News

FDC is pleased to announce that its project, “The Bottom Up Governance Leadership Program for Women in the Pacific” has won the inaugural United Nations Association of Australia award for NGOs, in honour of UN Day. These awards are made for an outstanding contribution to or development of projects or activities which advance the UN’s purpose. BGLP Project Manager Carly Stephan received the award, presented by the Hon Karen Struthers Minister for Services and Housing and Women, at a ceremony held on 19 October.

At a signing ceremony in Sri Lanka on 12 October 2010, the Executive Committee of the Banking With The Poor Network formally incorporated BWTP in Singapore. The incorporation took effect on 20 October 2010.

The Asia Microfinance Forum 2010 is underway in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Details are at asiamicrofinanceforum.org and a copy of the AMF program is available here.

In Colombo on 11 and 12 October 2010, FDC and BWTP are hosting, in collaboration with the SEEP Network and ADA Luxembourg, the third annual Asia Network Summit. Representatives of Asia’s national microfinance networks have gathered for two days to discuss ways of advancing their respective national microfinance industries. The agenda is here.

The Microfinance Pasifika Network has announced the 3rd Pacific Microfinance Week 2011 (PMW 2011) in Port Vila, Vanuatu from July 25 – 29. Representatives from microfinance institutions, development partners, commercial and central banks, learning institutions, government agencies and private companies interested in becoming involved in Pacific Microfinance Week 2011 to contact MFPN by email and to preserve these important dates in their 2011 schedules. Please see flyer for more details.

FDC is a proud partner of this year’s Citi-FT Financial Education Summit. 300 decision makers from financial institutions, government agencies, multilateral institutions etc will gather together to discuss ways to design financial education programmes more effectively, covering issues such as asset-building, wealth protection and debt management.

Two Remittance Management evening workshops were led by Mr Chris Piper on 27 and 28 September in Brisbane in partnership with the Multicultural Development Association and the African Community Foundation Australia, funded by Western Union Foundation. Participants brainstormed, ranked, and then discussed the main remittance challenges facing diaspora communities in Australia. A further workshop was held over two days in Apia, Samoa, from 30 September- 1 October, facilitated by Ms Luse Kinivuwai.

The PNG Disaster Risk Management (DRM) workshop held 23-25 September in Port Moresby, PNG, was facilitated by Mr Chris Piper. Participants hailed from the not-for-profit sector as well as from the business sector. The workshop looked at the whole range of initiatives across the Disaster Risk Management Cycle, including the range of hazards affecting PNG and the Pacific Island Countries.

The BWTP Network and GTZ have published an updated version of the Sri Lankan Microfinance Industry Report ahead of the Asia Microfinance Forum 2010.