Posted on September 19, 2008 - by James

Foromic Conference: hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank…

On October 8-10, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will host the sixth edition of the Forum on Microenterprise (FOROMIC). Aside from a general discussion on microfinance in Latin America and the Caribbean, the conference will focus on responses to international crises, rural finance, housing, technology, venture capital and the importance of networks. To learn more about this event, please read this previous MicroCapital story.

The main session of the conference will discuss the growing concept of “responsible finance.” Speakers will cover many topics including “transparency to clients, consumer protection, business ethics and conduct, and corporate governance.” They will focus on balancing access and responsibility as more low-income individuals begin accessing financial services. Panelists will include representatives from the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), the IDB, Accion International as well as Felipe Tam Fox, Superintendence of Banks in Peru.

One of the first sessions of the conference will focus on the role of microfinance in responding to economy-wide crises. The group will also question whether or not the microfinance industry can remain resilient to the current food, energy and financial problems that face the global economy. Participants include Ernesto Aguirre of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), Adrian Gonzalez of the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX), Alejandro Bertuol of Fitch Ratings and Louise Schneider-Moretto of Women’s World Banking… [click here to read the rest of this article...]