Radical Economic Forum 2012.1

Tuesday, 2/7/2012


BREAKFAST: 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM

CONCURRENT ELECTIVES A: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Title: Understanding gender and culture in market systems Many of the interventions needed to make value chains competitive and to facilitate broad-based growth are rooted in catalyzing behavior and social change in communities and among value chain players. In addition, changes in market systems can affect socio-cultural practices by shifting control over resources. How can projects understand socio-cultural dynamics, and how can they turn that understanding into activities and approaches that facilitate behavior and social change that leads to increased incomes, wellbeing and equity? This session will look at the interconnection of social dimensions, including gender, with market systems, and will encourage discussion around how development stakeholders can best respond to these social dimensions.
Ruth Campbell Marian Boquiren Caren Grown Lindsey Jones Alex Pavlovic Jennefer Sebstad

Title: Engaging the private sector USAID has embraced private sector engagement to leverage private sector investments for development. How to ensure that these investments have the greatest developmental impact is a key area of interest that this session will explore. Panelists will draw on lessons from USAID's public-private partnerships, Michael Porter's creating shared value, and field experiences, as they debate key issues in engaging with the private sector. Participants will engage in discussions around opportunities and challenges in leveraging private sector investments to achieve development objectives.
Jeanne Downing Emiliano Duch Olaf Kula Rob Schneider

Title: Creating an Enabling Environment The business enabling environment is but part of the larger market system that value chain programs aim to affect. This session will begin with an overview of this system, looking at how the policy environment, social and cultural norms, infrastructure and governance interact with value chains and their service markets. Panelists and participants will explore "hot issues" faced by those engaged in business environment programming and reform such as the effect of de-linking value chain and enabling environment programs, the challenges of public-private dialogue, and achieving private sector involvement in the policymaking process.
Russell Brott Wade Channell Ronald Greenberg Benjamin Herzberg Bryanna Millis

Title: Integrating food security and nutrition There is a need to better understand the relationship between agricultural value chain development and food security. Agriculture appears to be key for increasing producer incomes, and likely could reduce food prices for consumers. But it is less clear how agricultural value chain development contributes to improved nutritional status. This session will draw on the research community, donors and a panel of development practitioners to address some of the challenges and highlight emerging best practices in using a value chain approach to achieve the food security objectives of availability, access and utilization. Participants will identify complementary programming needed to maximize the impact of value chain development on food security, and will discuss how business interests can be aligned to contribute to this goal.
Meg Brown Duncan Boughton Eric Derks Jeff Dykstra Ben Fowler Bronwyn Irwin Sophie Walker


NETWORKING LUNCH: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

CONCURRENT ELECTIVES B: 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Title: Financing value chains For value chains to grow and incorporate more of the world's poor, a diverse range of financing needs must be met. From input credit and working capital, to more sophisticated instruments such as leasing and factoring, we have learned that we can lower the risk of providing these products by building on the close inter-relation of value chain actors and understanding the financing needs and cash flow of the entire household. This session will provide a brief overview of a model of integrated rural and agricultural finance, and examine three recent country-specific "value chain finance" projects (Haiti, Kenya and Honduras) that were built on such an approach. The session will emphasize broad strategies for ensuring that finance contributes to overall value chain competitiveness. Participants will be engaged through an innovations marketplace that will highlight specific "value chain finance" products and services, and explore lessons learned and replication potential.
Geoffrey Chalmers Robert Fries Greta Greathouse Mark Rostal Joe Dougherty Megan Falvey Xavier Gine Kate Druschel Griffin Lena Heron

