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What We’re Reading: Banking in Africa: Continent of Dreams
Africa is the next frontier for banks from all corners of the globe. Last week, The Economist aptly portrayed both the high hope and sheer uncertainty felt by financial institutions serving the African continent in Banking in Africa: Continent of Dreams. A number of the article’s key points are central to both why and how Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking, Banking Tools, Economic development, Economics, Economist, Rural banking
What We’re Reading: Rio +20 and the Role of Women in Economic Development
Last week, June 20-22, over 45,000 people–including world leaders, NGOs, and other policymakers–came together in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as “Rio +20.” (So named because it has been 20 years since the seminal 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), known as “The Earth Read more…
Tagged brazil, Children, Conference, Economic development, Education, Ending Poverty, environmental sustainability, Global Poverty, Latin America, Mothers, Poverty, Rio de Janeiro, The Nature Conservancy, UN Women, United Nations, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Women, World Bank
The First Day of Summer & Transforming Communities through Solar Power
Today is the first day of summer, the summer solstice, here in the U.S. and our longest day of the year. Hopefully, you’re celebrating tonight with a picnic dinner, a barbeque, maybe an evening run or a walk to take full advantage of the extra minutes of daylight. But today also reminds us of the Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Community, Economic development, Ending Poverty, Financial services, first day of summer, Global Poverty, Iganga, Lady Agnes School, Loans, local economy, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Uganda, Poverty, Schools, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, Students, summer, Summer Solstice, Technology, Uganda
What We’re Reading: Opportunity Rwanda’s Daniel Ryumugabe & Chicago Supporters Gather to Discuss Left to Tell
On Monday, I joined 15 women for a meeting of the Chicago Women’s Book Discussion Group in the home of Kim Stephens, a member of Opportunity International‘s Board of Governors. The group, led by my Opportunity colleague, regional director Linda Vander Weele, has been meeting regularly for the past two years to discuss books that touch upon Read more…
Tagged Africa, Board of Governors, Book discussion, Chicago, Community, Economic development, Education, Ending Poverty, Events, Genocide, God, Governors, International Visitor, Kigali, Left to Tell, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Poverty, Ruth-Anne Renaud, Rwanda, Transformation, Transformational Training, UOB, Urwego Opportunity Bank, Urwego Opportunity Bank of Rwanda, violence, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Half the World’s LDCs Can Emerge from Poverty, Says a New UN Report
On Tuesday, March 29, the United Nations issued a report, summarized at un.org under the title “Half of world’s poorest countries can escape poverty by 2020.” According to the report, which was produced by the Group of Eminent Persons appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, half the world’s 48 least developed countries (LDCs) can “graduate” out of Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agricultural finance, Ban Ki-moon, Children, Clients, Conference, Economic development, Education, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Istanbul, LDC, LDC Conference, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, School fee loans, School Proprietor Loans, Schools, small business loans, Turkey, UN, UN Report, UN Secretary-General, UNDP, United Nations, United Nations Development Programme
ONE Blog: “In Davos, a keen understanding of Africa’s economic potential”
The following post was published on the ONE Blog on Wednesday, Jan. 26. To read the original post by ONE contributor Tom Wallace, click here. Some of the world’s most influential people from business, academia, culture and politics are currently descending on the Swiss mountain town of Davos for the 2011 World Economic Forum (WEF). Read more…
Tagged Africa, Blogging, Community, Davos, Economic development, Ending Poverty, Events, Financial services, Guest Post, IMF, international monetary fund, Microfinance, ONE, ONE blog, ONE Campaign, Opportunity Blog, Opportunity International, Poverty, Switzerland, Technology, World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum on Africa
Opportunity & Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy Call for Citizen Diplomacy and Economic Empowerment
In support of the U.S. Summit and Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy this week in Washington, D.C., Opportunity International today called for a renewed focus on citizen diplomacy and economic empowerment. Opportunity Board of Advisors member U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Ret.) Claudia Kennedy encourages individuals to recognize the power of diplomacy and development to improve Read more…
Tagged 2010 fall microfinance conference, 2010 US Summit & Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy, American Security Project, Board of Advisors, claudia kennedy, Clients, Conference, Economic development, Education, Ending Hunger, Ending Poverty, fall microfinance conference, Financial services, global security, Hunger, lieutenant general claudia kennedy, Loans, MFI, Microfinance, Mothers, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, peace, Poverty, power, Rob Meloche, United States Army, US Army, US Summit & Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy, US Summit Citizen Diplomacy, White House Fellows Program, Women, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Women of the Congo: Bringing Hope through Microfinance
“It is a war that men have provoked, but women have paid the highest price.” These are the words of a UN peacekeeper in Lisa Jackson’s award-winning documentary, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, a film about the violence and violation faced by women living in the war-torn eastern region of the Democratic Republic Read more…
Tagged Banking on Africa, Bill Morgenstern, Board of Directors, CEO, Community, Democratic Republic of Congo, Economic development, Families, Financial services, Global Leadership Team, Hope, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Ken Vander Weele, Mother, Ruth-Anne, Savings, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, Trust Group, UN, UN peacekeeper, War, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
