by Andrea Chu -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Sixth European Microfinance Network (EMN) Annual Conference Hosted by Giordano Dell’Amore Foundation and RITMI, Rete Italiana di Microfinanza

SIXTH EUROPEAN MICROFINANCE NETWORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE

JUNE 4-5, 2009, MILAN, ITALY

by Melissa Alvarez -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Microfinance Seminar: Exploring Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Migration and Remittances April 15, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

“Are Remittances Still Resilient? Exploring the Impact of the Global Economic Downturn on Migration and Remittances”

Wednesday, April 15, 2009, Washington, DC, USA

Join Dilip Ratha (World Bank), Kathleen Newland (Migration Policy Insititute), Kai Schmitz (Microfinance International Corporation) and Borany Penh (US Agency for International Development/Microenterprise Development Office) for a discussion of how the current global financial crisis, which has affected both home and host countries, has affected the flow of remittances.

This event, presented by the USAID Microenterprise Development Office, will take place from 4:00 to 5:00 PM (Eastern US Time) at the offices of QED Group LLC, 1250 Eye St NW, Washington, DC 20005.

by Laura Anderson -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Belgrade to Host Twelfth Annual MFC Conference of Microfinance Institutions Jointly Organized with Microfinance Development Fund Serbia, Co-Sponsored by responsAbility and Blue Orchard

12th MFC Conference of Microfinance Institutions – Global Crisis: Threat or Opportunity for Microfinance?

 MAY 25-27, 2009, The Continental Hotel, Belgrade, Serbia

by Andrea Chu -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: 4th Annual Microfinance Symposium – From Information to Innovation: Harnessing Social Data to Empower Change Co-Hosted by the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA International) and John Templeton Foundation Preceded by a Microfinance Career Event Hosted by Women Advancing Microfinance (WAM) and Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

ANNUAL MICROFINANCE SYMPOSIUM- FROM INFORMATION TO INNOVATION: HARNESSING SOCIAL DATA TO EMPOWER CHANGE

APRIL17, 2009, WASHINGTON, DC

by Ryan Hogarth -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Women’s World Banking Hosts Global Meeting, Investor Forum, Dinner Celebration of Visionary Women, and Capital Markets Conference

Women’s World Banking Global Meeting, Investor Forum, Global Meeting Dinner, and Capital Markets Conference

April 27-May 1, 2009, New York City, New York

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Wharton School and the Center for Insurance and Risk Management (CIRM) to Conduct Training Program on Scaling MicroInsurance in Developing Countries from April 20- 26, 2009 in Chennai, India

Training Program: Scaling MicroInsurance in Developing Countries

April 20-26, 2009, Chennai, India

The Center for Insurance and Risk Management (CIRM) of the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in Chennai, in collaboration with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is offering a training program titled ‘Scaling Microinsurance in Developing Countries’ from April 20- 26, 2009 in Chennai, India. The main objective of the training program is to aid organizations providing microinsurance services in developing countries to design insurance contracts and to underwrite and price micro-insurance products. According to the organizers, the need for such training stems from the fact the growth of microinsurance services has not been as substantial as compared to microfinance, despite the high demand for microinsurance. The program is directed at insurers, re-insurers, large community agencies, technical support agencies, brokers etc of developing countries.

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Sa-Dhan to host National Conference on Creating a Microfinance Ecosystem in New Delhi, India

National Conference on Creating a Microfinance Ecosystem: Challenges and Balanced Growth

March 31, 2009, New Delhi, India

Sa-Dhan, an association of community development financial institutions in India, is organizing the National Microfinance Conference 2009 focusing on the theme ‘Microfinance Ecosystem: Equilibrium between Growth and Effectiveness’. The day long event will be held at the Ashok Hotel in New Delhi, India on March 31, 2009. The conference is an effort to help facilitate the growth process of Sa-Dhan’s member organizations and other government agencies in India through collective learning opportunities, focusing on the means to overcome issues plaguing the microfinance sector in India. Issues include the commercialization of microfinance institutions (MFIs), governance, risk management, provision of holistic microfinance services (like savings, microinsurance, livelihood, etc), resource mobilization and credit crunch and cost of services.