Title: Reaching the very poor Research suggests that the 'poorest of the poor' rarely benefit from value chain development initiatives as a result of constraints that preclude them from participating in markets and attracting the attention of the private sector. Recently, USAID developed a framework and tools, hosted an e-consultation, and commissioned case studies to better understand how value chain development programs, complemented by social and economic strengthening activities, can integrate the very poor into market opportunities. This session will include presentations from practitioners and donors illustrating how the goals of integrating the very poor and stimulating economic growth can be mutually supportive. Participants will discuss the advantages, challenges and means to reach the very poor using a value chain approach and share examples of this in practice.
Ruth Campbell Shari Berenbach Margie Brand Stephen McCarthy Christian Pennotti Luckshmi Sivalingam Jason Wolfe Ben Fowler Lena Heron Olaf Kula

Title: Facilitating sustainable change In the field of value chain development, facilitation is accepted as a best practice for achieving sustained benefits beyond the life of a project. However, it presents donors and practitioners with challenges, such as longer time horizons to see change, less predictable results, and different staffing needs. In this session, we will hear a leading expert explain the key factors underpinning facilitation as well as implementers from the Philippines and Uganda share their challenges and successes. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in smaller groups with the presenters and their peers on practical issues of facilitation, and will learn about tools, resources and ways to stay engaged with the learning community on the topic of facilitation.
Hannah Schiff Colleen Duncan Alan Gibson Eric Derks Marian Boquiren Lisa Kearns

Title: Learning and Evaluating Within Dynamic Systems Given the dynamic nature of value chain development activities, integrating learning into the program cycle is critical to achieving results. Because results can require years, impact evaluation is most useful over the longer run to inform best practices going forward. However, integrating learning at the project level requires effective and continuous flows of knowledge throughout the project team, with value chain actors, partners and donors. This session will explore how to integrate learning into programs and projects designed to leverage and transform market systems. Participants will have the opportunity to hear the latest evidence on the impacts of selected value chain projects, discuss how to evaluate these complex programs that have systemic impacts, and identify indicators that can measure the sustainability of systemic change. The session will include updates from USAID's Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning with respect to the Agency's plans to strengthen learning throughout the program cycle.
Lane Pollack Elizabeth Dunn Donald Snodgrass Stacey Young




Wednesday, 2/8/2012


BREAKFAST: 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM

CONCURRENT ELECTIVES B (repeated): 09:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Title: Financing value chains For value chains to grow and incorporate more of the world's poor, a diverse range of financing needs must be met. From input credit and working capital, to more sophisticated instruments such as leasing and factoring, we have learned that we can lower the risk of providing these products by building on the close inter-relation of value chain actors and understanding the financing needs and cash flow of the entire household. This session will provide a brief overview of a model of integrated rural and agricultural finance, and examine three recent country-specific "value chain finance" projects (Haiti, Kenya and Honduras) that were built on such an approach. The session will emphasize broad strategies for ensuring that finance contributes to overall value chain competitiveness. Participants will be engaged through an innovations marketplace that will highlight specific "value chain finance" products and services, and explore lessons learned and replication potential.
Geoffrey Chalmers Robert Fries Greta Greathouse Mark Rostal Joe Dougherty Megan Falvey Xavier Gine Kate Druschel Griffin Lena Heron

Title: Reaching the very poor Research suggests that the 'poorest of the poor' rarely benefit from value chain development initiatives as a result of constraints that preclude them from participating in markets and attracting the attention of the private sector. Recently, USAID developed a framework and tools, hosted an e-consultation, and commissioned case studies to better understand how value chain development programs, complemented by social and economic strengthening activities, can integrate the very poor into market opportunities. This session will include presentations from practitioners and donors illustrating how the goals of integrating the very poor and stimulating economic growth can be mutually supportive. Participants will discuss the advantages, challenges and means to reach the very poor using a value chain approach and share examples of this in practice.
Ruth Campbell Shari Berenbach Margie Brand Stephen McCarthy Christian Pennotti Luckshmi Sivalingam Jason Wolfe Ben Fowler Lena Heron Olaf Kula

