zeti akhtar aziz : financial education initiatives in malaysia speech by dr zeti akhtar aziz, governor of the central bank of malaysia ( bank negara malaysia ), at the launch of financial lateracy in conjunction with opening of special exhibition on financial literacy, kuala lumpur, 28 september 2015. * * * ladies and gentlemen financial education has never been more important than in today ’ s environment. participating effectively in the financial system can improve the economic well being of individuals and businesses. financial education is therefore key so that members of our society will benefit from the financial system and from the new technologies that are transforming our financial landscape. it will help consumers to better understand the risks involved in managing their finances and will facilitate better financial decision making. building a generation with financial competence therefore needs to start from an early age. this has been the motivation of bank negara malaysia in the development of the pocket money book or buku wang saku for schools that was first launched in 1999. we are very honoured to have progressed this project in collaboration with datuk lat whose illustrations have made the complex subject of fundamental issues in finance appealing to school children. the universal appeal of datuk lat ’ s distinctive caricatures which are featured in the pocket money book or buku wang saku, have attracted students, teachers and parents to use it as a tool to nurture good savings habits and to encourage responsible money management among school children. his works have over the years touched on many aspects of money management as seen from the context of ordinary malaysians, leaving us with memorable and lasting impressions not only on prudent financial behaviour, but on malaysian life and society. important lessons about savings, conserving and avoiding wastage are powerfully conveyed through the remarkably creative and entertaining visuals that we have all come to know and love. true to form, datuk lat ’ s creations are unparalleled in their ability to capture the hearts of malaysians and through them, we are both educated and entertained. it is our honour to commemorate his works for such an important cause. since 1999, 15 million copies of buku wang saku have been circulated to more than 10, 000 schools nationwide to be used in promoting good financial management habits which can make a profound difference in their future financial well - being. indeed, being equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools to make sound financial decisions has never been more important in a generation where our young people have more money to spend, are presented

christine lagarde : north rhine - westphalia state prize - laudatory speech laudatory speech by ms christine lagarde, president of the european central bank, for angela merkel at the award ceremony for the north rhine - westphalia state prize, cologne, 16 may 2023. * * * dear madam chancellor, dear angela, dear minister president of north rhine - westphalia, mr wust, ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to be here today to give this speech in recognition of you, dear angela, as you receive north rhine - westphalia's highest honour, the state prize. we are on the banks of the rhine in the wonderful city of cologne, the birthplace of konrad adenauer, once the city's lord mayor and later germany's first chancellor. and i know that the symbolism of this place will not be lost on you. in important ways, the contours of your lives have overlapped. you followed in his footsteps some 40 years later, becoming the first female chancellor of germany. just recently, you were awarded the grand cross 1st class, special issue, of the order of merit of the federal republic of germany. the only other chancellors to be given such honours were helmut kohl and adenauer. as a reminder of germany's past and of those who came before you, you displayed oskar kokoschka's portrait of chancellor adenauer behind your desk in the chancellery. but adenauer was also a guiding light in more fundamental ways. you share, for example, a deep understanding of and respect for the value of democracy. " democracy is more than a parliamentary form of government, " adenauer said. " it is a philosophy of life that has its roots in the concept of the dignity, the value and the inalienable rights of each individual human being. " 1 having grown up in a dictatorship, you know better than anyone that democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted. they are hard won and easily lost. in a speech in 2021 to mark german reunification, you said " democracy doesn't just happen. we have to keep working for it together, every day ". 2 and – just like adenauer – that is what you did throughout your political career. it was what drove your leadership. you were the antidote to a growing wave of populism, which the author moises naim describes as a new malignant form of power that mimics democracy while undermining it.