Heard in the Hive
Forty years of diplomatic relations with Russia
A number of distinguished Maltese were honoured by the Russian government during a reception held on July 26 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malta and Russia (then the Soviet Union).
The reception was hosted by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Andrei Granovsky, and Mrs Granovskaya at their residence in Kappara, adjacent to the Russian Embassy.
Addressing the guests, who were led by President and Mrs Fenech Adami, Ambassador Granovsky said that in fact the first official contact between the two countries was in 1698, when Emperor Peter the Great sent a letter to Grand Master Perellos by his envoy Boris Sheremetiev inviting the Order of St John to join Russia in an alliance against the Ottoman Empire.
Then, in 1799, Emperor Paul I assumed the title of Grand Master of the Order after the Knights were expelled from Malta by Napoleon a year earlier. The Maltese Cross remains on the former, now restored, Vorontsov Palace in St Petersburg which the Emperor ceded to the Knights.
Trade between Malta and Russia flourished in the 19th century, and a number of Maltese merchants and ship owners had offices in Odessa and Taganrog.
"The past teaches us that we should prserve peaceful and friendly relations; today our bilateral relations are developing successfully and look set to expand and intensify further," Mr Granovsky said. "Prospects of political co-operation between Malta and Russia look bright," he continued. "This optimism is based not only on the coincidence of our views and approaches to major international issues, but also to the cultural affinity and centuries-old history of our relations. There are good prospects too in trade, investment and finance."
Concluding, the Ambassador said that another positive feature of Russo-Maltese relations "is our nations' spiritual kinship based on our dedication to common Christian values. Despite the difference in size of our countries, we are very much alike."
He then proposed a toast to President and Mrs Fenech Adami, and to the further progress and prosperity of Malta and its people to continued strong Russo-Maltese relations.
Replying to the toast, President Fenech Adami recalled that after Malta set up its diplomatic service on becoming an independent state in 1964, one of the first countries with which it established diplomatic relations was the Soviet Union.
In 1989, Malta hosted the Bush-Gorbachov summit which marked the end of the cold war.
President Fenech Adami said that all of us aspire for peace, but this hope is still to be fulfilled in the Middle East, although it could be sooner than we expect.
Though a small country, Malta is strategically placed in the Mediterranean and is always ready to play its part, "and we have never shied away from saying what we think of the international situation," President Fenech Adami said before proposing a toast to President Putin and to the people of Russia, and to Russo-Maltese relations.
This was followed by the playing of the two anthems and the presentation of awards, which were announced by Viktor Shevchenko, chairman of the National Committee for Public Awards.
The insignia of Peter the Great, first degree, was awarded to Presidents Emeriti Professor Guido de Marco and Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, to Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg, Dr Simon Busuttil, Member of the European Parliament, and - in a complete surprise to him - Ambassador Granovsky himself.
The Alexander Nevsky insignia, first degree, was awarded to Police Commissioner John Rizzo and to Brigadier Carmel Vassallo, Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta.
The Alexander Gorchakov insignia, first degree, was given to Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, while the Gorchakov insignia, second degree, was awarded posthumously to Chev. Paul Naudi, former Ambassador to Russia (it was received by his widow, the actress Karmen Azzopardi) and to Maurice Lubrano, who is also a former Ambassador to Russia.
The Lomonosov insignia was awarded to Laurence Grech, editor of The Sunday Times; Dr Chris Said, mayor of Nadur; Fr Marius Zerafa, OP; Dr Victor Ragonesi, former adviser to Dr George Borg Olivier, independent Malta's first prime minister; Alfred Pisani, chairman of the Corinthia Group, Dr Austin Sammut, a promoter of business relations with Russia, Alexander Kouryshev, head of the Russian Orthodox community in Malta, and Viktor Romanov, a Russian businessman and a leader of the Russian community in Malta.
Guests were then invited to a lavish spread of Russian food in the gardens of the Ambassador's residence.
Friends of the Little Sisters of the Poor fund-raiser
Michael Tabone recently teamed up with the Friends of the Little Sisters of the Poor and expertly put together a wonderful, fund-raising dinner in the gardens of Chev. Maurice Mizzi's home in Bidnija.
Over 250 guests were treated to a delicious menu which was made possible with the help of many generous benefactors. Thirty youngsters cheerfully looked after the guests throughout the evening, while a team of eight hard-working volunteers helped out in the kitchen.
