Microfinance

2010 Vancouver Olympic Games: An Opportunity to Change the World

Rahim Kanani | Posted 10.14.2009 | World


Rahim Kanani

Canada is a model for the world on immigration, diversity and pluralism. Now is the time to reignite Canada's commitment to gender equality and the advancement of women's rights internationally.

Creating Hope and Opportunity in Haiti for Extremely Poor Women and their Families

Susan Davis | Posted 10.06.2009 | World


Susan Davis

After two years of support -- asset transfers, skill training and social linkages -- over 90% of our program women "graduate" into becoming successful microfinance members.

Small Is The New Big: The Best Tools For Micro-Giving

Halle Tecco | Posted 10.04.2009 | Living


Halle Tecco

Bigger may be better in Texas; but for the rest of us, small steps are all it takes to make a difference. I've searched the depths of the web for the smallest big ideas that help everyday citizens make an impact.

Kathleen Colson: Making a Difference in Africa through Entrepreneurship [VIDEO]

Judith Ellis | Posted 10.19.2009 | Impact


Judith Ellis

The BOMA Fund works to alleviate poverty by building self-sustaining communities amid a rugged and beautiful landscape.

Microfinance A Microsuccess

GOOD | Posted 09.23.2009 | Living


Microlending, as you may know, is the practice of giving very small loans to poor people in developing countries so they can, in theory, start busines...

Pro Mujer: Journey Towards Women's Empowerment In Latin America

Jim Luce | Posted 09.22.2009 | World


Jim Luce

Pro Mujer is helping some of the poorest women in Latin America to increase their income, develop their full potential, and claim their basic human rights, enabling them to become agents of change.

Reflections on Afghanistan

Susan Davis | Posted 09.05.2009 | World


Susan Davis

I was glad to discover during my travels in Afghanistan that a mood of despair was giving way to hope and determination.

Roll Back the Darkness in a Sustainable, Cost-Effective Way

Rep. Steve Israel | Posted 08.13.2009 | Green


Rep. Steve Israel

One of the smartest foreign assistance initiatives the United States could undertake is to jump-start promising solar-powered efforts around the world.

Amidst Conflict, Pakistanis Persevere

Susan Davis | Posted 08.02.2009 | World


Susan Davis

The impoverished North-West Frontier Province lays claim to devastating maternal and child mortality rates, and scant education for girls. But courageous women here are increasingly agents of change.

Microfinance as a Solution: Beggars, Thieves, AIDS and Prostitution

Vivian Norris de Montaigu | Posted 07.19.2009 | World


Vivian Norris de Montaigu

At a recent Microfinance Summit, Sam Daley-Harris spoke about making credit available not only to the poorest of the poor, but to those usually excluded from civil society, like beggars and rebels.

A Near-Zero-Cost Approach to Do-Gooding: My 375th Kiva Loan

Bob Harris | Posted 07.16.2009 | Business


Bob Harris

Metaphorically, micro lending is not giving someone a fish, and it's not teaching someone to fish; it's helping a fisherman patch a hole in his rowboat so he can get on with life.

Words Apart

Jaime Pozuelo-Monfort | Posted 10.04.2009 | Business


Jaime Pozuelo-Monfort

Microfinance's intellectual debate could be healthy but it oftentimes ends up in intellectual wars that forsake the ultimate goal: the alleviation of extreme poverty.

Sachsterly

Jaime Pozuelo-Monfort | Posted 10.04.2009 | World


Jaime Pozuelo-Monfort

The rescue of the bottom billion is only a reality if Mr. Sachs and Mr. Easterly put their outstanding intellectual skills to work instead of trying to win a debate that academics will perpetuate so long as they exist.

Beyond the Romance of Microfinance to a Love of Manufacturing

Magatte Wade | Posted 06.25.2009 | World


Magatte Wade

by Magatte Wade, with Michael Strong In the course of starting a business based in Africa, I was referred to a former Silicon Valley CFO who had made...

The Cornerstone of Obama's Foreign Aid Policy: Health and Wealth

Josh Ruxin | Posted 06.22.2009 | World


Josh Ruxin

The data doesn't lie: sickness and poverty have grown together during the last few decades. We now have a chance to turn the tables and foster health and wealth.

Inclusive Capitalism Not Economic Colonialism: the G20 and the Future

Vivian Norris de Montaigu | Posted 04.30.2009 | Business


Vivian Norris de Montaigu

We have seen what happens when Capitalism runs amok and is not inclusive. The problem is not capitalism, it is greed and the lack of the human element.

By the People, for the People: Microfinance Offers the "Transformative Vision" Davos is Seeking

Alex Raksin | Posted 02.28.2009 | World


Alex Raksin

What began as a philanthropic movement to empower the working poor has evolved into a new class of social entrepreneurs who have shown that capitalism can generate significant returns in every sense of the word.

Buy Me A Drink? I'll Take A Charitini

Rachel Sklar | Posted 01.08.2009 | Living


Rachel Sklar

Tonight, I've planned a birthday party with a twist: Instead of plying me with drinks 'til I'm wobbly, I've invited friends and colleagues to donate the equivalent sum to some of my favorite charities.

Don't get crushed at the mall - Create Jobs

Jack Hidary | Posted 01.01.2009 | Style


Jack Hidary

Think your are helping the economy by buying some holiday gifts? Instead of giving more stuff to your relatives and friends that they don't need, d...

The Antidote to Bad Media Days - Make a Microloan

Graham Hill | Posted 04.15.2009 | Green


Graham Hill

Sarah Palin's bear-draped office sofa can make you either want to laugh or weep, but her views on polar bears do only the latter.

From Machete To Microfinance: A Double Amputee's Recovery

Nicholas Sabin | Posted 10.09.2008 | Living


Nicholas Sabin

Yenku Sesay looks down where his hands used to be. He answers my question with a sickening quickness: "1998. May 6. 10am." That was when the rebel ar...

Natalie Portman on Her New Role: Giving Women Hope

Marianne Schnall | Posted 07.12.2008 | Entertainment


Marianne Schnall

In this exclusive interview, Natalie Portman talks about her work for FINCA International, how she balances her activism with her career as an actress, and her advice on making a difference.

Economic Colonization: The Rich Profiting from the Poor is Not the Way to Handle Microfinance

Vivian Norris de Montaigu | Posted 07.08.2008 | Business


Vivian Norris de Montaigu

What is the point of microfinancing the poor build up small businesses if it is only to eventually provide wealthy, Western-owned businesses and individuals with even a larger share of the world's wealth?

Gates: Businesses Need To Help The Poor

CNet News | Ina Fried | Posted 08.14.2008 | Business


In two separate speeches on Friday, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made the case that businesses need to see serving the poor as part of their mission ...