Friday Linkblogging

• This analysis of microcredit as an opportunity for Latin America (by the Council on Hemispheric Affairs) is actually an excellent summary of the global microcredit discussion as it is today. Go Read!


• Small business lender ACCION Texas is busy organizing the country's first Summit on Microfinance for November 6-7 in San Antonio.


• Speaking of summits, Making Cents International just pulled off the first Global Youth Microenterprise Conference in Washington DC in early September!

The youth population, aged 12 to 24, has reached a historical high of 1.5 billion.  Youth are the entrepreneurs, workers, leaders, and parents making an impact today, and they will be responsible for the economic and social development of tomorrow.  Many youth around the globe however continue to lack access to quality employment and education opportunities. Without a background in financial literacy or access to business development resources, youth face constraints made more difficult by their age.  Expanding the entrepreneurial culture and skills of young citizens has the potential to improve economic stability and the overall health of communities.

It is against this backdrop that Making Cents International decided to organize the global Youth Microenterprise Conference. The world's leading experts and practitioners in youth microenterprise, entrepreneurship, and livelihood development will convene in Washington, DC to address the following critical issues:

• The Role of Youth Microenterprise in the 21st Century: Facing the Challenge of Youth Unemployment and Vulnerability
• Strategies to Address the Needs of Youth Entrepreneurs
• How to Build Partnerships and Advance Youth Microenterprise to Support Social and Economic Development.