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Global Alliance for Banking on Values Launched in The Netherlands; Eleven Banks Join to Form the Alliance

Eleven banks have joined to form a new alliance called The Global Alliance for Banking on Values in a move to build a positive alternative to the current crisis in the global financial system. According to a press release on the Netherlands based Triodos Bank’s website, this new partnership plans to develop new ways of building organizations better suited to long-term sustainable thinking and also to develop new forms of ownership and economic cooperation. The alliance was launched at an event held in The Netherlands from March 2-4, 2009. The event was also attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of The Netherlands, a former banker and former member of the United Nations Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors, and Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program. The eleven member alliance was founded by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Bank based in Bangladesh, ShoreBank Corporation the United States based community development and environment bank and Triodos Bank in The Netherlands. Other member banks of the alliance include Alternative Bank ABS in Switzerland, Banca Popolare Etica in Italy, Banex, Banco del Exito in Nicaragua, the GLS Bank in Germany, Mekur Bank in Denmark, Mibanco, Banco de la Microempresa in Peru, New Resource Bank in the United States and the XacBank in Mongolia.

by Andrea Chu -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Microfinance Investment Congress Hosted by PlaNet Finance and American Conference Institute

GLOBAL MICROFINANCE INVESTMENT CONGRESS

MAY 19-20, 2009, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Global Microfinance Investment Congress 2009 is being co-hosted by PlaNet Finance Group and American Conference Institute. The conference consists of workshops, case studies, and panels focused on the latest strategies for success in microfinance investing.

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Pacific Microfinance Week 2009 (PMW 2009) to be Held from July 13 – July 17, 2009 in the Fiji Islands

Pacific Microfinance Week 2009

July 13-17, 2009, Fiji Islands

Fiji based Microfinance Pasifika, an alliance of institutions committed to supporting disadvantaged people in the Pacific, will organize the second Pacific Microfinance Week 2009 in the Nadi region in Fiji from July 13-17, 2009.  PMW 2009 will be a week-long series of events, meetings and gatherings of a range of organizations and individuals who have an interest in promoting the provision of inclusive and sustainable financial services in the Pacific region. The event website is available here.

by Ryan Hogarth -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Chuck Waterfield and Tony Sheldon Teach Course on Microfinance Business Planning and Financial Projections Using Microfin Software

Business Planning and Financial Projections with Microfin Course

April 27 to May 1, 2009, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Washington, DC

by Andrea Chu -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: BASF SE and Grameen Healthcare Trust Create Social Business BASF Grameen Ltd.

BASF SE and Grameen Healthcare Trust, a member of the Grameen Family that helps build new microfinance institutions (MFIs) around the world, have announced the establishment of BASF Grameen Ltd. BASF Grameen Ltd is a joint social business venture whose purpose is to improve the health and business opportunities of the poor in Bangladesh. To meet this purpose, the company will start with two products from BASF’s portfolio, a dietary supplement sachet containing vitamins and micronutrients and impregnated mosquito nets that offer protection against insect-borne disease.

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Financial Research Associates, LLC to host Microfinance West 2.0: The Social and Commercial Investor’s Summit on July 13-14, 2009 in Washington, D.C

Microfinance West 2.0: The Social and Commercial Investor’s Summit

July 13-14, 2009, Washington, D.C.

Financial Research Associates (FRA), LLC the research firm in California providing focused business information to executives and managers, will host Microfinance West 2.0: The Investment Opportunity Summit in Washington D.C. on the 13th and 14th of July, 2009. The two day event will be geared specifically towards social and commercial investors and will focus on an array of topics including the role of intermediaries in a microfinance deal, the value of ratings in today’s economy, new opportunities for microfinance professionals and new investment strategies for pensions, foundations and endowments. The event is open to current and prospective microfinance investors, public pension funds, private pension funds, foundations, endowments, other institutional investors, investment consultants, social entrepreneurs, microfinance managers, high net worth individuals, family offices, microfinance funds, attorneys, investment and commercial banks. The event details have been posted on the FRA website

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) Africa Conference and Expo to be held in Johannesburg, Africa on May 5th and 6th 2009

Mobile Money Transfer Africa Expo and Conference

May 5-6, 2009, Johannesburg, Africa

The Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) Africa conference and expo will be held in Johannesburg, Africa on the 5th and 6th of May, 2009. The event is sponsored by Bharti Telesoft, a solution provider for mobile operators in emerging markets in association with the Nairobi based financial software solutions company CraftSilicon and the mobile application provider Obopay. The two day MMT Conference and Expo which will take place at the Emperor’s Palace hotel in Johannesburg and will serve as an independent meeting place for all participants in the mobile money transfer community including mobile network operators, banks, regulators, technology developers, government and non-government organizations (NGOs). The event website is available here.

The agenda for the event includes keynote presentations and roundtable discussions on topics pertaining to the MMT field. Some of the topics which will be featured at the event are as follows: