We are proud to announce that Global Advances has become an official sponsor of the “Miss Africa in China Pageant” to be held on July 10th, 2009. As a multicultural company that works with organizations and communities both on the African continent and China, we strongly support the mission of creating stronger cultural links between the two regions and empowering young African women living in China.

The annual cultural event is held by the African community living and working throughout China. The organizing committee seeks to achieve the following objectives:

1. Empowering the underprivileged via educational scholarships.
2. Promoting African culture in China.
3. Promoting African beauty in China.
4. Enhancing relations between China and Africa.
5. Bringing Africans living and working in China together.
6. Promoting youth with talents.

More info: www.missafricainchina.com

To learn more:
Article Link (Chinese Only): http://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.com.cn/qikanarticleview.php?id=984
China Development Brief (English Site): http://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.com/

This summit will address the topic of “Green economics” and it’s potential to drive the global economy, the role of governments and corporation to steer our societies into sustainable development, and to discuss the opportunities that exist in this field. It’s all about how environmental issues must be considered in business plans or you will find yourself behind the curve. In Europe, mandatory carbon reduction emissions efforts are already the norm. In the U.S., President Barack Obama has put environmental issues on the top of his agenda with clean energy infrastructure development plans. World leaders are hopeful that he will endorse legislation that will lead to the U.S. being part of a post-Kyoto agreement expected to be reached in Copenhagen this December. In China, the government is also focusing on sustainable development as a path to continued growth and economic restructuring. It is already home to one-fourth of the world’s Clean Development Mechanism projects.

Conference participants will include over 400 decision-makers from government, green organizations, and from Chinese and multinational companies operating in China that are actively demonstrating a transformational, provable, improvement to China’s environment. Government Officials, Policy Makers, CEO’s, CFO’s, Business Executives who are involved in green business, CSR / Communications Executives, External Affairs Directors, Sustainability Officers, Green Organizations, Business Strategists & Consultants, Marketing/PR/Branding Professionals, Academics & Educators, Energy Experts and Investors. The Right Honorable Tony Blair, Special Envoy, Quartet on the Middle-East and Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will also support BusinessWeek China’s Global Green Business Summit.

To learn more about the conference and for registration information, please click here.

The 2009 Nonprofit Technology Conference will take place Sunday, April 26 through Tuesday, April 28 in San Francisco.

The NTC is THE place to engage around the technology issues that face the nonprofit sector. Nearly 1200 people will come together from across the country and around the world to connect with our peers, learn from our heroes, and change the world.

To learn more about the conference, please click here.

We are proud to announce that a full Spanish version of the Global Advances website has been released to better serve our clients and partners. We are convinced of the importance of reaching users from around the world and our translators have been hard at work to internationalize the content of our web pages.

1. Information is king

   One of the factors which sets Kiva apart from other online giving sites is its emphasis on real-time information. Kiva is committed to providing its users with as much information as possible, and the site is continuously updated with feedback on borrowers and their progress.

   In this way, Kiva goes far beyond merely connecting lenders and borrowers—it nurtures the establishment and growth of virtual relationships. Many lenders are as invested in their borrowers as they are in an out-of-state family member or friend, and this encourages lenders to log in frequently for updates.

   Repeat visits are also encouraged by the fact that the site is constantly changing. Kiva’s homepage is designed to feature different entrepreneurs and lenders on a regular basis, so there is always something new to see.

2. Keeping it real

   Things don’t always go according to plan, and while Kiva has an extraordinarily high success rate, there have been instances in which loans have been stolen or lost. When this occurs, Kiva informs its users (known as “Kivans”) right away.

   Kiva’s commitment to transparency is exemplary, but it is also becoming par for the course in this day and age. Web 2.0 has introduced us to the good, the bad and the ugly—increased user participation means that information travels across the internet at lightning speed, and nothing remains hidden for long. Not only do users appreciate transparency, they have also come to expect it—and largely prefer to frequent sites which are committed to telling the truth.

3. Socialization around a higher cause

   One of the hallmarks of Web 2.0 is community creation. Networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn capitalize on this by allowing users to create and join dedicated groups based upon their likes, dislikes, political or religious views, occupation or hobbies.