The success of the event is surely the product of amazing teamwork all round and the fund-raising committee expressed its gratitude to all who helped in any way.
St Joseph School Past Pupils Association (Sliema)
It was on the initiative of Sr Bernadette Galea, who was Sister Provincial six years ago, that the St Joseph School Past Pupils Association (Sliema) was set up. Her wish was that the three St Joseph Schools - Sliema, Blata l-Bajda and Paola - would each have their Past Pupils Association.
The Sliema Association set off with a bang! In October 2001 a Mass was held at Stella Maris parish church, which was packed with past pupils. All then walked down Cathedral Street on their way to their old school where refreshments were served, while old acquaintances were renewed. It was a most enjoyable evening and it augured well for the success of the association.
Until some time ago, most of the students who attended St Joseph's School in Sliema hailed from Sliema and its immediate surroundings. They were siblings, cousins, neighbours and friends and in the 12 years they spent at school they got to know practically all those a few years older or younger. It became like one big family and this guaranteed further success to the association. Nostalgia plays an important role; it's so lovely to meet people you grew up with and after so many years there is always so much to talk about.
A committee was formed after an election from among those who had volunteered their services and Victoria Pace Ross née Formosa was elected first president. With great enthusiasm she and her committee set the association on its feet. Four years later Jo Jo Delia née Scerri succeeded her and this is her second year as president.
The association aims to promote co-operation among members and educational, cultural and social values which were so dear to St Emilie, foundress of the order; to enhance family life and to assist the homes run by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition in Malta and abroad.
Fund-raising activities - dinners, dinner-dances, treasure hunts, retreats, get-togethers and the annual crowning of Our Lady - are held throughout the year. On May 11, during the school Prize Day, a cheque for the handsome sum of Lm2,000 was presented to the Sr Provincial Cecilia Schembri to be distributed to the homes run by the Sisters. This sum was raised from various activities and membership fees over a 12-month period. This is the fourth such donation made by the association since its foundation.
Dar Sagra Familja of Zabbar will receive a contribution to cover the expense of their new playground for the children in the home, which was handed over to the nuns of St Joseph in 1985. They cater for 20 youngsters from families with social difficulties.
With great loving care, the three nuns, with the help of some volunteers, tend to their physical and spiritual needs, their education and character formation, thus preparing them to face the world when they leave the home on reaching adulthood. Homes in Jerusalem, Jordan, Bulgaria and Romania run by the Sisters of St Joseph will also benefit from this year's donation.
The St Joseph School Past Pupils Association has also set up a trust fund to sponsor any St Joseph Sliema students who come from families in financial difficulties: uniforms, school books and other requisites are paid for from this fund.
The association ideally should have all past pupils of the school as members to help its fund-raising efforts and widen the interaction within the association. All ex-St Joseph pupils are urged to join and if possible attend the association's activities. The present committee will step down in November and we would then welcome nominations for new committee members who will bring with them a fresh dynamism to the association.
St Joseph's School in Sliema has provided a holistic education to thousands of pupils, instilling in them sound academic and leadership qualifications together with a set of moral values and a healthy approach to life. Many of these have gone on to make a name for themselves both nationally and internationally.
St Joseph School Past Pupils Association (Sliema) aims to keep alive these values and achievements gained during the school years and give them relevance in members' lives today.
Caritas Malta receives BoV support
Bank of Valletta has extended its support to Caritas (Malta). The bank's sponsorship was presented by chief executive officer Tonio Depasquale to Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech at BoV's head office in St Venera. Mgr Grech was accompanied by Anglu Fenech, Caritas' administrative secretary.
The bank's sponsorship is directed towards Caritas' Employee Assistance Programme, which supports working people facing difficulties such as drug abuse.
Mgr Grech thanked Bank of Valletta for continuing to support Caritas. "We rely on the support of benefactors and sponsors such as Bank of Valletta to continue with our work with persons in difficulty," Mgr Grech said. "We offer help to persons with psychological or psycho-spiritual problems, widowed and separated persons, the elderly, people with gambling or alcohol problems, victims of usury, lonely youths, persons at risk from HIV/AIDS, and the homeless."
"These are among the services which we provide, alongside our extensive drug rehabilitation project, for which Caritas is mostly renowned," Mgr Grech said, highlighting that although expenses exceed Lm40,000 a month, Caritas' services are offered free of charge.
