Developing Humanity - Reducing Poverty
Contributions from Economics and Business
Part 1: Keynote by Prof. Stuart L. Hart, PhD, Cornell University
Developing Humanity - Reducing Poverty:
The Emergence of the
Third Generation Corporation
This keynote delivers the fundamental framework of the topic
“Developing Humanity – Reducing Poverty” and
explains the core concepts and theories. The speaker will trace the
evolution of the corporation from its inception some 500 years ago and
show how the “second-generation” industrial corporate
model is now giving way to a “third-generation” form based
on sustainability and human development. The keynote will give a state
of the art report on the theory and practice of sustainable enterprise
and introduce the concept of “base of the pyramid” business.
Part 2: Keynote by Prof. Ted London, PhD, University of Michigan
Creating a Fortune with the Base of the Pyramid: A Roadmap for
Venture
Development
Ted London presents BoP venture leaders and development
practitioners with a roadmap to guide their enterprise development
efforts based on the perspective of “creating a fortune with the
BoP.” In particular, he provides core principles that leadership
teams should apply at each of the three stages of BoP venture
development: designing, piloting, and scaling. London advocates that
venture development grounded in mutual value creation offers the best
prospect for generating economically-viable enterprises that also
enhance the quality of life in BoP communities. He further argues that
appropriately applying the core principles in each stage of
development can mean the difference between venture success and
failure. London also proposes a new perspective on cross-sector
collaborations that can more effectively integrate business effort to
build viable BoP ventures with development community investments in
creating new market opportunities.
Part 3: Keynote by Martin Dahinden, Dr.oec.publ., Director-General
of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
The UN Millennium Development Goals and Switzerland: Shifts in Approach
The Commitments taken by the international community under the UN
Millennium Development Goals have significantly reduced poverty during
the past decade. The main focus has been on the delivery of services
to the poor. To achieve further progress in eradicating poverty it
will be increasingly important to shift the approach,
to sustain
an environment favourable to economic activities of poor people and to
empower them to income generating activities, including during
conflict and in fragile environments. The Swiss Agency for Development
and Cooperation SDC has significant experience in those areas. Poor
people have very often a well developed sense for economic behaviour,
innovative initiative and are on their scale reasonable investors.
Contents of this keynote will be illustrated with selected examples of
SDC projects.
Part 4: Keynote by Rosmarie L. Michel, Advisory Board
responsAbility Social investments AG
Microfinance: Investment in the future, Clients – Investors
– Markets
The idea for Women’s World Banking was conceived during the
first United Nations World Conference on Women, held in Mexico City in
1975. At this meeting, ten visionary women from five continents
articulated a simple but innovative concept: providing small loans and
other financial services to poor women entrepreneurs could be a major
force in the global fight aganist poverty. Today, WWB provides
support, advice, training and information to a global network of 40
microfinance institutions and banks in 28 countries worldwide. WWB
networkmembers offer credits and other financial services directly to
20 million poor entrepreneurs, 74% of them being women.
- What does partnership between investors and microcredit clients mean?
- Who benefits from these worldwide changes?
- What does empowerment of women through microcredits mean?
Rosmarie Michel will answer these questions with few examples from
her personal experience.
Part 5: Panel discussion between the four speakers moderated by
Peter Arbenz
Developing Humanity – Fighting Poverty: What is the future
Role of Government, Business, and Civil Society in Reducing Poverty?
The speakers will discuss the adequate role of government,
business, and civil society in contributing to human development and
in fighting poverty or other social miseries. The discussion will
review critically the state of the art of development policy and will
point out possible shifts in approach. In particular recent
developmental projects by private businesses or civil society
initiatives will be critically assessed and their potential
demonstrated: micro-loans, business venturing for the poor, Bottom of
the Pyramid and social entrepreneurship. Recommendations will be elaborated.
Part 6: Apéro riche @ Foyer West