   Kiva attracts people who are interested in alleviating poverty, and judging from the activity on Kiva Friends, it is clear that Kivans enjoy interacting with one another. While many conversation threads address poverty and loan-making, Kivans also discuss their hobbies and professions, which aren’t always related to the goals and activities of the site. According to Matt, Kiva Friends is a sort of “social marketplace,” where users come to network around a higher cause.

In his book Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, Dr. Muhammad Yunus writes about the need to “recognize the real human being and his or her multi-faceted desires.” Human beings, he says, are not solely devoted to their own interests—they are inclined to do good, and will welcome the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of others. The success of sites like Kiva can serve as an example of how the savvy utilization of Web 2.0 concepts can both fuel and serve our desire to make a difference.

Source: Time Magazine (Click to Enlarge)

The article quickly dispels this myth with strong evidence that “aid is no longer Africa’s main source of foreign income. Africa is becoming a business destination.” This reinforces what was said earlier in an article by the Washington Post stating that we should “respect Africa by investing, rather than trying to ’save’ it.” This is exactly the reason why China has developed a deep fascination with Africa; with trade having grown about 30% over the past decade between the two regions. Dambisa Moyo, who wrote Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa, emphasized their important relationship by stating that “if you back China, you’re backing Africa.” Furthermore, overall foreign investment has quadrupled since 2000 as Africa advisors to President Obama declared the continent has having “the world’s highest rate of return on investment.”

According to IMF statistics, countries such as Rwanda, Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania have enjoyed impressive annual growth rates of 6% and above (See image above for details).

Let’s invest in Africa and keep welcoming her to the Business World!

Yunus and Wei

Yunus shared his story about how he began loaning his own pocket money to groups of women in his home country of Bangladesh, and how he successfully grew his operation into to the world-renowned Grameen Bank today. Using his own credit he assumed the role of a guarantor for these groups of women to borrow money from local banks for their entrepreneurial activities. Yunus discovered the tremendous impact that small loans could make on poor communities and as the loans became larger and larger, banks refused to lend any more. Consequently, Yunus had the idea of establishing a totally new type of bank to specifically server the poor and help them escape the poverty trap. He succeeded enormously by reaching over 8 million poor people. Today the Grameen Bank not only offers microfinance solutions, but also offers pension fund services, loan insurance, and an education fund to meet the poor’s needs. Conventional banks are owned by the rich; however, the Grameen Bank is founded by the poor, works for the poor, and is also owned by the poor. Presently the Bank has over 7.7 million clients (borrowers), and most of the borrowers are also shareholders, with yearly dividends ranging from 20% to 50%.

Referring to the state of Social Entrepreneurship in China, he advised young people in China:

“When you wake up every day, take a look at yourself through the mirror, and say to yourself: ‘You are a job-giver, not a job-seeker!’ “

He noted that this specific mindset is what differentiates entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs. Yunus encourages youth aspiring to become entrepreneurs to think like a job-giver, not a job-seeker. Entrepreneurs think proactively and actively get involved in creating things, both for themselves and others; when more people choose to create rather than wait passively for things to happen the entire society benefits.

A very inspirational and exciting speech indeed!

Programs by Country:

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• South Africa
• Belgium
• France
• New Zealand
• Japan
• Philippines
• India
• Taiwan

UNITED STATES

Stanford University, California, The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Program
The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Program brings together faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from across Stanford to develop innovative, technology-based solutions with a potential for social benefit.
http://sie.stanford.edu/

Harvard Business School, Boston, MA in Social Enterprise
Grounded in Harvard Business School’s mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world, the Social Enterprise Initiative aims to inspire, educate, and support current and emerging leaders in all sectors to apply management skills to create social value.
http://www.hbs.edu/socialenterprise/

NYU, The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Program in Social Entrepreneurship
This program is designed to attract, encourage and train a new generation of leaders in public service. Each year, the program will expose a highly selective group of graduate and undergraduate students from throughout New York University to the cross-disciplinary skills, experiences and networking opportunities needed to advance and support their efforts to realize sustainable and scalable pattern-breaking solutions to society’s most intractable problems.
http://www.nyu.edu/reynolds/

Columbia Business School, New York, Social Enterprise Program
The Social Enterprise Program (SEP) at Columbia Business School provides a framework for students to think in broader terms about their role in business and society, and prepares them with the knowledge and experience to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/socialenterprise