New collection for international street wear brand
Collezione, situated on Level Minus 2 at the Embassy in Valletta, has just received a new range of women's and men's clothing.
Whether it's casual wear, street wear, sports wear, denim wear, swimwear, underwear, footwear, accessories and cosmetics, you will find everything at unbeatable prices under just one roof.
Collezione has quickly become popular among mainstream buyers. With 5,000 different styles for every season, Collezione's fast fashion policy ensures that small quantities of every style are available.
By closely following international trends, Collezione provides many trendy products. New collections arrive at the shop every fortnight. The layout of the shop also makes it unique as the clothes are co-ordinated in racks according to their colour scheme, therefore customers have the opportunity to match a whole outfit, with accessories and footwear included. Collezione tailors its clothes from XS to XL, to satisfy everyone aged 12 to 40. The shop is open all day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Shopping at Collezione is a fun, young and hip experience and with such a variety, one is definitely bound to love the stylish fashion wear Collezione offers.
Collezione is currently offering a three-for-two promotion - buy any three items and pay for two.
Vodafone Malta's 17th anniversary
On July 21, Vodafone Malta Ltd celebrated its 17th anniversary with a party for Vodafone staff members and partners at the Upper Barracca Gardens in Valletta. Vodafone began operating in Malta in July 1990 and was the first overseas subsidiary of Vodafone Group plc. During Vodafone's anniversary party, CEO Inaki Berroeta presented a token of appreciation to various employees for their 10 years of service with the company.
The anniversary party included great music, food and fun. Entertainment was provided by Malta's top rock band Winter Moods.
People
CHRISTOPHER BEZZINA, from the Faculty of Education, and visiting professor at the University of Bologna, was recently chosen by the Agenzia Nazionale per lo Sviluppo dell'Autonomia Scolastica within the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione in Italy to be one of five lecturers to run a professional development course for school principals.
The first course, which served as a pilot project, was entitled Strategic Management and Financial Devolution to Schools. Dr Bezzina was entrusted with the area of school leadership in a networking context.
The course was deemed successful by the course organisers and the participants and a strategic plan of action will now be drawn up to run professional development courses for all principals. There are over 7,000 school principals in Italy. During the course Dr Bezzina also met top ministerial officials.
As a result of his input, Dr Bezzina has been invited by DiSAL, an organisation catering for state school principals, to give a keynote address at a forthcoming national conference in Rome. Other school networks around Italy have invited him to run training programmes.
MARICA GATT, a peripatetic teacher (inclusive and special education programme) with the Education Division, was recently awarded the degree of Master of Science in severe, complex and profound learning disabilities and multi-sensory impairment from Manchester University.
Her research project focused on identifying the barriers to active participation for students with complex communication difficulties who use communication aids. Her studies were partly sponsored by the Janatha Stubbs Foundation, a Mencap UK bursary, and the Pektur Award.
Ms Gatt graduated as a teacher in Early and Middle Years and Maltese from the University of Malta in 1996. For the past ten years, she has been working as a primary state school teacher.
In September 2004, she gave her contribution at the International ICT and Education conference on Assistive Technology in ICT and Education. In May 2005, she gave a presentation during the mini-course on the See-It project in conjunction with the Programme for Inclusive Education at the University of Malta.
In September 2006, she was involved in the production of Il-Ktieb tas-Sinjali, a book of manual signs for students with severe communication difficulties and intellectual disabilities.
Following the Bridge School Scholarship Award submission in 2006, she was granted support from the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC).
Last year, she completed a work placement at the ACE Centre North, UK through the financial support of the European Commission's Socrates Programme.
The visit included a training module in Augmentative and Alternative Means of Communication (AAC), which is accredited at Master's level.
During her placement she assisted in various AAC assessments across the northern part of England, including the Robert Ogden School, which is acclaimed to be the world's largest school for students with autism.
She also visited suppliers and manufacturers of assistive technology devices, including Inclusive Technology and Sensory Software International, and met Inclusive Technology's project co-ordinator in charge of educational software development.
During her placement, Ms Gatt contributed towards the TalkAbout Series, a joint project between Ace Centre North and Inclusive Technology. This consists of dynamic literacy grids developed for various software and hardware devices.
Last year, HSBC Cares for Children's Fund sponsored a high-tech aids project that Ms Gatt initiated at San Miguel School, Pembroke. San Miguel school offers a wide range of alternative access and ICT software to support communication and learning through the use of Assistive Technology (AT) for students with physical and multiple learning difficulties.
