WORKING GROUPS
Working groups
Innovation for rural outreach
This group focuses on rural innovation and outreach to rural areas is often perceived as the most challenging area in microfinance. The group includes in its objectives the need to lobby on behalf of rural finance; and the need for exchange of learning and good practice in rural finance. The group focuses on co-operation and tries to identify opportunities for practitioners to work together and exploit synergistic partnerships. The group is active in information dissemination and is also interested in case studies on rural finance.
Linking Banks and MFIs
The principal objective of this group is to promote European initiatives aimed at the development of financial linkages between microfinance institutions in the developing world with local and international sources of funding.
Social Performance of MFIs
Social performance is the effective translation of a social mission into practice. This work group explores what European actors, more specifically social investors can do to realise their missions in recognising the social challenge of microfinance in effective poverty alleviation. The group aims to map the needs and possibilities for social performance with social investors and hopes to bring greater social performance management awareness to the microfinance community in general.
Research
The e-MFP Research working group supports collaboration between European researchers and universities to provide better visibility and understanding of the microfinance initiatives of European academia. It aims to promote the vital importance of the contribution of research to advances in microfinance.
Remittances
The objective of this working group is to follow up the recommendations raised by the workshop participants of the European Microfinance Week held in November 2006 to explore workable models to microfinance with remittances. Its major objectives are: to stimulate broad cooperation among MFIs and other stakeholders in harnessing the development potentials of remittances for sustainable development; to promote financial literacy among senders and receivers of remittances; to promote financial democracy; to stimulate initiatives on remittances among Europe-based MFIs; and to advocate for an enabling environment including appropriate financial infrastructures and knowledge sharing to facilitate improved and effective flow and use of remittances for sustainable development.
