Bill Clinton praised microfinance in his closing speech at the 2008 summit for the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), the global development summit and brainchild of the former U.S. president. As one of the summit’s concluding speakers, Clinton exhorted investors to consider the poor of developing nations as viable investment alternatives to today’s turbulent markets. He lauded international microfinance investors as “smart people” earning money the “old-fashioned way” in a “real economy based on real people doing real things for a real rate of return.” Amid a global credit crisis that threatens to dry up anti-poverty aid, Clinton cautioned investors and business leaders from “looking inward.”
Category: Events
PRESS RELEASE: Microfinance Gateway Introduces Hot Topic Pages on New Website
Source: Microfinance Gateway.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) to Host Press Briefing “The Future of Development Finance” Seminar
FMO HOSTS “FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT FINANCE” SEMINAR
OCTOBER 1, 2008, THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) will host a farewell seminar in honor of departing Chief Executive Officer, Arthur Arnold. The program will explore the future of development finance and how it can strengthen the private sector.
Confirmed speakers include: Bert Koenders (Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation), María Otero (President & CEO of ACCION International), Mo Ibrahim (Founder of Celtel and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation), and Wang Qi (Managing Partner of The Development Principles Group, Beijing).
For more information on the content of the seminar or speaker, visit the event website: www.fmo.nl/farewell.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) Interactive Webcast on Mobile Banking
CGAP HOSTS INTERACTIVE WEBCAST ON MOBILE BANKING on OCTOBER 1
CGAP will host an interactive webcast 09:30-12:45 PM EST. CGAP will examine the business case and deployment options for smaller banks and microfinance institutions.
The agenda for the event will be as follows:
09:30 – 10:30
Why: The logic of branchless banking
How: Developing and managing branchless banking channels
11:00 – 12:30
For whom: choices for banks, operators’ role, customer adoption
The good, the bad, and the ugly of m-banking
To submit questions during or before the event, contact Jim Rosenberg (jrosenberg@worldbank.org).
To access the webcast on Wednesday, visit here.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Housing Microfinance Conference Organized by Dutch Development Bank FMO
HOUSING MICROFINANCE CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 1, THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
FMO (the Dutch development bank) has organized a Housing Microfinance Conference to further support microfinance institutions (MFIs) in exploring the housing microfinance market and developing housing products.
PRESS RELEASE: USAID Extends Deadline for Competition on Innovations in Financing Value Chains
Source: microLINKS.
PRESS RELEASE: Center for Insurance and Risk Management to Conduct Innovative Market-Based Risk Management Framework Course October 6 – November 10, 2008
MICROFINANCE EVENT: USAID Online Discussion on Economic Recovery Standards in Crisis Areas
MICROLINKS HOSTS ONLINE DISCUSSION, ECONOMIC RECOVERY STANDARDS
SEPTEMBER 23-35
The microLINKS Speaker’s Corner will host an online discussion called “Economic Recovery Standards”. The discussion will be around the Economic Recovery Standards, widely recognized among the international disaster and crisis response community for providing guidance on the minimum quality of actions expected in humanitarian responses in crisis-affected areas will be hosted. The forum provides the opportunity for participants to explore issues related to economic recovery interventions after a crisis and have their opinions and input directly affect the Standards.
Topics to be covered will include:
Day 1 – September 23: Cross-cutting and overall standards
Day 2 – September 24: Financial services and assets programming
Day 3 – September 25: Employment Creation and enterprise development
To register or to learn more about this discussion, visit the event website here.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: President Clinton to Host 2008 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
2008 CLINTON GLOBAL INITIAITIVE ANNUAL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 23-26, 2008, SHERATON NEW YORK HOTEL & TOWERS, NEW YORK CITY
President Clinton will host the fourth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an event which will cover the topics of Education, Energy and Climate Change, Global Health, and Poverty Alleviation.
The program will assemble together more than 130 global leaders from the business, government, academia, science, religion, and non-governmental organizations. CGI is a meeting for participants to design and implement practical solutions to issues of worldwide concern.
Among participants confirmed to be in attendance are UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Bill Gates, Queen Rania, Gordon Brown, Hamid Karzai, Al Gore, Barack Obama, John McCain, and Muhammad Yunus.
For more information regarding the event, please visit the event website here.
