Talk:Microcredit

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This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Microcredit article.
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WikiProject International development This article is part of WikiProject International development, which is building a comprehensive, detailed, and accessible guide to International development, including such areas as Appropriate technology, Microfinance, and social issues related to development. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can see a list of open tasks and discuss the project.

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[edit] Mention of Kiva.org

Although I am not qualified to provide an authoritative summary, it seems desirable to mention Kiva as an important and unique conduit for microloans. They have received considerable attention recently from major press outlets and public figures. I just found a Wikipedia entry here [1], but it is not linked to in the microcredit article. Gpetty 02:33, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Using microcredit in Christian ministry

I know this isn't completely related, but here is a guide for using microcredit in Christian ministry.

Kingdom Business The Ministry of Promoting Economic Activity

[edit] Improvement Drive

Grameen Bank is nominated to be improved on WP:IDRIVE. You can support the article with your vote.--Fenice 08:20, 5 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Recent additions

The edits on October 9 by Mark are not exactly encyclopedic, and IMO, quite POV (not to mention that they're signed). The task of extricating the facts from the opinions seems quite complicated to me; can someone more well-versed in this topic help out? Johnleemk | Talk 14:32, 16 October 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Documentation of permission

Christina,

   I would like to request permission to publish the "Year of
Microcredit" logo in the contents of an encyclopedia article available
at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcredit

While I believe I can use the logo by the terms of "fair use" as
outlined in U.S. copyright law, I am seeking permission in respect,
and to make sure that it is available to be viewed legally in any
country it may be viewed from.

Because of the nature of wikipedia, I cannot sign the waiver of
liability, but Im not sure that it applies anyways. Wikipedia is an
online, free and open encyclopedia edited by its online community
volunteers. More information about Wikipedia can be found at
www.wikipedia.org.

    Thank you,
    Andrew Somerville

christina.barrineau        
to me
Oct 28
....

Finally - I do not see where you would put the logo for the Year and a
question - would you also include a paragraph on the Year?      

Andy Somerville    
to christina.barr.
 Oct 28
Christine,
....

As far as the logo is concerned, I would most likely place the logo
near the top of the article, as well as in the article stub
specifically about the Year(2). I would be willing to write a
paragraph about the year to integrate into the article and place the
logo nearby. Alternatively if you would like more control over the
matter you or I could integrate a paragraph prepared by UNDP.
Understand however that future editors may rearrange the article and
so the position in the article cannot be guaranteed except in that you
or I may again change it at any point.


      Many Thanks,
      Andrew Somerville
...     

christina.barrineau        
to me
Oct 28
Dear Andy -

Thanks - that would be great - please go ahead - also the Economist will be
coming out with a survey next week (November 4 issue) on microfinance that
you might like to link to as well).  Please go ahead and write a para on the
year - or you can cut and paste the opening para on our website -
www.yearofmicrocredit.org
...

Best Christina


[edit] Please remove the logo

I saw the thread on the Year of Microcredit logo, but I don't think the logo should be on this page. The UN Year is now over, but more importantly, having the logo of one organization for a definition is not neutral, especially since so many organizations are and have been involved in microcredit for a very long time.


[edit] Move or split

Either

#this article should be moved to Microfinance (which currently directs here), or

#it should be split and Microcredit should deal more specifically with microcredit.

I favor the first option. Either way, we need to develop the info on micro savings, insurance and related topics. --Singkong2005 03:49, 13 February 2006 (UTC)

I see it's been fixed. --Singkong2005 15:23, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reference needed

References are needed for the following paragraph which has been removed from the criticism section. It should be noted that information contained in this paragraph should also be scrutinized and edited for content (in addition to referenced) given that it was added by an anonymous user whose only other edit seems to be vandalism:

There is also debate surrounding the sustainability and viability of enterprises funded through micro credit. Critics say that a paradox exists in that the poorest people can do little with the credit outside of sustenance activity yet they are the ones who receive the most loans. They suggest that much of the lauded entrepreneurial activity which they are ascribed is usually based on thin margin industries which face high diminishing market returns. Thereby in many cases microcredit does little more than smooth consumption over periods of cyclical or unexpected crises. Critics of microcredit cite the fact that U.S. consumer debt levels topped $2 trillion dollars for the first time in 2004, up 33% from four years before as evidence that easy credit does not necessarily guarantee freedom from poverty.


[edit] Removing the YOM Logo

Hello, can an Administrator please remove the international year of microcredit logo? The YOM happened in 2005 and has ceased to exist. Furthermore it's just one organization of many that have been working in the field of microcredit/microfinance and shouldn't be the only one listed here as reference. Thank you. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 138.220.48.171 (talk • contribs) 19:39, 20 June 2006.

[edit] Both BRAC and FH Abed should be recognised in this article

BRAC started providing microfinance in 1974, and have helped lift millions of Bangladeshis out of poveryt as a result. Therefore both BRAC and it's founder FH Abed should be mentioned on this page.

[edit] Deleting MFI profiles

In an effort to eliminate redundancy, I suggest the following:

As all the microfinance institutions listed in this article have articles of their own, and because their articles are more carefully edited and of broader scope, I suggest reducing the profiles of notable MFI's here to a numbered list of links. At most, I would include vital stats like founding date, areas of operation, date of disbursement of first microloan, etc.

I haven't made any serious edits to this article, so I feel unjustified in taking it upon myself to make this significant change. Is there someone who has written the majority of this article who has an opinion on this potential edit?

Jcoravos 20:01, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm all for deleting, but I wouldn't bother with the list, a category would be the appropriate way to link all these orgs together with the main article. Take them out and start focusing the article on what microcredit is, its history, its impact and its role in the world. -- Siobhan Hansa 22:10, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Women's World Banking

I've just added another organization (redlined) to the History section. WWB seems like a significant international pioneer body from 1976, even though we obviously don't want an endless list of pioneers. It has also had a recognized role in UN work from at least 1994 (e.g. Women's World Banking Re-Convenes UN Expert Group on Women and Finance. --VSerrata 11:42, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] On Moving BARD to Microfinance

The BARD project was not the 'first microcredit' initiative in the developing world. Microcredit was operating in Jamaica in the 1930s and even in Bangladesh, at the initiative of Father Charles J. Young, in 1953. Some of the resulting credit unions are still operating. The BARD project is very interesting from a historical perspective, but mainly because of its impact on the thinking of the founders of the microcredit movement that emerged around Grameen Bank and BRAC in the early 1970s. Although Grameen has subsequently moved to a broader microfinance platform, at the time of their founding, both Grameen and BRAC were focused on microcredit to the exclusion of other microfinancial services. The BARD project was not very successful, and Yunus and Abed (among others) drew lessons from it that were important to their work (see Lessons from the Comilla Experience). So I'd vote for leaving it right where it is, contextualizing it and correcting some of the inflated assertions about it.Brett epic 22:59, 14 October 2007 (UTC)