Title: Facilitating sustainable change In the field of value chain development, facilitation is accepted as a best practice for achieving sustained benefits beyond the life of a project. However, it presents donors and practitioners with challenges, such as longer time horizons to see change, less predictable results, and different staffing needs. In this session, we will hear a leading expert explain the key factors underpinning facilitation as well as implementers from the Philippines and Uganda share their challenges and successes. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in smaller groups with the presenters and their peers on practical issues of facilitation, and will learn about tools, resources and ways to stay engaged with the learning community on the topic of facilitation.
Hannah Schiff Colleen Duncan Alan Gibson Eric Derks Marian Boquiren Lisa Kearns

Title: Learning and Evaluating Within Dynamic Systems Given the dynamic nature of value chain development activities, integrating learning into the program cycle is critical to achieving results. Because results can require years, impact evaluation is most useful over the longer run to inform best practices going forward. However, integrating learning at the project level requires effective and continuous flows of knowledge throughout the project team, with value chain actors, partners and donors. This session will explore how to integrate learning into programs and projects designed to leverage and transform market systems. Participants will have the opportunity to hear the latest evidence on the impacts of selected value chain projects, discuss how to evaluate these complex programs that have systemic impacts, and identify indicators that can measure the sustainability of systemic change. The session will include updates from USAID's Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning with respect to the Agency's plans to strengthen learning throughout the program cycle.
Lane Pollack Elizabeth Dunn Donald Snodgrass Stacey Young


NETWORKING LUNCH: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

CONCURRENT ELECTIVES A (repeated): 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Title: Understanding gender and culture in market systems Many of the interventions needed to make value chains competitive and to facilitate broad-based growth are rooted in catalyzing behavior and social change in communities and among value chain players. In addition, changes in market systems can affect socio-cultural practices by shifting control over resources. How can projects understand socio-cultural dynamics, and how can they turn that understanding into activities and approaches that facilitate behavior and social change that leads to increased incomes, wellbeing and equity? This session will look at the interconnection of social dimensions, including gender, with market systems, and will encourage discussion around how development stakeholders can best respond to these social dimensions.
Ruth Campbell Marian Boquiren Caren Grown Lindsey Jones Alex Pavlovic Jennefer Sebstad

Title: Engaging the private sector USAID has embraced private sector engagement to leverage private sector investments for development. How to ensure that these investments have the greatest developmental impact is a key area of interest that this session will explore. Panelists will draw on lessons from USAID's public-private partnerships, Michael Porter's creating shared value, and field experiences, as they debate key issues in engaging with the private sector. Participants will engage in discussions around opportunities and challenges in leveraging private sector investments to achieve development objectives.
Jeanne Downing Emiliano Duch Olaf Kula Rob Schneider

Title: Creating an Enabling Environment The business enabling environment is but part of the larger market system that value chain programs aim to affect. This session will begin with an overview of this system, looking at how the policy environment, social and cultural norms, infrastructure and governance interact with value chains and their service markets. Panelists and participants will explore "hot issues" faced by those engaged in business environment programming and reform such as the effect of de-linking value chain and enabling environment programs, the challenges of public-private dialogue, and achieving private sector involvement in the policymaking process.
Russell Brott Wade Channell Ronald Greenberg Benjamin Herzberg Bryanna Millis

Title: Integrating food security and nutrition There is a need to better understand the relationship between agricultural value chain development and food security. Agriculture appears to be key for increasing producer incomes, and likely could reduce food prices for consumers. But it is less clear how agricultural value chain development contributes to improved nutritional status. This session will draw on the research community, donors and a panel of development practitioners to address some of the challenges and highlight emerging best practices in using a value chain approach to achieve the food security objectives of availability, access and utilization. Participants will identify complementary programming needed to maximize the impact of value chain development on food security, and will discuss how business interests can be aligned to contribute to this goal.
Meg Brown Duncan Boughton Eric Derks Jeff Dykstra Ben Fowler Bronwyn Irwin Sophie Walker


PANEL DISCUSSION: 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM

CLOSING REMARKS: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PM

Muhammad Yunus expresses faith in entrepreneurs at G20 summit

Posted on: November 23, 2011

Category: News

Microfinance Focus, November 4, 2011: Professor Muhammad Yunus was invited to deliver a key note speech during the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit held in Nice, France. Professor Yunus addressed an audience of more than 400 entrepreneurs from all G20 countries. In his speech, he shared his personal entrepreneurship experiences, his faith in young entrepreneurs to be the pillars of society and the need to include poor countries in the discussion process in making global decisions.

