MICROFINANCE EVENT: The Financial Access Initiative and Africa House host Panel Discussion and Book Launch: “Portfolios of the Poor”, by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlando Ruthven

Panel discussion and book launch of “Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day” by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlando Ruthven.

May 7, 2009, 6:00pm-8:00pm, New York University Law School, Lipton Hall, 108 West 3rd Street, New York, NY 10012

Cost: Free

Summary of Event: The event will include a Panel Discussion on the issues brought up in “Portfolios of the Poor”, a book signing, and a wine and cheese reception.

Background on Organizers:

The Financial Access Initiative is an association of researchers at New York University (NYU), Yale, Harvard and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) that are searching for ways to create more inclusive financial systems. The Initiative conducts research on the nature of the demand for financial services, and mechanisms to increase the scale and impact of financial services. Findings are used to describe policy options for central bankers, regulators and other key decision makers. The Initiative is located at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU. Jonathan Morduch (NYU professor and co-author of “Portfolios of the Poor”) is the Managing Director. Dean Karlan (Yale University) and Sendhil Mullainathan (Harvard University) act as Directors. The Financial Access Initiative with launched in 2006 with a USD 5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and an unspecified amount from American International Group, Inc (AIG).

Africa House is a is an inter-disciplinary group of professors and students at NYU that research Economic, Political and Social issues in Africa, as well as contemporary African Art. The group hosts a talks, seminars, policy luncheons, and smaller discussion groups and research presentations on topics pertaining to Africa. It also offers a series of scholarships to students at NYU conducting research on the continent. Africa House carries out its programs at various venues provided by NYU, however plans are in progress to acquire its own home. Africa House is supported by donations to the Africa House Fund. No financial information is provided on the fund. The group is currently conducting a Friends of Africa House campaign, requesting tax-deductible gifts of at least USD 1000. To make a donation, please refer to this website.

Event Themes and Discussion Topics:

“Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day” examines how the world’s poorest households manage their financial lives. The authors collected financial diaries of 300 low-income households in both urban and rural areas in Bangladesh, India and South Africa. The data shows that the poor manage their financial lives with sophistication and complexity. The book can be purchased online at Amazon.com

Who Is Invited to Attend: Everyone

About the Presenters

Rogan Kersh, the Associate Dean of NYU Wagner School of Public Service, will give the opening remarks.

The Panel Discussion will include the following:

– Matthew Bishop, Chief Business Writer/American Business Editor of The Economist

– Daryl Collins, Co-author of “Portfolios of the Poor”, Senior Associate at consulting firm Bankable Frontier Associates

– Bill Easterly, Professor of Economics at NYU, author of “The White Man’s Burden”

– Jonathan Morduch, Co-author of “Portfolios of the Poor”, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at NYU, Managing Director of Financial Access Initiative

– Yaw Nyarko, Professor of Economics at NYU, Director of Africa House

Online Registration Address: http://wagner.nyu.edu/events/fai-05-07-2009

For additional information, please contact:

NYU Africa House

3 Washington Square Village Suite 1F, New York, NY 10012

Email: africa.house@nyu.edu

Submit Your Event: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

By Ryan Hogarth, Research Assistant

Additional Resources:

Amazon.com: Purchase “Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day”

Africa House: Home

Financial Access Initiative: Home

Financial Access Initiative: Summary of “Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day”, Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlando Ruthven, published by Princeton University Press: April, 2009

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