15 Jun.

1

Recipes for Inclusive, Sustainable Housing

Author: Jenny Line - Building and Social Housing Foundation
At BSHF we were very interested to learn about the European Microfinance Awards and really keen to hear more about some of the great practice being identified. We have been running the World Habitat Awards since 1985. In searching for and sharing the best examples, we have a lot in common with e-MFP. Our objective is to identify and highlight approaches to housing across the world which make outstanding contributions to people’s living conditions. As a minimum we believe everyone should be able to afford their home, have access to basic services, and be free from the threat of eviction or displacement. This might seem like stating the obvious, but it isn’t something that can be taken for granted. Over the years, a large range of excellent examples have been identified in the countries of the global North and the global South. From the very beginning, our focus has been not only on the identification of good housing practices but also in the sharing of knowledge and experience to others who can transfer them in their own situations. The first international peer exchange to a World Habitat Award project winner was in 1987 and the exchanges have continued ever since. Really great approaches recognise, provide and guarantee the right to safe and secure housing; treat people and the environment with dignity; and work collaboratively to get the best out of people and places. Contexts, actors and circumstances vary hugely, but everybody tackling housing faces three crucial ‘sustainability’ challenges – social, environmental and financial
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26 Jun.

0

Gender, Islamic microfinance, Fintech, research & the future of microfinance explored at the recent European Research Conference on Microfinance

Author: Michael O'Connor-Joana Afonso of Portsmouth Business School
Portsmouth Business School was delighted to host the recent 5th European Research Conference on Microfinance from 12th to 14th June in England. Thankfully the weather gods obliged with over 130 delegates attending the event over each of the three days. A mix of established researchers with a number of leading practitioners infused the financial inclusion debate with insights and thought-provoking panel presentations. Topical themes across gender, Islamic microfinance, Fintech, research and the future of microfinance were probed in wide-ranging panel discussions. The event was opened by Andy Thorpe (Portsmouth Business School) and Christoph Pausch (e-MFP) and commenced by asking whether microfinance would live to the year 2030, a chilling prospect in itself. If so, under what guise would it do so – is there still the well-trodden ‘promise’ of microfinance? What are the challenges to its realisation? In the opening session chaired by Dirk Zetzsche (University of Luxembourg) perspectives were shared by Marek Hudon (Université Libre de Bruxelles and CERMi), Annette Krauss (University of Zurich), Sam Mendelson (Financial Inclusion Forum UK and Arc Finance) and Kimanthi Mutua (Sidian Bank Kenya). The panellists set the tone for the ensuing debate across increasing risks and regulation in the sector, the likelihood or not of possible downscaling by commercial banks and upscaling by microfinance institutions and the growing need for institutions to have appropriate strategies to survive. The panel arrived at a broad consensus as to the requirement to adjust to increasingly emerging technology-driven solutions in the context of growing levels of private capital and related product solutions offered by new market participants.
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30 Jun.

0

DRR Matters for Financial Service Providers Too! Resources for FSP Resiliency in the Wake of Disaster

Author: Christopher Addison - Sonya Salanti of SEEP Network
Earthquakes. Fire. Floods. Chemical spills. Conflict. Impacts of these disasters bring to mind loss of lives and livelihoods, disruption to communities and vulnerable populations struggling to recover and cope. The impact of disasters on financial inclusion and the role financial service providers play—or don’t play—in disaster risk reduction is not an immediate consideration when preparing for or responding to such emergencies. However, disaster preparedness and response is exceptionally important in the context of financial inclusion. Countries with higher concentrations of poverty, weak infrastructure and poor public services are more at risk. Experience has shown that financial institutions serving at-risk populations are as vulnerable as their clients to these disasters and crises. While the initial humanitarian and emergency response to crisis is crucial, there is a growing recognition of the value of disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies in preparing for and thus reducing economic losses associated with disasters. In an effort to raise awareness around this important topic, the SEEP Network’s global Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Program, funded by the Citi Foundation, seeks to promote more resilient financial services markets in which financial service providers (FSPs) and their clients have the capacity to better anticipate, cope and recover from the negative impacts of disasters.
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