Further Reading
Suggested Books
Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty,
Muhammad Yunus
Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism,
Muhammad Yunus
The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank,
David Bornstein
Online Articles
Why We Need Micro Loans Instead of Slum Tourism
An article that introduces the idea of organising microfinance tours to help reduce poverty and bring peace, rather than promoting voyeuristic safe-danger tourism in poverty-stricken areas.
http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/2007/03/07/why-we-need-micro-loans-instead-of-slum-tourism/
The Ugly side of Microlending
Insight into the state of microfinance in Mexico: for-profit microlending, high interest rates and ugly collection methods. A great read to help understand what makes En Vía's approach unique and important.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_52/b4064038915009.htm
It Is About Remembering Your Mission In Microfinance
Sam Daley-Harris, CEO of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, talks about the commercialization of the microcredit sector and the different reasons why non- and for-profit institutions do microfinance.
http://www.microfinancefocus.com/news/2010/04/27/it-is-about-remembering-your-mission-in-microfinance-sam-daley-harris/
Microfinance Under Fire
Explains what is going on with Grameen Bank and the ousting of its founder Muhammad Yunus, and how this could affect the world's first and biggest microfinance institution in the future.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/microfinance-under-fire/
Grameen Bank and the Public Good
The article discusses the reasons why the Grameen Bank is being criticised, why it is so difficult to answer the question whether microfinance works, and in what ways does microfinance alleviate poverty.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/grameen-bank-and-the-public-good/
Who Is Responsible for India's Poor—the State or the Private Sector?
The case of India: how private-sector for-profit microfinance institutions are making matters worse among the poor. A good article to show reasons why greater regulation is needed in microfinance, and why we need to clearly define what can be called microfinance and what cannot.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jan/26/microfinance-regulations-india?CMP=twt_gu
Scaling Microfinance: An Economic Imperative
A good perspective on the current challenges faced by the microfinance sector and the case of microlending in the US.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-harman/green-shoots-and-storm-fr_1_b_821799.html