Dear RFILC members,

In this month’s newsletter we are happy to highlight IFAD’s new flagship publication entitled Rural Development Report 2016: Fostering inclusive rural transformation which put together leading thinkers to analyze lessons learnt from experiences across the globe and to look at rural development in a new way. The report looks at how to bring rural people into the economic mainstream and how to transform rural areas so that development is not only inclusive but also socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. This report provides a thorough analysis of the complex picture, it examines 62 countries and looks at their development in the context of rural transformation. It also demonstrates the interconnectedness between rural and urban development. The report seeks to answer three key questions: what are the different pathways of structural and rural transformation in developing countries? How do the different pathways affect rural poverty reduction and social and economic inclusion? What can policy makers do to stimulate and support inclusive rural transformation?

Second highlight is the 2016 Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project Report: Advancing Equitable Financial Ecosystems. This year’s report analyzes key changes in the global financial inclusion landscape over the previous year and broadens its scope by adding five new countries to the study: the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Egypt, Haiti, and Vietnam. The report’s findings show continuing progress across the global financial inclusion landscape. This assessment is driven in part by the recent launch of comprehensive financial inclusion strategies in several countries and, more broadly, by substantial progress in enhancing the digital financial services ecosystem. Finally, the report identifies four priority areas where action is needed to advance inclusive finance: i) an increased focus on establishing (and then achieving) specific, measurable financial inclusion targets; ii) promoting more comprehensive data collection and analysis regarding financial access and usage, particularly among traditionally underserved groups such as women; iii) advancing regulatory efforts designed to facilitate financial inclusion; iv) enhancing financial capability to promote sustainable financial inclusion.

Finally, the Boulder Microfinance Institute will be delivering a new training program: Back to Boulder: Strategic Response to Risk in Microfinance Markets. It will take place in Washington, DC, November 28 – December, 2 2016 and is hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank group member. This event brings not only leaders from within and outside of the microfinance community, but also international experts in leadership and change management to provide participants with practical tools, cases, and experiences in the areas of risk governance, enhanced competitiveness and financial exposure. The program is designed to be highly interactive and is one in Boulder new series of 5-day Back to Boulder programs. For more information regarding the program schedule, venue, and application process please click here.

With best regards,

The RFILC editorial team