Jan 30, 2009 — Unitus President Ed Bland spoke with Bloomberg Television about Unitus’ work and the future of microfinance. Ed was in New York for a series of conversations centered around the Microcredit Summit Campaign’s announcement that in 2007, more than 106 million of the world’s poorest families (those living on less than $1.25/day) ...
AsidesBelieving that only truly meritorious ideas can stand up to harsh critique, I have accumulated a number of critiques of microfinance. Here are three recent examples.
News and CommentaryDec 18, 2008 — Icelandic star Bjork and financial services firm Audur Capital have launched a venture capital fund named after the singer which is focused on feminine values and the environment, they said Thursday. Audur Capital, which numbers 15 women among its 17 employees, says its aim is “incorporating feminine values into the world ...
AsidesJan 29, 2009 — Four Brown students are launching Providence’s first microfinance bank in Olneyville next month to give loans to poor entrepreneurs and to immigrants looking to become permanent residents and citizens. (full article)
AsidesJan. 28, 2009 — ACCION International, a pioneer and leader in microfinance, today formally announced that its ‘Lend to End Poverty’ campaign and petition, calling on economic leaders to promote and prioritize microfinance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2009, crossed the 20,000 signature mark in advance of the WEF opening today in ...
AsidesJan 28, 2009 — Alex Raksin on Huffington Post: When the World Economic Summit convened today in Davos…among the top, as yet unanswered questions was, “What will provide [future] growth?,” and as the summit’s chairman and founder, Klaus Schwab, asked, “Where should leaders look to find a new “transformative vision for international finance”? The answer ...
AsidesFor you experts in microfinance who have aspirations to write, here is an opportunity to participate in a project that won’t require you to put together an entire book.
News and CommentaryIn 2008, the Calvert Social Investment Foundation raised $42 million in additional investments due to a 33 percent boost in sales of its Calvert Community Investment Notes. The Notes allow investors to finance affordable housing, microfinance, and small businesses. (full press release)
AsidesMicrofinance: Ready For Its Big Leap? As the CEO of Accion Texas, Janie Barrera has plenty of lending success stories to tell. There’s the Colombian woman in Dallas who launched a translation business, and today counts the likes of 3M and Southwest Airlines as clients. Or the African-American man in Houston whose idea of…(full article)
AsidesFarmers Trade Crops for Solar Lighting in the Solomons: Using crops in a unique barter system, a new microfinance project in the Solomon Islands has successfully implemented a solar lighting finance scheme, enabling communities to trade crops for much needed access to light. (full press release)
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