News Bulletin issued (English and Spanish)
Date Posted: 29 July 2010
The first bulletin of the 2010-2011 Rotary Year has just been issued, and is available for downloading from the RAGM site.
URL= http://www.rotarianmicrocredit.org/Newsletters/index.php
Contact person: Tracy Eames, email
2010 Montreal Convention Presentations
Date Posted: 12 July 2010
The following presenttions from the Montral International Convention 2010 are relevant to Microcredit:
Stategic Partners and Microcredit - The Rotary Foundation
Building the Economic Foundations for Democracy in Haiti - Fonkoze
Fighting Poverty through Microcredit and Microfinance - Oikocredit
Banking Without Borders - Grameen Foundation. Connecting Skills, Passion, and Resources
to Fight Global Poverty
Fighting Poverty through Partnering Together - Opportunity International
RI 2008/09 annual report of Rotarian Action Group status
Date Posted: 19 February 2010
Dear Rotarians:
I am pleased to share with you the 2008-09 Rotarian Action Groups Annual Report. Compiled from the annual reports submitted to Rotary International by each Rotarian Action Group on 1 October 2009, the attached report provides a brief summary of membership growth and service activities in 2008-09. In addition, the report includes an overview of action group income and expenses, however, the specific details of individual action group finances were not included. We hope this report will prove useful to you as you meet in Montreal and thank you to every action group that contributed to this year's report. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Jessica AndersonSenior Coordinator, Programs & Presidential InitiativesRotary International
URL= http://rotarianmicrocredit.org/news/upload_files/mc_news_file_76.pdf
2010 Top Microcredit Research Papers
Date Posted: 26 January 2010
Presented at the Uniendo America RAGM microcredit workshop in Antigua, Guatemala January 2010
URL= http://rotarianmicrocredit.org/news/upload_files/mc_news_file_75.doc
Toronto Microcredit Conference Summary
Date Posted: 7 December 2009
The Toronto Microcredit Conference
The Toronto Microcredit Conference in November 2009 topics included - what’s new at the cutting edge in microcredit. For the Rotarians in the audience, one focus was onlearning ways that Rotary has been involved in microcredit and finding ways to build on those strengths while looking for what lies ahead. Judging from the conference evaluationforms, the audience thoroughly enjoyed the breakout by geographical separation - Latin America, North America, and Africa. After lunch the audience received the comments ofa panel of microcredit experts who in turn took questions from the floor. The quality of the learning experience was deemed by attendees as one of the best.
As this conference was a strong first effort by the District 7070 Microcredit Committee, the exercise was deemed by both the organizers and the attendees as a smashing success.The entrance fee was modest, the lunch and coffee fine, the facility was a brand new Library auditorium which was nearly filled with approximately 300 people. It is fair tosay that a new perspective was gained by the attendees as they listened to what was new in microcredit around the world. Rotarian Gordon Crann and his team worked hard toround up the best presenters, provide a great venue plus two key sponsors Scotiabank and Crann Law Firm.
The following is an alphabetical list of the 2009 Toronto Microfinance Conference Co-Hosts:
ACCESS Community Capital Fund
District 7070 Microfinance Committee
FINCA Canada
FINCA International
First Oikocredit Canada
Foundation For Women
Grameen Foundation
Oikocredit International
Opportunity International
Opportunity International Canada
Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit
The sponsors for the 2009 Toronto Microfinance Conference were Scotiabank and Crann Law Firm.
Download a copy of RAGM President Steve Rickards' address to this conference:
URL= http://www.rotarianmicrocredit.org/news/upload_files/mc_news_file_70.pdf
Contact person: Steven Rickard, email
Time Magazine Ten Questions for Yunus
Date Posted: 26 October 2009
URL= http://rotarianmicrocredit.org/news/upload_files/mc_news_file_67.pdf
RAGM DVD on You-Tube
Date Posted: 25 April 2009
We recently released our educational Microcredit DVD, a professionally produced set of interviews and presentations from the 2008 Rotary International convention. This DVD is a great way to educate yourself and others on Rotarian Microcredit, and can be useful as part of your next Rotary Club meeting.
To help you appreciate the value of this DVD, we have posted FREE on the RAGM YouTube channel the workshop presentation by Chris Crane, CEO of Opportunity International.
To find this free posting, go to www.youtube.com and search for “rotarianmicrocredit”. There you will find Mr Cranes presentation in two parts, because there is a ten minute length limit on YouTube videos.
Or click here Part 1 Part2
Opportunity International is one of the first, and largest, Microfinance Institutions in the world. During his presentation, Mr Crane describes how and why microfinance works, particularly when there are Rotarians involved. You may recall in 2008 Opportunity International participated with Rotarians and the Gates Foundation in a $600,000 microcredit project in Ghana, for more info on this visit: www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080929006131/en
By the way, we’ll have the DVDs available at the RAGM booth at the convention this June in Birmingham, England. Please share this YouTube posting with your friends, and help us sign up more new RAGM members, we’re growing quickly and the enthusiasm building around Rotarian Microcredit is tremendous.
If you have a Rotarian Microcredit related video you would like to post on the RAGM channel, please send a message to info@ragm.org
URL= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcLldfjoz1o
Contact person: Steven Rickard, email
Purchase the RAGM DVD
Date Posted: 5 April 2009
The Rotarian Microcredit DVD contains over two hours of educational information and interviews about Rotarian Microcredit, captured at the 2008 Rotary International Convention in Los Angeles.
Featured presenters include Phil Smith, author of Billion Bootstraps, Chris Crane, CEO of Opportunity International, one of the largest Microfinance Institutions in the world and a regular partner with Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The DVD presentations and interviews are selected individually from the DVD menu, and can be used for education sessions and Rotary Club programs.
After nearly a year of hard work by many volunteers, thanks to the gift from a major donor, and the generosity and technical skill of the Los Angeles Public Television station, we are proud to share with our members and friends this high quality production.
The DVD is $25 each, plus shipping and handling ($10 US and Canada, $20 international) and may be purchased from the link at the bottom of this page
We encourage you to buy and share this DVD widely, its a great way to educate people and promote Rotarian Microcredit!
RAGM Board of Directors
DVD Contents:
1. Greeting by Past Rotary International President Wilf Wilkinson
2. RAGM General Meeting Presentations:
2a. Chris Crane, President and CEO of Opportunity International, speaks on partnering with Rotarians
2b. Alex Kakuro, Rotarian and director of Faulu Uganda, joins Chris Crane to discuss a microcredit project where Rotarians work in partnership with Opportunity International
3. Interviews:
3a. Chris Crane, President and CEO of Opportunity International
3b. Alex Kakuro, Rotarian and director of Faulu Uganda
3c. Phil Smith, author of “A Billion Bootstraps”
3d. Lynn McMullen, Youth Empowerment through Business Activity (South Africa)
4. General Workshop Presentations:
4a. Phil Smith, author of “A Billion Bootstraps”
4b. Chris Crane, President and CEO of Opportunity International
4c. Lynn McMullen, Youth Empowerment through Business Activity (South Africa)
URL= http://www.rotarianmicrocredit.org/members/cd_purchase.php
RAGM Overview Powerpoint available for download here
Date Posted: 18 January 2008
URL= http://www.rotarianmicrocredit.org/news/upload_files/mc_news_file_26.ppt
