are the modern version of a millennia-old logic now fought with tariffs, restrictions, and pressure on supply chains. As in past eras, control over routes and trade remains a direct tool of power between states, as is also the case in modern extractive systems.
The problem is that this model operates in a context of maximum global dependency. We have built an economy based on outsourced production, global logistics, and the “just-in-time” system. It is an extraordinarily efficient model, but also deeply vulnerable: when a route breaks, the entire chain stops. There are no products, no production, and prices rise immediately.
The first impact of this disruption is always inflation. The mechanism is direct: logistical problems generate higher costs, these reduce supply, and ultimately prices increase. This is how geography—seemingly distant—ends up directly affecting everyday life. We have optimized the system for efficiency, but not for resilience, leaving us with extreme dependency and systemic fragility in which any crisis spreads like a chain reaction.
Are we returning to the logic of the Crusades?
In recent years, states have once again acted with a logic that strikingly resembles that of centuries ago. Protecting trade routes, reducing external dependencies, and securing control over strategic resources have become central priorities of economic and geopolitical policies. This is not a new phenomenon, but a return to historical patterns from the 11th century and beyond, now deployed with modern tools such as financial sanctions, technological control, and supply chain reconfiguration.
The underlying lesson is clear and persistent over time. From the Silk Road to today’s global maritime routes, history shows that whoever controls the routes controls the world. It is not ideology. It is geography. It is economy. It is power.
In a way, understanding trade routes means understanding the real functioning of the economic system, which explains why prices rise, why crises occur, and why conflicts erupt. In an increasingly tense and uncertain world, this perspective is not just general knowledge. It is a tool of defense. A way to protect your assets and make informed decisions.
Protecting savings with physical gold has been one of the main contributions of 11Onze to its community and, now, the range of products is expanding. Therefore, in the face of volatility, still high inflation and the growing crisis of confidence in the banking system, gold is once again strengthening as a safe-haven asset. Discover Seed Gold at Preciosos 11Onze.