Professor Yunus being an entrepreneur himself started off creating the Grameen Bank that provides microfinance services to the poor who had little access to financial provisions. From that, he ventured into a wide number of social businesses such as Grameen Nursing College, Grameen Eyecare Hospitals, Grameen Shakti, etc.

He has always considered young entrepreneurs to be the most effective solution for the future. He said “In my opinion, G20 YES is a fabulous initiative, gathering so much energy and momentum from all over the world. Because of their creativity and leadership, provided that they commit to share the value they create, these 400 young entrepreneurs in this room can change the world.”

Professor Yunus is also a member of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Advocacy Group, advising the Secretary General of the United Nations. Hence, he believes that the next generation of youths should be handed over the process of the MDGs as soon as possible. He believes that entrepreneurs will have a key role to play in fulfilling the MDGs, if they are committed to the social value created by their companies, and social business can be part of the solutions.

In his speech, he added that the G20 needed to broaden its scope to deal with the current world crisis. It can no longer remain a political forum with economic agendas. The G20 needs to create a social agenda as well. Professor Yunus proposes that ‘social business’ should be brought to the agenda of G20, as one of the concrete and effective solutions to be considered for immediate implementation so as to guide capitalistic investment towards social value and jobs creation, rather than sheer profit maximization strategies. A social business is a cause-driven business where profits stay within the company for its sustainability.

Lastly, Professor Yunus concluded that the G20 should be expanded into the G25, where poor countries from each continent should be included in the global agenda which they are part of. He added that “Their problems are inter-related with others, and their proposals of solutions should be considered by the most economically advanced countries in making global decisions. A G25 would be a big step toward ensuring that global social issues are raised, and MDGs implementation is fully shared on the global agenda. And finally, because fighting poverty together is the only way to bring long lasting peace in this world.”

Source: http://www.microfinancefocus.com/muhammad-yunus-expresses-faith-entrepreneurs-g20-summit

It explores how to make the invisible principles and practices of real wealth creation visible, and therefore useable. Our planet needs case studies underline the search for new win-wins that build ‘system integrity’
Trust-flow is the unseen wealth to invest sustainability in. Tranpsarently mapped it develops a goodwill gravity tyhat invites with roleplayer in a community to multiply goodwill while sustaining their own cashflow.. Trust is not some vague, mushy, abstract warm-hearted sentiment. It is an economic powerhouse – probably just as economically and socially important as oil.
The point is, there are specific things you need to do to get trust flowing, just as there are specific things you need to do to get oil flowing. And like oil trust has a dark side. Right now, the world is awash with the carbon emissions which threaten the stability and sustainability of its ecosystems. Right now, the world is also awash with the ‘carbon emission’ of trust – mistrust. Indeed it may well be that our ability to tackle the one issue – the threat of environmental catastrophe – depends on our ability to tackle the other issue: how to generate, deepen, extend and sustain trust.>br>But what is the best way of doing this? One thing is for sure. You don’t build and sustain trust via some sentimental exercise of goodwill to all and sundry. There are three very simple principles at the heart of effective trust generation.
First, trust is generated via win-win relationships. It’s virtually impossible to generate or sustain trust without mutual benefit for those involved. But beneficial outcomes are not enough in themselves. For trust to be built and sustained, both sides need to signal a demonstrable commitment to finding win-win ways forward. Such a commitment may require real changes to what we say and do. Second, real ‘win-wins’ are hardly ever purely financial or material. You don’t build trust simply by walking away with more cash in your pocket. Trust works at all the dimensions and levels of human exchange. Yes, it’s about financial and material rewards. But it’s also about purpose (what people want to achieve). It’s about politics with a small ‘p’: the use and abuse of power, the crafting and application of rules of fair play. And it’s about emotions: the sometimes overwhelmingly strong emotions, both positive and negative, that are generated when people deal with other peopleWhat’s constitutes a ‘win’ – a sense of real improvement – is therefore highly specific. It depends absolutely on the details of who the parties are, what they are trying to achieve, in what context. Building trus, therefore involves discovering these specifics. Just as oil doesn’t flow out of the ground, get refined and pump its way into motor vehicles automatically and without effort, so identifying and doing what is necessary to get trust flowing requires dedicated, skilled effort. It requires a disciplined, structured process, not a vague sentiment.