Ms Gatt, who is also a disability equality trainer, lectures on diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses organised by the Education Division, the University of Malta and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD).
She currently manages the Access to Communication and Technology Unit (ACTU) within the Inclusive and Special Education Network, Hamrun. ACTU provides in-depth assistive technology assessments for students with learning disabilities. She is also involved in the Maltese Inclusive Curriculum Project and forms part of the writing team responsible for ICT.
Ms Gatt currently provides voluntary support as an AAC intervention specialist to various foundations, including Arka Foundation in Gozo.
PIERLUIGI MOLLICONE, B.Eng. (Hons), was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy for research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow (UK).
His thesis outlines the investigation of simulation techniques for the prediction of welding induced distortions and residual stresses. This was carried out in conjunction with industrial partners BAE Systems to analyse cases of industrial relevance.
Dr Mollicone started his education in Rome at Pio XII, continued at Stella Maris College, Gzira, and furthered his pre-university studies at De La Salle College Cottonera. He graduated with a first class Honours Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta.
Following his research post at the University of Strathclyde, Dr Mollicone is currently employed in a start-up subsidiary of Shell in The Netherlands, responsible for the development and application of novel technologies for mechanical tools for the petroleum industry.
Dr Mollicone is the son of Architect Dott. Antonio Mollicone and Connie née Portelli.
GILLIAN MARTIN was recently conferred with an M.Sc. in Sociology, with distinction by the University of Manchester. Her dissertation, a theoretical treatise titled "Dying to be seen? - Power and body shape in late modern society", was particularly well received.
Ms Martin is currently pursuing her interest in the sociology of health and illness and is a Ph.D. student at the University of Manchester, supported by a Malta Government Scholarship Scheme grant. Her planned research will focus on the sociological dynamics influencing the rate of childhood obesity in Malta.
Ms Martin was educated at St Joseph's Convent, Sliema and St Aloysius' College. She trained as a general nurse (SRN) at Middlesex Hospital, London, where she also gained specialist certification in intensive care nursing. She attained her first degree through the University of Malta, Gozo Centre, graduating with a first class BA (Gen) in Sociology and Philosophy.
Ms Martin, currently resides in San Lawrenz, Gozo, is married to Philippe, and has two children, Christophe and Patrick.
For your diary
You Are Not Alone (YANA) is organising a meeting at Despott Hall, Floriana, on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. The group will also meet for a barbecue on Saturday at 8 p.m. For more information phone Rita on 7944-5675, Austin on 9944-6627 or Stella on 7926-7701.
Mouton Cadet wine, sponsored by Charles Grech & Co., will flow at the Friends of the Little Sisters of the Poor's annual midsummer evening cruise on board the MV Fernandez on Thursday, the eve of the feast of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa.
Departure is at 8 p.m. sharp from The Strand (opposite Pebbles Bar). Tickets, at Lm15 (€34.94) per person, include buffet dinner and wine.
For bookings contact Christine Debono on 7944-4135 or e-mail cmdebono@hotmail.com, or Madeleine deDomenico on 7926-0965 or 2133-5334. Cheques are to be made payable to the Friends of the Little Sisters of the Poor and posted to 50, Windsor Terrace, Sliema SLM 1850.
The Malta branch of the International Al Jolson Society, as part of the 80th anniversary of the making of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, is organising a barbecue/buffet in a four-star Gzira hotel on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets, at Lm6.50, include a welcome drink, glass of wine or soft drink, and mineral water. For more information call 2189-6936 or 9988-0489.
Ward u Zghar is organising a Chinese dinner at the Centru Persuni b'Dizabilità, Mtarfa, on Saturday at 8 p.m. For more information phone Antoine on 9953-9234, Peter on 7904-8745 or Maris on 9947-9246.
The Carmelite and Discalced Carmelite Friars will celebrate the seventh centenary from the death of St Albert of Trapani with Mass at Fgura parish church on Sunday at 6.30 p.m. The members of the Carmelite family are particularly invited to attend.
A fund-raising event for Bolivia missions is being held on August 16 by the pool at Hotel Cavalieri, St Julian's. Mass will be said by Fr Garvin Grech, O.Carm, at 7 p.m. Transport will be provided. A choice of pasta and salads is being provided for Lm5.50 per person. Call Mrs A. Wirth on 2133-8079 by Saturday.