Network for the Promotion of Financial Literacy

Zagreb/Turin, 31 January 2023 – The Intesa Sanpaolo Group's FLITIN - Financial Literacy International Network is promoting the initiative S.A.V.E. Ambassadors International Edition, the first joint initiative for young people from secondary schools (ages 16-18) in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Serbia that are interested in actively involving their students in the development of an approach to life consistent with the objectives of economic and environmental sustainability.

The initiative, based on the contents of the S.A.V.E. Virtual Tour of the Savings Museum (www.savetour.it), aims to bring young people closer to the themes of sustainability, circular economy, social inclusion and financial education.

After an introductory lesson given by FLITIN tutors, the classes involved in each country were asked to map the unresolved problems in their city in environmental and social terms and to propose solutions. The activity involved interaction with the local administration, associations and businesses in the area, and, where possible, discussion with citizens. This activity resulted in the production of a project work in which the students from each school presented the findings of their research and the proposals they made to the mayor or local institutions to solve at least one of the problems identified.

High school classes from various cities participated in the SAVE initiative implemented in Croatia by Privredna banka Zagreb, a  member of Intesa Sanpaolo Group, who as SAVE ambassadors presented the recognized social and ecological problems of their cities in a very creative way. Problems with waste, depopulation, air pollution and emigration are highlighted in their presentations. The students offered suggestions on how to solve recognised problems and it was very interesting to see how young people look at the current challenges of the communities in which they live. In Croatia, the work of students of the 3B class of Petrinja High School won. They presented a large number of illegal waste disposal sites that appeared after the earthquake   as a current challenge and offered an applicable solution in the form of distributing informational and educational leaflets to citizens about the way to sort and dispose of waste.

The eight best entries, one for each country, will be judged during an online event scheduled for 3 pm on 31 January by a jury presided over by Intesa Sanpaolo Chairman Gian Maria Gros-Pietro and comprising Marco Elio Rottigni, Chief International Subsidiary Banks Division Intesa Sanpaolo, Luisa Ferreira, Head of Social Program EIB Institute and Giovanna Paladino, Director and Curator of the Savings Museum https://www.museodelrisparmio.it/home-en/

The event will conclude with an award ceremony for the top three: the winner will receive a gift of a forest of 30 trees planted for the occasion in a developing country, which can be geolocated and monitored thanks to a special app. The groups placing second and third will be rewarded with the adoption of 20 polar bears and 10 endangered sea turtles in cooperation with WWF.

"The idea of the competition is to promote awareness of issues of great relevance for the future of the new generations from eight culturally and economically diverse countries. The initiative promoted by FLITIN aims to help teenagers understand the complexity of environmental sustainability choices, in light of their economic implications and the potential for inclusion and reduction of inequalities they entail," commented Giovanna Paladino, Director and Curator of the Savings Museum.

FLITIN (Financial Literacy International Network) is a network of ambassadors of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group whose aim is to spread financial education in Italy and in the various countries where the International Subsidiary Banks Division is present: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. An international network that aims to share knowledge, skills, methodologies, tools, resources and experiences in the field of financial education, with a single overarching objective: to increase the level of financial economic literacy of citizens, with high quality standards and according to OECD guidelines.