MICROFINANCE EVENT: Latin America - Caribbean Regional Microcredit Summit, June 8-10, 2009

Latin America – Caribbean Regional Microcredit Summit, June 8-10, 2009, Cartagena, Colombia.

Summary of Event: This is the 13^th Microcredit Summit since the first summit held in Washington DC in 1997. The summit will offer the opportunity for microcredit practitioners, advocates, investors, donors, non-government organizations, financial institutions and those committed to the summits’ goals to assess progress, address challenges and discuss strategies for achieving the 2015 goals. Delegates will also come together to share microfinance best practices and network. The conference will be in Spanish and English depending upon the workshop session.

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

Cost: Registrants from Latin America and the Caribbean USD 250; all other registrants USD 300. This excludes 16 percent tax and must be paid in USD. This includes all sessions (seating may be limited), closing dinner and all lunches. This does not include field visits and day-long courses post summit.

Background on Organizers: The Microcredit Summit Campaign (MSC) and Banca de las Oportunidades will co-host the summit. MSC a project of the RESULTS Educational Fund, a US based non-profit that performs research and oversight of global anti-poverty programs and advocates to increase end poverty and hunger. Banca de las Oportunidades is a government-run program in Colombia which promotes access to financial services for low income individuals and families, micro, small and medium size businesses. It was established in 2006 and its resources come from the Bank of Foreign Trade of Colombia.

Event Themes and Discussion Topics: The purpose of the summit is to stimulate practitioners and other stakeholders in using microfinance to end global poverty, especially within the Latin America – Caribbean region and encourage progress towards the two Microcredit Summits goals of 2015. Firstly ensuring that 175 million of the world’s poorest families, especially women, receive credit and other financial services and secondly that 100 million of the world’s poorest move up from below $1 day to above $1 day (adjusted for purchasing power parity and for the period 1990 to 2015). This would impact 875 million people assuming 5 people per family. A recent MicroCapital story reported on an interview with the Founder of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, Mr. Sam Daley-Harris, and his views on whether microfinance was a cost-effective and efficient way of reducing poverty.

Who Is Invited to Attend: Everyone

About the Presenters: Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureat and Managing Director of the Grameen Bank and Sam Daley-Harris Founder of the Microcredit Summit Campaign will present at both the Opening Ceremony and Closing dinner. President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia will also attend the Opening Ceremony.

Refer to the detailed agenda for information about all sessions and presenters.

Online Registration Address: http://eventos.gematours.com/eventos/index.cgi?e=form&etapa=datos&formulario=1?=en&evento=microcredit

For additional information, please contact:

Contact Name: Sugey Pajaro, Gema Tours

Telephone/Location: 575 660 2499 (Columbia)

Email: pajaros@overgematours.com.co

Submit Your Event: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

Event Type: Summit

Event Starts (time and day): 9am Monday June 8th, 2009 (pre-registration on the 7th)

Event Ends (time and day): 10pm Wednesday June 10^th, 2009 (post-summit courses are also offered)

Location: Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala, Cartagena de Indias Convention Center.

Street: Getsemani Carrera 8

City/Town: Cartagena, Colombia

Website: http://regionalmicrocreditsummit2009.org/

Phone: +1 202 637 9600 (The Microcredit Summit Campaign for program information) and 57 1 649 70 80 (Banca de las Oportunidades for registration and local information)

Organized By: The Microcredit Summit Campaign and Banca de las Oportunidades

By Sally Levy, Research Assistant

Additional Resources:

Microcredit Summit Campaign: Home

Banca de las Oportunidades: Home

RESULTS Educational Fund: Home

MicroCapital Story: ‘Microfinance most Cost-effective, Efficient way of Reducing Poverty’, interview of Sam Daley-Harris, Microcredit Summit Campaign Founder