NextBillion Editor

FEATURED EVENT: The 17th Microcredit Summit, September 3-5 in Mérida, Mexico

For 17 years, the Microcredit Summits have been encouraging practitioners and other stakeholders to use microfinance as a means to fight poverty. The annual event is organized by the Microcredit Summit Campaign, which has been leading and supporting the microfinance field to address failures in reaching the very poor since 1997.

This year’s Summit will take place in Mérida, the capital of the State of Yucatan, Mexico this September 3rd to 5th. It will be organized around the theme “Generation Next: Innovations in Microfinance,” and it aims to engage delegates in a thoughtful discussion of the challenges and opportunities related to the growth and transformation of the sector, with a special focus on innovative and best practices that accelerate progress toward full financial inclusion. NextBillion Financial Innovation will be a media partner at the event, and we’ll be covering it through live Tweeting, blog posts, and interviews with key participants.

The event will draw practitioners, investors, government agencies, NGOs and heads of state from around the world. It will feature a number of unique attractions, including:

Prominent, Insightful Speakers: Along with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, this year’s Summit will feature speakers like Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Rolando Zapata Bello, Governor of the State of Yucatán (both expected) along with some of the top names in microfinance, including:

  • John Hatch, Founder, Finca, USA
  • Alex Counts, President & CEO, Grameen Foundation, USA
  • Chuck Waterfield, CEO, MFTransparency, USA
  • Larry Reed, Director, Microcredit Summit Campaign, USA
  • Yves Moury, President and CEO, Fundación Capital, Colombia
  • Shameran Abed, Director Microfinance, BRAC, Bangladesh
  • Anne Hastings, Director, Microfinance CEO Working Group, USA

Networking Opportunities: As the largest microfinance gathering in the world, the Summit will assemble a full range of individuals and organizations, including practitioners, advocates, investors, UN agencies, donors, domestic government agencies, and many more.

In-depth Plenary and Workshop Sessions: Sessions will discuss the hot topics of the day featuring leaders and specialists in the field.

Interactive Day-Long Courses: Intensive training sessions on various topics will be offered.

Field Visits: Delegates will have the opportunity to visit Mexico’s most dynamic microfinance institutions.

More information – including a full list of speakers – can be found on the Summit’s website. You can click here to register, and can sign up for the Campaign Bulletin for additional information and updates.

Categories
Impact Assessment
Tags
microfinance, poverty alleviation