News

Please join us for an evening of exploring the concept of a Brisbane Development Circle.
The Development Circle concept has proven successful in Sydney, and a variation of in Melbourne, so we are investigating launching a similar group here in Brisbane/South East Queensland.
All interested people are welcome to come along for the inaugural meeting, to discuss the concept, plan Development Circle events and establish a calendar for the year ahead.
A mission statement for the initiative has been proposed and is presented below. However, we would like founding organisations to contribute to this statement, which will be discussed at the meeting.
Mission:
“The Brisbane Development Circle (BDC) believes that via innovation and collaborative effort, the development sector can continue to increase its impact as a positive change agent within communities in Australia and abroad.
The aim of BDC is to create a platform for the Brisbane based development community to share ideas, explore potential collaboration, and discuss topical development issues. Membership of the group is open to anyone, across all fields within the development sector, as well as those who have a general interest in development issues.
We do this by creating a monthly opportunity for those working in the international aid and community development sector to come together for discussion and networking in a relaxed environment.”
We encourage you to circulate this invitation to all those who you feel would be interested. Google Sydney Development Circle (SDC) for more information on the concept or email nick@thinkactlive.com with your ideas.
To RSVP, please go to: http://bdc.eventbrite.com/ or email nick@thinkactlive.com
WHERE: Keays Room, Engineering House, 447 Upper Edward Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 Australia
DATE/TIME: 6:30pm Monday 27 September 2010

After exemplary performance since opening the FDC Pacific office two years ago, Ms Luse Kinivuwai is completing her service as FDC Pacific Regional Representative at the end of November, 2010. Applications for the position of FDC Pacific Regional Representative are invited by 20 September. Please see attached.

Preparations for the BWTP Asia Microfinance Forum 2010 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 12 to 15 October 2010 are in full swing. To register and for more details go to asiamicrofinanceforum.org.

The Energy for All Partnership (E4ALL) leadership and secretariat function, provided to date by FDC, will be transferred to another organisation from August. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will assume core responsibility for the E4ALL Partnership’s continued success and the ongoing leadership of the Steering Committee. The recent E4ALL Steering Committee meeting in June 2010 concluded that the E4ALL Partnership is well placed to continue its progress toward its goal of 100 million people in the Asia-Pacific region obtaining increased access to modern energy services by 2015, building on the 6 million achieved during its first year of activities. The E4ALL Partnership will continue to provide an important framework to promote scaled-up access to modern energy services for the poor in the Asia-Pacific region.

Despite a large amount of funding and numerous programs dedicated to improving governance in the Pacific region, the female parliamentary participation rate within the Pacific currently stands at 4.2% – the lowest in the world. Between the years of 1995-2008, Arab states (female participation rate 8.8%) and Sub-Saharan African states (female participation rate 18.6%) increased their female parliamentary participation rates by 5.3 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively, while Pacific participation rates increased by just 1.7 per cent. Addressing the issue of low female parliamentary participation is a complex task, and should involve a multi-layered approach. This briefing note examines: the implications of a lack of commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in the Pacific region; the introduction of temporary special measures; the importance of support networks; and, the need for male champions to help increase female participation. There have also been some positive trends in female local government participation, which has encouraging implications for efforts to improve women’s national participation rates. Click here to read more.

For the latest July AARTG please visit here.

The FDC Pacific Regional Representative will be presenting at the Pacific Island Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) EU-PACREIP Workshop on the Microfinance Pasifika Network and Microfinance Development in the Pacific in Nadi, Fiji on the 23rd of June 2010 to the PIPSO members from 14 island countries. This is a unique opportunity to share microfinance developments and engage with donors and private sector players from around the Pacific.

FDC and ASPI have released a report entitled “A case for collaboration: Enhancing the development outcomes of Australian resource companies’ operations overseas”. The report traces through the role, influence and impact of the resources sector in developing countries and offers six recommendations for further action. Please find the report here.

FDC’s John Conroy presented at a World Bank discussion on microfinance in Sydney in May. Watch the video here: http://www.worldbank.org/praxis

FDC consultant John Conroy has been given an opportunity to speak at the World Bank Briefing, held in Sydney on the week of May 24th. John will be speaking on the topic of “Microcredit as a variant form of Subprime Lending” (which is FDC Briefing Note 10).