3) Third, even if we do steps 1) and 2) there’s still a good chance it won’t succeed. Why? Because it ignores an invisible third factor. In the real world, purely two way bilateral relationships don’t exist. There is always a third party whose interests or outcomes are affected by what the other two parties do but who is not a party to the contract. The environment is a case in point. Producers and consumers may both benefit from buying and selling to each other – but what happens if, in doing so, they destroy the environment they both depend on?

This raises a hugely important question. When two parties pursue win-wins and build mutual trust, are they doing so in a way which creates a win and builds trust for the third party at the same time? Or are they simply pushing the problems – and the mistrust – further down the line on to this third party? Building vigorous, healthy networks of trust is a different kettle of fish to ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’ win-win conspiracies. It requires a Map of all the key relationships plus careful consideration of knock-on consequences. It requires a different perspective.

These three simple, basic steps do not happen automatically. They need to be worked at. The territory needs to be deliberately Mapped and explored. What’s more, there are obstacles in our way – mental and practical obstacles that need to be cleared. Prevailing economic theories about ‘rational economic man’ for example, deny the need to commit to win-win outcomes. Instead, they promote supposedly ‘rational’ (i.e. narrowly selfish behaviours) which actively undermine trust The same theories insist that the only valid measure of human benefit is money, thereby excluding from consideration many of the biggest opportunities for improvement. Meanwhile many vested interests do not want to extend the circle of trust to third parties and complete networks because their positions of power depend on their ability to take advantage of the weaknesses of these third parties. That’s another job for Mapping: helping to identify and mount such obstacles.
The potential benefits of doing so are unthinkably huge. They start with a simple negative: the relief that comes from when you stop banging your head against a brick wall. Mistrust breeds wasteful, wealth destroying conflict that tends to feed on itself. Anger and hatred engender anger and hatred. Simply easing or stopping the terrible waste of mistrust would transform prospects for many millions of people. We desperately need to find ways of doing this. Then there are the positive benefits. Understanding the real nature of human wealth – all those dimensions of purpose, ‘politics’ and emotion as well as money and material comfort – means we can start being human again; human in the way we think, and act. What’s more, many of these intangible benefits won’t cost a penny. They’re there for the taking, if only we puts our minds to it.
But there’s more, because trust is also an economic superpower in its own right. In the pages that follow we will show conclusively that material and financial riches are also dependent on trust. In fact, we will argue the case for going one step further. We will say that material and financial riches are a by-product of trust: the visible fruits of invisible, intangible human exchange. Once you understand that sustainable cash flows are a by-product of sustainable trust flows, your understanding of what makes a successful business is transformed.
Separately, each of these three fruits – reducing the waste of conflict, unleashing the potential intrinsic benefits of human exchange, and energising the sustainable creation of material wealth – are massive in their own right. Put them together and they represent a vast new continent of opportunity.
As we said, this book is addressed to entrepreneurs and system innovation revolutionaries. Wherever you happen to be, whatever the change you want to make is, the principles explored in this book apply. The wish to change and the will to change are not the same as being able to change successfully. For that you need to understand your territory. You will need new Maps