The Albert Luthuli Centre for Responsible Leadership attended a conference on Microfinance

29 August 2013

The theme of the conference, that took place on from 12 to15 August, was Financial Inclusion for all, from policy to practice. Delegates from all over the globe included policy makers, microfinance practitioners, researchers, consultants and academics, and all recognised the importance of breaking financial barriers and making banking inclusive to the disadvantaged segments of the population.

Prof Gerhard Coetzee, Director of the Centre for Inclusive Banking in Africa, opened the conference and highlighted the fact that financial inclusion enables people to take control of their financial lives and that they can benefit from the more predictable, stable, secure and relatively low-cost services. He further argued that finding policy solutions related to inclusive banking will result in rapid economic growth in poor countries.

The Albert Luthuli Centre for Responsible Leadership is in support of the financial ideologies and methodologies envisaged by financial sectors in bringing about change and expanding access to finance to all, and addressing the global challenges of financial exclusion. It fundamentally relates to the issue of responsible business, underpinned by good ethics and governance and, ultimately, responsible leadership. This collaboration paves the way for closer collaboration between the ALCRL and the CIB in future.