Ariane de Rothschild Fellows Program: Dialogue & Social Entrepreneurship (Two-week program, New York City in July 2009)
The Ariane de Rothschild Fellows Program: Dialogue & Social Entrepreneurship aims to develop a network of social entrepreneurs with an interest in fostering a culture of mutual respect and dialogue among Jewish and Muslim communities. http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/execed/programs/detail/28660/Ariane+de+Rothschild+Fellows+Program%3A++Dialogue+%26+Social+Entrepreneurship

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago: MBA in Social Enterprise (SEEK) program
Kellogg created the SEEK program in 2005 to provide a rigorous, relevant experience for students interested in the intersection between management and society across all organizations and industries. SEEK is focused on building leadership skills and awareness to help Kellogg graduates be socially responsible global leaders. http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academic/seek/program/index.htm

Yale School of Management, Connecticut, Program on Social Enterprise
The Program on Social Enterprise at the Yale School of Management (PSE) supports scholars, students, and alumni interested in the connections between society and business. PSE facilitates work on nonprofit and public organizations as well as initiatives in the area of corporate social responsibility. http://pse.som.yale.edu/index.html

Yale University, Connecticut, Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS)
The Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) strives to facilitate interdisciplinary inquiry in the social sciences and research into important public policy arenas. Recognizing that important social problems cannot be studied adequately by a single discipline, the Yale Corporation established the Institution for Social and Policy Studies in 1968 in order to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration within the university. http://www.yale.edu/isps/

Seattle University, Master’s of Nonprofit Leadership
The MNPL program is oriented toward working professionals who currently are nonprofit executives or who expect to be in such positions within three years of completing the program.
http://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/npl/

Colorado State University: The Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE) Program
The GSSE Program seeks to provide sustainable enterprise solutions to some of the most stubborn issues of our time including poverty, disease, malnutrition and environmental degradation. We do that by graduating students with the appropriate training, experience and character necessary to create and operate for-profit and nonprofit startups, nongovernmental organizations, and to work in multinational companies that champion social and environmental objectives while delivering solid returns on investment.
http://www.biz.colostate.edu/gsse/pages/default.aspx

University of Maine Farmington, Social Enterprise/Entrepreneurship major
The Social Enterprise/Entrepreneurship major at Farmington offers four Social Sector Concentrations: Globalization and Economic Development, Environmental Conservation, Democratization and Governance
Poverty.
http://www.farmington.edu/majors/socialent.php

DePaul University College of Commerce, Social Enterprise Projects
The DePaul Students for Social Enterprise (DSSE) is a group of committed and driven DePaul student that have come together for the purpose of educating themselves and others on social justice, entrepreneurship and innovation. It is through proactive involvement in a wide range of local, national and international issues that DSSE members will network with other professionals in the field, develop strategies to grow the triple bottom line of any firm, and conceptualize and launch new firms onto the global stage.
http://commerce.depaul.edu/ethics/DSSE/index.asp

Seattle Pacific University, Undergraduate/ Graduate Program in Social Enterprise
Co-conveners of this program include AACSB, the Aspen Institute, EABIS, and the United Nations Global Compact. AACSB accredited institutions who are willing to integrate corporate responsibility and sustainability in a systemic manner throughout their programs are invited to join.
http://www.spu.edu/depts/sbe/se/index.asp

CANADA

The Centre for Social Innovation, Downtown Toronto
The CSI seeks to embrace a responsibility to grow a positive, diverse and vibrant community of individuals and organizations. Applicants for permanent and part-time work in the centre must complete an application form that helps us understand how your work is socially, economically, culturally or environmentally meaningful.
http://www.socialinnovation.ca/

University of Alberta, Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
The CCSE has three streams of programming in Resource, Education and Research. The streams are mutually reinforcing as research supports our education component and this allows us to interact with the community with credibility on the subject of social entrepreneurship.
http://www.business.ualberta.ca/CCSE/

UNITED KINGDOM

School for Social Entrepreneurs
The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) exists to provide training and opportunities to enable people to use their creative and entrepreneurial abilities more fully for social benefit. We also want to recruit more innovative and capable people into voluntary and other organisations. The SSE runs practical learning programmes aimed at helping develop the individual entrepreneur and their organisation simultaneously: our approach, and belief, is that social change is people-powered, and that the most valuable assets and resources we have are human ones.
http://www.sse.org.uk/

