Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/944442
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2018 17 Events European Money Week – Promoting financial literacy among youths FOR the fourth year running, the Malta Bankers' Associa- tion (MBA) is organising a se- ries of events and activities in preparation for the European Money Week, which this year is being held between 12 and 18 March. The Money Week is an initiative of the European Banking Federation, and is aimed at promoting financial education and financial lit- eracy amongst students and youths. National banking as- sociations throughout the EU participate in this initiative, which reflects the banking industry's strategic aim of boosting awareness on the benefits of better financial education amongst youths and the community at large. The MBA's programme of events centres around this theme, and is organised in collaboration with the De- partment of Curriculum Management's Home Eco- nomics Seminar Centre, the Central Bank of Malta, the Malta Financial Services Authority, the Malta Stock Exchange, the Institute of Financial Services, Junior Achievement Young Enter- prise (JAYE), and Global Pay- ments Ltd. This year's programme in- cludes an innovative event entitled 'Economics for Suc- cess', which is being run in conjunction with JAYE and the Central Bank of Malta, and is aimed at Year 9 and Year 10 students aged 13 to 14 years. The half-day pro- gramme includes a series of activities through which the students learn how to set goals for their financial fu- ture and understand the con- nection between personal fi- nance, education and careers. Two successful events which were introduced last year have again been included in this year's programme. One is the 'Financial Literacy Challenge' for Year 5 to Year 8 students aged 9 to 13 years. The par- ticipating school teams have to plan and implement an activity aimed at promoting awareness related to financial literacy, education and inclu- sion. Cash prizes awarded by the MBA to the winning and second-placed teams are to be used to fund initiatives re- lated to financial literacy. The other event focuses on teacher professional de- velopment training. Home Economics teachers are be- ing invited to participate in a seminar entitled 'Financial Literacy Education – New Developments'. The seminar is aimed at equipping partici- pants with knowledge, skills and competencies to address innovations in financial-liter- acy related topics within the Home Economics syllabus. Other events, which have also been successfully held in past editions of the Money Week, include a 'Money Mat- ters' programme for Year 6 pupils aged 10 to 11 years, the 'Be Wise – Pay Smart' programme for Year 10 stu- dents aged 14 to 16 years fol- lowing the Core Curriculum Programme, and visits to the Central Bank of Malta, the Malta Financial Services Au- thority and the Malta Stock Exchange. Art that transgresses borders and language DRAWN, shredded or alluded to in the form of stark geometric lines, maps are linking threads that run through Mario Abela's latest experimental exhibition. Dislocated Geographies, which opens at Spazju Kreattiv, Vallet- ta on 23 February is the mani- festation of, and attempt by Abela to understand the world around him. Abela's works combine char- coal drawings and collage, mostly in large format as well as video and sound, juxtaposed alongside cut-outs of Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, charcoal creations evoking waves and outer space, Ab- ela's artworks use maps in an attempt for the artist to find meaning and question the world which is presented to us: "I look at maps in the same way that I look at time. Time is a human construct in order to organise the past, the present and the future. Maps are a hu- man construct to arrange the world into what is ours, yours and theirs. The random old maps in my works are broken, drawn over or dislocated. This is to shed light on the fact that my works have no borders and speak multiple languages." While his interest in sci- ence and technology and their impact on society are Abela's main source of inspiration, the works also feature a gritty ele- ment in that they are rough to touch. This alludes to another strong influence for the artist: a childhood spent playing in his father's and grandfather's fields. The final result looks, therefore, as if the digital today met his grandfather's hands of 30 years ago. Abela is a Gozitan visual artist and graphic designer based in Malta. He holds a Bachelors De- gree in Education and a Masters in Fine Arts – Digital Arts, both from the University of Malta and is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta. Dislocated Geographies runs at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, from 23 February till March 25, 2018.ß