MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Enterprise Conference; October 27, 2023; New York City, USA

This event will explore the “ecosystem of capital through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG [environmental, social and governance issues] and social venture and business examples” related to “generating sustainable solutions to global, systemic challenges.” Sample session topics include: (1) Ethical AI: Balancing Innovation and Social Responsibility; (2) Financial Inclusion in the Digital Age: How Fintech [Financial Technology] is Connecting Underserved People; and (3) Carbon Credits: The Future of Climate Finance.

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF23); October 11-12, 2023; Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The goal of this event is to champion the use of social enterprise as a catalyst for positive change worldwide. The topics to be discussed include: (1) The Role of Corporates in Social Enterprise Partnerships; and (2) Migration: Entrepreneurial Solutions for Better Lives and Livelihoods.

SPECIAL REPORT: Fortune Credit of Kenya, Fundación Génesis Empresarial of Guatemala, Yikri of Burkina Faso Are Finalists for European Microfinance Award 2023 on Inclusive Finance for Food Security & Nutrition

e-MFP logoFrom the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP): On September 19 and September 20, 2023, the Selection Committee for the European Microfinance Award (EMA) 2023 on “Inclusive Finance for Food Security & Nutrition” selected the three finalists that will go on to compete for the prize of EUR 100,000 (USD 105,000): Fortune Credit Limited from Kenya, Fundación Génesis Empresarial from Guatemala and Yikri from Burkina Faso.

The choice of topic for the EMA2023 comes at a

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Development Conference on Biodiversity and Sustainable Development; October 31 – November 1, 2023; Quito, Ecuador

Sessions at this event will cover topics such as aligning government policies with environmental science; supporting female entrepreneurs; how biodiversity impacts economies; and understanding the connections among climate change, poverty, and gender inequality.

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sa-Dhan National Conference on Inclusive Growth; November 8-9, 2023; New Delhi, India

Sa-Dhan’s 18th annual conference will focus on alleviating poverty through financial inclusion and associated services, including: (1) Microinsurance; (2) Micropensions; (3) Health; (4) Water and Sanitation; (5) Clean Energy and Climate Change; (6) Digitization;

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sanabel’s 16th Annual Conference; November 21-22, 2023; Dead Sea, Jordan – POSTPONED

Please note that this event has been postponed; new dates have not yet been announced. This event is centered on the effects of global trends on microfinance in Arab countries. Participants will discuss and build strategies on topics such as making microfinance less harmful to the environment, improving risk management, and expanding services to farmers as well as

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sankalp Global Summit; October 19, 2023; Mumbai, India

The Sankalp Forum’s 15th Global Summit is themed “The Great Transition: Financing Climate Action for the Global South.” The program will focus on the promotion of: (1) Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) seeking to reduce human impacts on the environment; (2) Switching to renewable – and affordable – energy sources; (3) Protecting biodiversity on land and in water;

SPECIAL REPORT: An Interview with Christoph Pausch of e-MFP on European Microfinance Week, Luxembourg & Online, November 2023

e-MFP logoMicroCapital: What can we expect from EMW2023, happening in-person November 15-17 in Luxembourg and online?
Christoph Pausch: EMW2022, back in-person after two years, showed us that there is no substitute for getting the opinion leaders and decision-makers in the inclusive finance sector together in-person, ensuring they have the time and space to debate, make new connections, and of course give presentations and discuss the various challenges and innovations under­way around the world.

After the success of the hy­brid EMW2022, which gathered 570 attend­ees (including over 200 who joined us online) from 48 countries, we are delighted to return to the beautiful Abbaye de Neumunster in Luxem­bourg for another hybrid event, which will once again offer an excep­tion­al networking and knowledge-sharing experi­ence with the top ex­perts in the financial inclusion sector. And the programme is designed to be as conducive as possible to those joining us online from different time zones. Plus, sessions will be re­corded for “catch-up” after.

MC: What choices of sessions can attendees expect?
CP: As always, EMW sessions have been put forward largely by our members – so they address the sector’s current “hot topics” – and we organise them across several thematic streams. We received an enor­mous response to our call for proposals that went out early in the sum­mer, giving us great scope for a fascinating, diverse program across different streams. In addition to our usual annual topic areas – digiti­sation, social performance, funding/investment – this year there also will be streams on refugee finance, agri-finance, a particular emphasis on

MICROFINANCE EVENT: GSG Global Impact Summit 2023; October 2-3; Malaga, Spain

Organised by the UK-based NGO Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) and its Spanish National Advisory Board (SpainNAB), this year’s Global Impact Summit will focus on three topic areas: (1) Mobilising Capital for People and Planet Where It Is Most Needed; (2) Achieving Full Transparency in Measuring Impacts – Impact Transparency 2025; and (3) Building Impact Economies. The speakers are to include

MICROFINANCE EVENT: SAM (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance); October 16-20, 2023; Lomé, Togo

Themed “Inclusive and Sustainable Finance: How to Reconcile the Challenges of Socio-economic Inclusion and the Transition to a Resilient and Ecological Economy,” this sixth edition of SAM (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance, French for African Microfinance Week) includes two days each of conference sessions, an Investor Fair and an “Innovator’s Village,” along with a gala dinner and about 20 associated events on topics such as “agricultural finance, digital finance, microinsurance and social performance.”

The conference portion of the week includes sessions titled: (1) Carbon Markets and Environmental Service Payments: New Opportunities for Local Communities; (2) Beyond Taxonomies: the Role of

MICROFINANCE EVENT: 5th Annual CLIIQ Nexus Latam; September 26-28, 2023; Cuenca, Ecuador

This year’s Cumbre Latinoamericana de Inversión de Impacto (CLIIQ) will bring together impact investors in Latin America for discussions in arenas such as: (1) Diversity and Inclusion: Gender and Beyond; (2) Climate Solutions; (3)

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Impact Minds: Standing Together; August 28-30, 2023; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This event will promote networking among impact ecosystem actors to facilitate the deployment of capital in Latin America and the Caribbean. On August 27, members of the Colombia-based network Latimpacto will meet for a pre-event dinner. The main event offers sessions titled: (1) The Role of the Multilaterals Acting as

SPECIAL REPORT: Save the Date for SAM 2023 – African Microfinance Week – in Togo, October 16-20!

Registration is due to open within days for SAM 2023 – Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance – which will include a multi-day conference, a gala dinner, an Innovators’ Village and a two-day Investor Fair. The second day of the Investor Fair is new, reflecting the fact that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will

MICROFINANCE EVENT: 5th Global Takaful and Re-takaful Forum; September 19-21, 2023; Dubai, UAE

This event includes a one-day forum on September 19 followed by a two-day workshop on the historical, “operational and practical aspects” of takaful, re-takaful and micro-takaful, types of insurance that comply with Islamic law. The goals of these events are to

MICROFINANCE EVENT: AFSIC: Investing in Africa; October 9-10, 2023; London, UK

The tenth edition of the Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC) will promote investing in the continent with presentations on trends in environmental protection and sectors such as agriculture and financial technology (fintech). In addition to country-specific investment and networking meetings, the agenda includes sessions titled: (1) Banking in Africa – for