The 13th annual Boulder Microfinance Training Program will take place from July 16th to August 3rd, 2007. The program is hosted by the ILO, in its International Training Centre in Turin. The program has a well-deserved reputation for excellence. Its unique capacity to attract participants and faculty from the top of the field offers an unparalleled opportunity for critical exchange and debate.

For more information http://learning.itcilo.org/entdev/microfinance/
Registration: http://learning.itcilo.org/entdev/microfinance/pub/home.aspx?l=Eng&IdSezione=3

The World Bank, CGAP Working Group on Microinsurance, Munich Re Foundation, MicroInsurance Centre, Superintendencia de Seguros Privados (SUSEP)-Brazil, Association of Insurance Supervisors of Latin America (ASSAL), Insurance Association of Brazil (FENASEG), Federacion de Aseguradores Colombianos (FASECOLDA), and the MicroInsurance Centre LLC are pleased to host a workshop on Access to Insurance for the Poor in Latin America

In the developing economies of Latin America, the poor are often exposed to illness, death of family members, damage and loss of property, and weather-related losses. Insurance is a vital tool for risk sharing and economic development, but it remains beyond the reach of the poor. Improving risk management and developing better tools for spreading risks among the poorest will be critical to alleviating poverty in the region.

In this context, the World Bank, CGAP Working Group on Microinsurance, Munich Re Foundation, MicroInsurance Centre, Superintendencia de Seguros Privados--Brazil, Association of Insurance Supervisors of Latin America, Insurance Association of Brazil, and Federacion de Aseguradores Colombianos, are pleased to organize a regional workshop on Access to Insurance for the Poor that will take place May 7-8, 2007 at the Sheraton Rio Hotel and Towers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This workshop will gather: insurance regulators and practitioners, industry associations, financial policymakers, social protection officials, multilateral and bilateral donors, to discuss innovative instruments and creative policies that countries have applied to expand access to insurance. The program will offer a valuable opportunity for dialogue across the region, and sharing of perspectives between the public and private sectors.

We cordially invite you to attend the workshop! To register, click on the registration link above and send completed form to Ms. Colleen Mascenik at cmascenik@worldbank.org, or call +1 202 473 7734 for more details. The fee for participation is US$700, which includes all sessions, conference materials, breakfast and lunch on May 7-8, 2007; travel and accommodation are not included in the fee, and should be planned by each participant.

10 years of bridging the market gap 10th MFC conference of microfinance institutions
31 May – 2 June, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria
REGISTRATION OPEN! www.mfc.org.pl/conference2007

Key Conference Points

• > the 10th anniversary of the MFC Conference gives us an opportunity to reflect on microfinance sector development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, leverage on past successes and come up with actionable plans for the years to come.
• > this conference agenda reflects the double-bottom line nature of microfinance. Practical workshops focus on both strengthening the business leg of microfinance institutions as well as on tools allowing practitioners to better fulfill their mission objectives.
• > more investment-related topics reflect the continuous drive towards a more diversified funding base and increased use of commercial funds. As the ECA region is the second largest, after Latin America, recipient of commercial or quasi-commercial funding, the Conference gives an opportunity to explore the issues of investor participation in ownership and governance as well as establish new relations and/or make new deals.

• > 16 cutting edge workshops exploring innovative topics!
• > Opportunity for MFIs, investors and funders to get to know each other through an "investor fair". More investors than ever have been invited and are planning to come to Sofia in search of new business opportunities!
• > Space and time for "Fringe meetings" will also be provided for those interested in presenting and discussing specific relevant actions.
• > All plenary sessions and some workshops will be translated into Russian and Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian

Youth Microenterprise Conference

The Youth Microenterprise Conference, organized by Making Cents International and taking place in Washington DC, September 10th-11th, 2007, will unite specialists from multiple fields and disciplines to identify and build on positive initiatives taken around the world to foster youth entrepreneurship and microenterprise development.

In the context of this conference, the Social Finance Programme is organizing a round table discussion on Financing Apprenticeships – A role for Microfinance, drawing upon a field research conducted in August/September 2006 in Ghana.

For more information:www.ymeconference.org