Oxford Said Business School, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
This program offers students the opportunity to study three leading edge social entrepreneurship electives. The first explores the nature and range of social entrepreneurship in its international context; the second investigates the role of innovation in successful social enterprises; while the third encompasses design and development aspects of social entrepreneurship ventures within their institutional context.
http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/skoll

University of Brighton, UK, Innovative programs: (Business) Social Enterprise
With social enterprise development and support as a key focus for the University of Brighton, we have a committed and experienced team of across the university working with social enterprises, partners and networks both locally, regionally and nationally to develop both sector leaders and sustainable enterprises.
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/business/social_enterprise.php?PageId=60

Liverpool John Moores University, UK, Liverpool Business School, MA in Social Enterprise Management
The three-year MA in Social Enterprise Management has been specifically designed for part time study with all assessments work based. Successful applicants will be taught the techniques of business planning, as well as management functions such as marketing, strategic management, people management, research methods, social auditing and finance all within a social business context. The course will also focus on the development of the social economy.
http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/socialenterprise/index.htm

Heriot-Watt University, UK, Social Enterprise Institute (SEI)
The business of the institute is the provision of research, training, business planning, education and consultancy services for all stakeholders in the social economy.
http://www.sml.hw.ac.uk/socialenterprise/

University of Cambridge, UK, Institute of Continuing Education, and the Judge Business School, The Master of Studies (M.St.) in Social Enterprise and Community Development
The Master of Studies (M.St.) in Social Enterprise and Community Development is a two-year, part-time degree taught and administered by the Institute of Continuing Education and the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.
http://www.cont-ed.cam.ac.uk/courses/mst/community/

University of ULSTER, UK, Advanced Diploma in Social Enterprise
The Advanced Diploma in Social Enterprise provides students with the knowledge and skills to prepare a plan for the establishment of a social enterprise. Students will journey through an exploration of social enterprise, an ideas generation workshop, market awareness, governance, resource planning and social enterprise business planning. This practical course gives students the opportunity to work in a stimulating environment with like- minded individuals.
http://prospectus.ulster.ac.uk/course/?id=6853

SOUTH AFRICA

University of Pretoria Centre for Microfinance
The Centre for Microfinance offers short-term courses that award a Certificate in Individual Microenterprise Lending or a Certificate Programme for Microfinance Management. At the MBA level there’s an Executive Programme for Microfinance Managers. The program’s aim is to improve the general skills and expertise of people working for microfinance institutions and specifically, to improve management capacity of microfinance institutions.
http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=3841

University of Stellenbosch Business School, Master’s Degree in Development Finance
Focusing on development finance and Africa’s growth needs, the internationally accredited Master’s Degree in Development Finance (MDF) is the first programme of its kind in Africa. This unique Master’s programme also ties in with the African Union’s educational objectives.
http://www.usb.sun.ac.za/usb/degrees/MDEVF.asp

BELGIUM

Solvay Business School, European Microfinance Program
A joint program amongst European universities – The European Microfinance Programme delivers a broad program which encompasses: general management, development issues and their link to microfinance, tools for financial analysis, microeconomics, contracting and financial products, macroeconomics and regulation, organizations and markets structures, rural and urban microfinance issues.
www.europeanmicrofinanceprogram.org

FRANCE

INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship
INSEAD has developed a unique social entrepreneurship programme that draws some of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs for an intensive week of the most current, leading-edge management and strategy training specifically tailored to social entrepreneurs. The program is complemented by a diverse assortment of MBA courses focusing on various aspects of social innovation and explore opportunities for collaboration between the private and public sectors and non-governmental organisations.
http://www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/centres/social_entrepreneurship/index.cfm

NEW ZEALAND

Waikato Management School, New Zealand, Diploma, MA, PHD in Social Enterprise
This Diploma in Social Enterprise and its associated postgraduate qualifications will be of interest to those people and organizations interested in the creation and stewardship of income and wealth and in organizational growth and development for the achievement of social goals, environmental stewardship and peace. We are interested in understanding how better to generate the energies, resources and processes to achieve these broader goals. This qualification allows for progression into the Master of Management Studies and the associated PhD program.
http://wms-soros.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/Social+Enterprise+Studies/default.htm?list=Home

