Date: 12/08/11, Thursday
Location: Fremont Brewing Company, 3409 Woodland Park Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103
Time: 5pm to 8pm

The conference was organized by LDI Director and Professorial Research Fellow Yong-Shik Lee, Ph.D, an expert in international trade and a visiting professor at Seattle University School of Law. The program will bring 17 leading law and economic development experts from seven countries and the U.S. State Department to discuss development finance.

In particular, the conference will focus on “microtrade,” which is defined to include international trade of small quantities of goods produced locally and on a small scale. As Professor Lee explains in his scholarly article, “Theoretical Basis and Regulatory Framework for Microtrade: Combining Volunteerism with International Trade towards Poverty Elimination,” microtrade may offer an alternative means of providing persons in least-developed countries with opportunities for economic advancement. Unlike large-scale export programs that are initiated at the macro-level, microtrade does not necessarily depend upon preexisting infrastructure. That said, there are certain logistical obstacles that must be addressed on a case-by-case basis. As development practitioners and academics confront these obstacles and brainstorm potential solutions, the resulting innovations may pave the way not only for successful microtrade, but also for macro-level improvements. The conference will provide a unique opportunity to explore these and related cutting edge questions in development finance.

A conference registration fee of $30 includes access to the full day conference, refreshments, and lunch. While the program is free for faculty and students of any educational institution, registration is required for all attendees. Please visit the registration page for more information.

It is generally assumed that such high interest rates are a necessary cost of making small loans in isolated and impoverished areas. Microlending websites that administer “crowd-funded” loans through local intermediaries assume that the borrowers not only lack the necessary computer skills to communicate with lenders themselves, but also that they cannot be trusted to repay loans without constant visits by loan officers.

Kurnia believed these assumptions were outdated, and to test her theory she founded Zidisha.org, a peer-to-peer microlending platform that turns the traditional approach to microfinance lending on its head. First, there are no intermediaries: instead, the entrepreneurs themselves post loan applications and communicate directly with lenders via facebook-style profile pages. Zidisha does not outsource loan disbursements and repayment collection to local organizations either, but rather uses grassroots technology like mobile banking to conduct financial transactions with borrowers directly. The result? Radical transparency, and lower cost to borrowers than has ever before been possible in the developing world – even though Zidisha.org lenders earn interest as well.

Zidisha is tapping into the growing population of computer-literate, but still economically disadvantaged, small business owners and explosive growth of internet access that have transformed developing countries in recent years. Borrowers log in to Zidisha.org to share business updates with lenders from cheap internet cafés, old laptops donated to local schools, and solar-powered smartphones shared by entire villages.

Today, loans funded through Zidisha.org surpassed the $100,000 mark. Since making their first microloans – to three nomadic herders in Kenya’s remote Masai Mara – in October 2009, Zidisha lenders from around the world have financed 181 small business ventures in Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Kenya and Senegal. Zidisha’s average lender interest rate is 2.96%, and the repayment rate to date is 99.5%.

Zidisha believes in transparency. So ask questions, meet our remarkable entrepreneurs, and become part of the conversation.

Join them at www.zidisha.org or @zidishainc

1 Minute Video: Zidisha Inc.

When: Friday, November 18, noon–1:30 p.m.

Where: The parlor of the Harvard Exit Theatre, 807 East Roy, Seattle

RSVP: pr@womanscenturyclub.org

• Current state of the microfinance industry;
• Emerging issues;
• Balancing serving the poor, profitability, and loyalty;
• Accountability and the roles of accountants;
• Effectiveness of the current reporting standards;
• Accounting for social change.

For more information, visit:

Rick will provide an in-depth look at the stories and impact behind GP’s work and discuss GP’s new focus on innovative solutions beyond microfinance, such as women’s health education, agricultural training for small-scale coffee farmers and green technology that improves lives. There will be ample time for questions and conversation.

When: Tuesday, October 25, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Where: Wing Luke Museum, Seattle  directions

Register: Register by emailing events@globalpartnerships.org

Grameen Foundation Technology Center – 10-Year Anniversary Events
“Using Mobile Phones to Help Poor Farmers”

Breakfast
Date: Wednesday, July 20
Time: Doors open at 7:30 a.m., program from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Place: Grameen Foundation Technology Center — 2101 4th Avenue, Suite 1550, Seattle
RSVP: Register online or call 206-325-6690 x209
Please Note: Space is limited and registration will close at 50 attendees

Happy Hour
Date: Tuesday, July 26
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m., brief program at 6:30 p.m.
Place: Solo Bar – 200 Roy St. Seattle, WA 98109
RSVP: Register online or on Facebook