by Eric McKay -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Second China Microfinance Investor Conference to Be Hosted in Beijing March 25 – March 26, 2010

Event Name: The Second China Microfinance Investor Conference

Event Date: March 25 – March 26, 2010

Event Location: Beijing, China

Event Website: http://www.gtz-china.org/finance/microfinance-investor-conference-2010/

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

Cost: There is no fee to attend

Summary of Event:

This conference will review the current status of microfinance in China and discuss prospects for its future. Participants will have the opportunity to network with Chinese microfinance institutions and international investors.

by Diya Chopra -

MICROCAPITAL.ORG STORY: Conclusions from the 5th International Microinsurance Conference in Dakar, Senegal

The 5th International Microinsurance Conference wrapped up last week in Dakar, Senegal. The conference was organized by the Munich Re Foundation, the charitable arm of Germany-based insurance and reinsurance company Munich RE, and the Microinsurance Network. The Microinsurance Network is a member-based network providing a platform for information sharing and stakeholder coordination. Its central aim is to promote the development and proliferation of insurance products for low-income persons. The conference was held to discuss trends and recent developments in cost-effective insurance for the poor, with particular focus on health microinsurance (HMI) [1].

by Radhika Chandrasekhar -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: “Payment in Emerging Countries” at CARTES & IDentification 2009, November 17, 2009, Paris, Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition centre – France

Event Name: “Payment in Emerging Countries” as part of CARTES & IDentification 2009

Event Location: Paris, Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition centre – France

Event Description: Conference

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

by Diya Chopra -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: MicroFinance Network (MFN) and Equity Bank to Host International Microfinance Symposium in Kenya to Discuss Effects of Global Financial Crisis on Microfinance Oct. 29-31, 2009

Event Name: MicroFinance Network Annual Conference

Event Date: October 29- October 31, 2009

Event Location: Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

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

by Stefanie Rubin -

MICROCAPITAL.ORG STORY: Finance Minister of Bangladesh Says Climate Change is Major Factor Impeding Economic Growth for Low-Income Citizens

At a conference on extreme poverty in Bangladesh, the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, announced that “global climate change poses the greatest challenge today in our poverty mitigation efforts.” He added that microcredit is not the prime tool for poverty alleviation, but that it can “very well be an aid to mitigating poverty” [1, 2].

by Radhika Chandrasekhar -

MICROCAPITAL.ORG STORY: Social Capital Markets 2009 (SoCap09) and Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Support “Social Financing”

A recent story from The Economist titled, “Financial innovation and the poor: A place in society,” states that despite the recent financial crisis, bankers, investors, and philanthropists have not shied away from capital markets. [2]

by Zoran Stanisljevic -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Triple Bottom Line Investing (TBLI) 2010 Europe Conference, London, United Kingdom

Event Name: TBLI 2010 Europe Conference

Date: November 11-12, 2010

Location: Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom

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

by Zoran Stanisljevic -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: The 3rd Annual Global Microfinance Investment Congress 2010, presented by PlaNet Finance, May 24 – May 26, 2010 in New York City

The 3rd Annual Global Microfinance Investment Congress 2010, presented by PlaNet Finance, May 24 – May 26, 2010 in New York City

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

by Zoran Stanisljevic -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: The Nepal Microfinance Summit, presented by the Center for Microfinance (Nepal), February 14-16, 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

MICROFINANCE EVENT: The Nepal Microfinance Summit, presented by the Center for Microfinance (Nepal), February 14-16, 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

The Nepal Microfinance Summit, presented by the Center for Microfinance (Nepal), February 14-16, 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

February 14-16, 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

by Zoran Stanisljevic -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Roundtable 2009, presented by the United Nations, October 22-23, 2009 at Cape Town, South Africa

MICROFINANCE EVENT: United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Roundtable 2009, presented by the United Nations, October 22-23, 2009 at Cape Town, South Africa

United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), presented by the United Nations, October 22-23, 2009 at Cape Town, South Africa

October 22-23, 2009 at Cape Town, South Africa

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

by Chinq Yee Chong -

MICROCAPITAL.ORG STORY: Controversial Reuters Blog On Microfinance Investments Generates Comments And Criticisms

In a blog by Felix Salmon controversially entitled ‘Don’t invest in microfinance’ [1], Mr Salmon carries on the recent debate about the viability of investing in the microfinance sector. The blog was initiated soon after a series of provocative articles on the Wall Street Journal [2] that likened the increasing valuations of MFIs in by participants in the private equity sector to a ‘bubble’ that was not sustainable. Mr Salmon notes in his blog that it is ‘much better that microfinance organizations grow a little more slowly, and much more organically, either by getting grants rather than loans, or by funding themselves locally’ rather than to grow rapidly using private-equity backed microfinance dollars. He stated that whilst private equity funding was ‘the only way to scale up quickly’, he added that ‘speed is the enemy of quality’. Mr Salmon further noted that a lot of institutional investors reap their profits from taking on board the significant foreign currency risks that are inherent in most microfinance investment transactions. He added that these significant profits will mean that the new organizations that have started to offer hedging services to MFIs are unlikely to be hugely successful. Foreign currency hedging in microfinance is an issue that has been covered in previous Microcapital.Org stories [3], [4]. He ended the blog with a blanket statement that ‘western do-gooders’ should provide funds to grassroots organizations and added that ‘if [investors] want to make a profit, they should stick to more conventional investments’. He also noted that the participation of institutional investors in the microfinance sector has at times exacerbated the problem of over-indebtedness

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Microfinance India Summit 2009, October 26-28, 2009 in New Delhi, India, Organized by ACCESS Development Services

Event Name: Microfinance India Summit 2009

Event Date: October 26-28, 2009

Event Location: New Delhi, India, TAJ Palace Hotel

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

by Uyen Tran -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Promoting Financial Capability and Consumer Protection – A Step Forward Towards Financial Inclusion in Africa, 8-9 September 2009 in Accra, Ghana, Organized by German Development Cooperation, the World Bank, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Event Name: Promoting Financial Capability and Consumer Protection – A Step Forward Towards Financial Inclusion in Africa

Event Description: Conference

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

Cost: Not available. Please inquire with the contact person provided below.

Summary of Event: The two-day conference aims to discuss whether and how financial inclusion can be strengthened, share and learn from individual country experiences, and establish a roadmap that will define the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders.

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Triple Bottom Line Investing (TBLI) 2009 Europe Conference

Event Name: TBLI 2009 Europe Conference

Date: November 12-13, 2009

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Elicium, RAI Convention Centre and Amsterdam Okura Hotel

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

by Chinq Yee Chong -

MICROCAPITAL STORY – Highlights From A Hanson Wade Conference On Microfinance Investments And Observations By Key Panelists From MFX Solutions, ACCION, OPIC, Deutsche Bank, Microfinance Transparency And Others

The recent conference on ‘Investments In Microfinance’ which was held in London was attended by a variety of participants in the microfinance sector, including MFIs, investors, bankers, lawyers and researchers. Panelists and speakers at the event discussed topical issues affecting the microfinance sector which included the following: (i) Hedging foreign currency risk in microfinance transactions; (ii) The problem of over-indebtedness; (iii) Client protection issues and (iv) Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Finance. As shown in the conference agenda, panelists and speakers also discussed the future of microfinance and the impact of the current crisis on sources of funding for the microfinance industry. The conference concluded with a discussion on microfinance securitization and the key legal issues in such transactions. Below is a short summary of some of the points raised at the conference.