Microfinance, Innovations, Sustainable Development - Book

Nigeria's top banker wins international recognition

Gerard — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:21:56 GMT

Nigeria is frequently cited as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, but its central banker has won two international banking awards. Mallam Lamido Aminu Sanusi has been named as the Central Bank Governor of 2010 for both the African continent and the entire world, by the prestigious Banker Magazine.

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Why biodiversity loss and climate change are equal threats

Gerard — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:56:47 GMT

Our biggest ally will be lost if we do not protect and enhance biodiversity in forests and other systems. Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the media and many organisations have pursued as separate narratives the issues of climate, biodiversity and sustainable development. One of the changes this year, at a UN level, has been recognition that this does not make sense.

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Opinion: The Myths Behind Microfinance

Gerard — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:40:31 GMT

Debate over the value of microfinance in the developing world appears to be long overdue. Arguments against microfinance center around the claim that it is a development strategy increasingly forced on the poor, and that those who are claimed to benefit from it the most--poor women--are actually its chief victims. Critics have long sought a platform to reveal the weaknesses and explode the myths supporting microfinance.

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Can microfinance programs heal rape victims in Congo?

Gerard — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:30:12 GMT

Microfinance programs geared toward African women can actually help heal victims of rape the same way that psychological counseling does – by restoring self-respect.

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Book: The Case for Sustainable Business as Good Business

Gerard — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:29:08 GMT

In their book "Sustainable Excellence", Aron Cramer and Zachary Karabell make a compelling case for why a focus on sustainability -- whether it concerns, for example, climate change, energy consumption or labor relations -- is now a form of enlightened self-interest for businesses. For starters, commodity prices have been soaring as investors wake up to a world marked by rapid population growth and overstretched resources.

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While the current attacks on microfinance are unwarranted, overblown claims about it also need to be tempered

Gerard — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:46:26 GMT

Microfinance has had a quick slide down the popularity charts— from being celebrated as a magic wand against poverty to being condemned as a business riddled with loan sharks.

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Africa: Book Notes

Gerard — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:33:55 GMT

This AfricaFocus contains a diverse selection of recent books likely to be of interest and new to AfricaFocus readers. You will find, for example, new books by Africa's distinguished elders, such as Achebe, wa Thiong'o, and Mandela. Selected new books from publishers such as Africa World Press, HSRC Press, and Aflame Books. Books on topical themes such as SMS activism and other ICT developments, on India and China's relations with Africa, and on xenophobia and migration. And more.

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One Hen: A Children's Book About Microfinance

Gerard — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:48:30 GMT

A new children's book tells the story of what happens when a young boy living in Ghana in West Africa borrows a few coins from his village's collective fund. The boy, Kojo, has an idea: to buy one hen. He walks two hours to a chicken farm in a neighboring village, and he finds the hen he wants — plump and brown, with a bright red comb. He buys that hen — with the hopes of selling some of the eggs she lays in order to buy more hens. And he does buy more hens — and more and more of them.

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Prahalad: Eradicating Poverty through Profits

Gerard — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 06:32:12 GMT

“IF WE stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a burden and start recognising them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up.” That “simple proposition” begins a controversial new management book that seems destined to be read not just in boardrooms but also in government offices. “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Eradicating Poverty Through Profits” (Wharton School Publishing), is essentially a rallying cry for big business to put serving the world's 5 billion or so poorest people at the heart of their profit-making strategies.

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Rising Informal employment will increase poverty

Gerard — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:17:42 GMT

Informal employment is at record levels worldwide with severe consequences for poverty in poor countries, according to “Is Informal Normal?”, a new report by the OECD Development Centre.

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The Chicken Comes First

Gerard — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:17:44 GMT

Elmo? SpongeBob? A children's book by Wellesley's Katie Smith Milway is all about microfinance. And it's a hit.

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A star is born...

Gerard — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:56:40 GMT

Welcome to this blog about Microfinance, Innovations and Sustainable Development

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