MEDIA ADVISORY / Contacts:
Kiútprogram and Polgar Foundation:Attila Nyari, +36.20.2689779,
European Commission:Sinéad Meehan, +32.229.84094,
World Bank: Dorota Kowalska, +1 202 247-7129,
A WAY OUT AND A POSSIBLE WAY FORWARD: SOCIAL MICROCREDIT, FINANCIAL INCLUSION,
AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT FOR ROMA CONFERENCE
Financial Inclusion of the Roma in Eastern Europe
Global experience shows that small-scale entrepreneurship is important inalleviating poverty. Self-employment programs based on microlending and intensive community engagement ("social microcredit") have emerged as animportant source of financing for marginalized Roma communities of Eastern Europewho have had limited access to such entrepreneurship resources in the past. One such program – the Kiútprogram (Way-Out Program) – is focusing on the most disadvantaged microregions of Hungaryto help them become self-employed.
The “A Way Out and a Possible Way Forward”conference, hosted by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional Policy (REGIO), the Kiútprogram Non-profit Co, the World Bank, and the Polgár Foundation for Opportunities, will address the issue of financial inclusion of the Roma in Eastern Europe with the:
- Lessons of the Kiútprogram project;
- Launch of the World Bank’s“Reducing Vulnerability and Promoting (Self-)Employment of Roma in Eastern Europe through Financial Inclusion”regional report;
- Review ofpolicy recommendations of the KiútprogramEC pilot “Pan-European Coordination of Roma Integration Methods–Roma Inclusion, Self Employment, and Microcredit” for the 2014-2020 Structural Funds period.
Press are invited to the following sessions of the Financial Inclusion of the Roma in Eastern Europe conference:
DATE: Tuesday, September 4, 2012
9:15-10:30Opening Remarks and Overview:
Chair: Veronica Gaffey, Acting Director for Policy Development, DG REGIO
László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Danuta Hübner, Chair of the Committee on Regional Development, Member of the European Parliament (TBC)
Kinga Göncz, Member of the European Parliament
Katarina Mathernova, Senior Adviser, The World Bank
András Polgár, Founder of the Polgár Foundation/Chair, Kiútprogram
10:30-11:00JointPress Briefing of Kiútprogram, the World Bank, DG REGIO and DG EMPLOYMENT
11:00-12:30“Setting the Scene” Session:
Chair: Kálmán Mizsei, Chair, Making the Most of EU Funds for the Roma, OSI
11:00-11:30 Introduction of the World Bank report “Reducing Vulnerability and Promoting (Self-)Employment of Roma in Eastern Europe through Financial Inclusion” - Joost de Laat, Senior Economist, The World Bank
11:30-11:50 - Kiútprogram: a social microcredit program for the Roma in Hungary - György Molnár, Board Member of Kiútprogram Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, HAS
11:50-12:10 - Building Roma community-based projects and engaging the community - Judit Szőke, Director, Polgár Foundation
12:10-12:30 – Q&A
VENUE:Novotel Brussels Centre Tour Noir
Rue de la Vierge Noire 32, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
In order to attend, press must be registered for the sessions – please see attached “Registration Form”
For more information on the conference, please visit:
A Way Out and a Possible Way Forward: Social Microcredit, Financial Inclusion, and Self Employment
Conference
Press Registration Form
A Way Out and a Possible Way Forward: Social Microcredit, Financial Inclusion, and Self-Employment conference
Financial Inclusion of the Roma in Eastern Europe
September 4, 2012
Novotel Brussels Centre Tour Noir
Rue de la Vierge Noire 32, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
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Opening session: / Press Briefing: / “Setting the Scene” Session:
9:15 – 10:30 / 10:30 – 11:00 / 11:00 – 12:30
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Please fill out and email to by 14:00, Monday, September 3, 2012.