JAPAN

Tokyo Institute of Technology Social Entrepreneurship Program
A new graduate program for Social Entrepreneurship aims at providing students with opportunities to learn a multidisciplinary approach to social problems and to gain practical experience in the field. With the support of vast technological resources of Tokyo Institute of Technology, which is known to have one of the highest academic standards among technical universities in the world, the program will train future Social Entrepreneurs who will be able to solve various social problems by creating sustainable and innovative systems with new ideas, thus making the world a better place.
http://www.soc.titech.ac.jp/major/npm_new/npm_e_080116.htm

PHILIPPINES

Asian Institute of Management, Master in Development Management
The MDM is an 11-month intensive, innovative and practitioner-oriented program designed to prepare development executives and practitioners to manage and lead public and civil society organization, cooperatives and private non-profit firms amidst economic and political transitions. The MDM program is commited to producing visionary and transformational development managers who create public value and maximize the sustainable public good.
http://www.cdm.aim.edu/

INDIA

Institute for Financial Management and Research, Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Development and Sustainable Finance
This program recognizes that it is becoming increasingly clear that financial and economic integration is a necessary step for the swift advancement of development. Financial inclusion and poverty alleviation with a focus on the bottom of the pyramid and the role of corporations and financial institutions in this process of development are a major area of research. This program in development and sustainable finance provides the underlying theoretical frameworks, skills and analytical capabilities for exploring the issues in developmental finance in the context of emerging markets.
http://ifmr.ac.in/html/main.php

TAIWAN

Feng-Chia University (FCU), TAIWAN, Bachelor Program of Nonprofit Management (PNPM), MBA Program for Non-Profit and Co-op Management
Research Institute of Social Enterprise (RISE) is recognized through Taiwanese government as only entry into nonprofit research in middle Taiwan.
http://www.rise.fcu.edu.tw/english.htm

Last November, the Caribbean Internet Forum (CIF) in conjunction with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) addressed broadband connectivity for small island states in the Caribbean. Participants investigated the best practices and strategies in internet connectivity such as community wireless access, capacity building, and the technological challenges and opportunities for the private sector. One interesting idea was to implement community technology centers designed to enhance equal access to computers/internet and the technological skills of community residents. Forum speakers also discussed government policies for promoting broadband, how broadband enhances e-governance, and the future of broadband access in the region.

A particularly noteworthy topic during the forum was to increase support for innovations in mobile internet. As the number of mobile cellular subscribers is exceptionally high throughout the Caribbean, the forum placed a strong emphasis on the opportunities offered by mobile technologies and the promotion of an enabling environment for innovative mobile applications.

Initiatives

Countries in the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) will see a number of initiatives that aim to increase connectivity throughout the region. Recently, Triton Telecom started building a new multi-million dollar Caribbean fibre network that will span out of Florida to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. The 10G undersea fiber network will make use of ECI Telecom’s 9000 Carrier Ethernet Switch Router (CESR) family and XDM Multi-Service Provisioning Platform (MSPP) and support up to 40G per channel.

Last year, Alvarion Ltd., a leading provider of WiMAX and wireless broadband technologies announced the signing of a master supply agreement with Digicel Group, the largest mobile operator in the Caribbean. The companies will deploy a WiMAX network throughout the Caribbean region in a major initiative to increase wireless internet access over the next few years.

In other developments, a joint effort between Cuba and Venezuela is underway to develop a 1,550 kilometer optic fiber communication cable that will link the two nations. The Cuban deputy minister announced that the project will improve international communications and provide high-speed Internet access to Cuban citizens by 2010.

The State of the Caribbean Internet

According to Internet World Stats, the 26 countries and territories of the Caribbean that form the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) has a population estimate of 40,371,917, of which there are 6,956,500 Internet users and an overall 17.3% internet penetration rate (December 2008 estimate). The nations of Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, and Saint Lucia have the highest penetration rates of 85.9%, 63.8%, and 63.6%, respectively. Haiti, although still only having reached an 11.2% penetration rate, had the fastest growth rate between the years 2000-2008 at 16,566.7%.