MICROCAPITAL STORY: Foromic Conference, hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank, to Focus on Responsible Finance, Response to International Crises, Rural Finance, Housing, Technology, Venture Capital and the Importance of Networks
On October 8-10, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will host the sixth edition of the Forum on Microenterprise (FOROMIC). Aside from a general discussion on microfinance in Latin America and the Caribbean, the conference will focus on responses to international crises, rural finance, housing, technology, venture capital and the importance of networks. To learn more about this event, please read this previous MicroCapital story.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Justice K. S. Hegde Institute of Management in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Hold International Conference on Business Practices for Sustainable Social Change
BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL CHANGE CONFERENCE
DECEMBER 29-30, 2008, JUSTICE K.S. HEDGE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMNET CAMPUS, NITTE, INDIA
The conference is presented by Justice K S Hegde Institute of Management in partnership with the School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania. The conference costs are USD 100 for foreign delegates and INR 1000, equivalent to USD 21.54 (Bloomberg Currency Calculator) for Indian delegates.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Summit on Microfinance as an Alternate Asset Class for Institutional Investors
GLOBAL SUMMIT ON MICROFINANCE AS AN ALTERNATIVE ASSET CLASS FOR INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
OCTOBER 29-30, MILLENIUM KNIGHTSBRIDGE HOTEL, LONDON, ENGLAND
The conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges for microfinance investments as the industry becomes larger and converges with mainstream financial institutions. Specific topics will include the current state of the microfinance sector, the risks and rewards for institutional investors involved in microfinance, an evaluation of rating metrics currently employed, lessons and opportunities taken from other asset classes, good governance in microfinance institutions (MFIs), and developing a universal framework for evaluating social returns. A complete agenda can be found of the conference website.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: African Microfinance Investor Fair in Dakar on October 15-16
AFRICAN MICROFINANCE INVESTOR’S FAIR
OCTOBER 15-16, 2008, HOTEL SOFITEL TERANGA, DAKAR, SENEGAL
African Microfinance Transparency (AMT) has organized an African Microfinance Investor’s Fair in Dakar. The purpose of this fair is to bring together rated African microfinance institutions (MFIs) that are in search of funding sources and investors that are offering funding and other such resources to MFIs, be it in local or foreign currency.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: USAID to Host Online Discussion on Outsourcing Options for Microfinance Institutions (MFIs)
MICROLINKS HOSTS ONLINE DISCUSSION, OUTSOURCING FOR MFIS
SEPTEMBER 16-18
The microLINKS Speaker’s Corner on Savings will host an online discussion called “Outsourcing Options for Microfinance Institutions”. Hosted by Alice Liu of Emerging ICT Group, this Speaker’s Corner will focus on the benefits and challenges related to outsourcing and the lessons that may be learned from small bank experiences in the US and other areas where outsourcing is more common.
Each day, participants are invited to share their perspectives and experiences on following topics:
• Day 1 (September 16) – Outsourcing: Benefits and Decision Criteria
• Day 2 (September 17) – Core Banking System Experiences from the Field
• Day 3 (September 18) – Enabling Environment
To learn more about this discussion, visit the event website here.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Mobile Money Transfer 2008 (MMT) Conference & Expo
MOBILE MONEY TRANSFER 2008
NOVEMBER 10-11, 2008, CONFERENCE AND EXPO CROWNE PLAZA in DUBAI
The Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) Conference and Expo serves as an independent meeting place for all participants in the MMT community. The scope of MMT 2008 includes those from domestic, international, developed and developing nations.
The conference will be structured with a few case study presentations but will primarily consist of visionary programs and small group round table sessions highlighting practical challenges and mass market proven solutions. Participants will learn how to launch an MMT, how to structure relationships with MNOs and banks, and how to extend financial services to developing nations through MMT.
For further information regarding the conference, visit the event website.
To register, click here. There are varying packages including pre- and post-conference meetings, that participants can choose from. Those registering prior to September 25 will receive cost savings. For further inquiries on pricing, please contact For any queries on pricing, please contact harpreet.sohanpal@clarionevents.com.
MICROCAPITAL STORY: National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) of the Philippines Holds “Call for Proposal” Related to the Microfinance Sector with a Prize of $10,761
On September 10th, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) of the Philippines will hold a “Call for Proposals” at the Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban city. According to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), this is a “nationwide invitation to microfinance institutions, local government units and other microfinance/microenterprise development service providers to submit project proposals on capability building to qualify for grant funding under the Peoples Development Trust Fund.” Selected projects will receive PHP 500,000 (USD 10,761) from the People’s Development Trust Fund to help support their operations. Relevant topics for entries include “consultancy and training services for Microfinance institutions … social and financial preparation of beneficiaries, preparation of plans and programs including fund sourcing and assistance, establishment of credit and savings monitoring and evaluation mechanism.”
PRESS RELEASE: Microfinance & New Technologies Summit October 21 & 22, 2008 – The Untapped Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) Market in Microfinance
Source: Microfinance & New Technologies.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) / MFMI (Microfinance Management Institute) to Host Funder Training – Building Inclusive Financial Systems: How Funders Can Make a Difference
Source: CGAP.