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Sixth International “Advanced Reflective (ART) Course on Development finance”

Dear Colleague,

We are happy to announce the sixth international course on “Advanced Reflective education and Training (ART) on Development Finance” for staff of microfinance institutions, banks, capacity-building organisations, NGOs, Government Organisations and funding agencies, from India and abroad. The Course will take place in Madurai, in Tamil Nadu in South India, from December 1 to 14, 2008.

The Tata-Dhan Academy is an offshoot of DHAN Foundation. DHAN Foundation has promoted India’s largest and most innovative community banking programme, serving the financial needs of about 700,000 poor people with cumulative portfolio of about $140 million in southern and central India. The Course will enable participants to learn in the field from the Foundation’s own very successful model of building sustainable people’s institutions and successful microfinance models of South Asia, Africa, Latin America and European countries. It includes both classroom sessions as well as field visits.

2-week Course outline (December 1 -14, 2008)

The Course has three independent themes.

I. Microfinance as Development Finance (December 1-4, 2008)

• Alternate paradigm of institutional finance: Experiences of South Asia, Africa, Latin America and European countries
• Financial inclusion and mainstreaming: Concept and experiences
• Emerging regulatory framework for microfinance: India, Sri Lanka and Kenya
• Microfinance for poverty reduction: Social intermediation, financial intermediation and civic intermediation
• Microfinance: Current challenges and perspectives of different stakeholders
• Field visit and community interaction: Community Banking Programme (Kalanjiam model)

II. Social Security for Poverty Reduction (Micro Insurance for the poor) (December 5-9, 2008)

• Micro insurance – global landscaping: Successful experiences of South Asia, Africa and European countries
• Products development – weather, crop, life and health
• Mutual insurance concepts: Institutional experiences on reinsurance
• Regulatory framework for micro insurance
• Field visit and community interaction: Visit to mutual insurance federations

III. Beyond Microfinance (Business Promotion for Poverty Reduction) (December 10-13, 2008)

• Microfinance for livelihoods (Business) development
• Microfinance and sectoral development: Agriculture, livestock, fishery and non-farm sector
• Business organisation promotion: Experiences of business associations of poor
• Forward and backward linkages: Global experience through case study analysis
• Enterprise promotion: Rural tourism for livelihoods promotion
• Field visit and community interaction: Business associations and artisans groups

Participants can choose to attend any one or two of the themes or the entire course.

The Course will be offered at the well-known five star TAJ GARDEN RETREAT on the outskirts of the historic city of Madurai. Participants will be accommodated in double study/bedrooms with private attached facilities.

The faculty includes practitioners from leading microfinance organisations, banking institutions, regulatory organisations, business corporations in India, Bangladesh and African countries and other authorities including Professor Malcolm Harper from UK. Mr. Herman Abels from The Netherlands and Ms. Annette Houtekamer and Mr. Toon Bullens from The Netherlands. The Course includes field visits to microfinance institutions, individual clients, groups and business organisations. The course also includes rural tourism and site seeing to the important historical places of Madurai city. It is an organised tour.

Since the first course in 2004, about 130 participants from 50 NGOs and MFIs and 15 government and international funding organisations representing 20 countries have participated. The fee is USD 3,000 for the entire Course, including full board and lodging, tuition, training materials and other literature and field visits, as well as site seeing visits to historic places in Madurai. The separate fee for each theme of the Course is USD 1,000. Participants themselves or their employers must cover the cost of travel to and from Madurai. DHAN Foundation will provide letters to local Indian Consulates to facilitate the issue of visas, but participants must themselves obtain the visa. The fee for Indian participants is Rs 90,000 for entire course and Rs 35,000 for each theme of the Course. The Academy would also facilitate sponsorships on request for the participants.

The fee should be sent by Demand Draft in favour of “DHAN Foundation” payable at Madurai, or by international bank transfer to Account Name: DHAN Foundation, Canara Bank Town Hall Branch, Town Hall Road, Madurai 625 001, Branch Code: DP 1013, SB Account No.: 1013101028758, Swift Code: CNR BIN BB UFM. The application can be downloaded from the website: http://www.dhan.org/tda/art.php. and the filled in application along with the fee should be sent before October 31, 2008. As the number of seats is limited, places will be allotted on a first come first served basis. Online application is also made available in the website.

Please send applications on the attached form, or requests for further information, to attention of