Cempaka Belanda: Microfinance reaches maturity

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.
They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Microfinance reaches maturity

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 26 January 2010 - 12:37pm, by Maurice Laparlière

(from left) Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation, Princess Máxima and RNW Director General Jan Hoek

Some regard it as the perfect form of development aid, as the best way people that can become self-reliant and leave poverty behind for good. Microcredit. Small loans to small businessmen, who otherwise would not be able to raise the money. Not a gift, a loan.

On Monday, in the presence of Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Radio Netherlands Worldwide started a microfinance project which, as the editor-in-chief put it, aims to put aside the rose-tinted glasses. And the princess set the tone.

"Microfinance, who profits?" is the question RNW intends to answer bit by bit. The kick-off for this project took place in the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Touching moment

Linda Flores, a tortilla baker from Nicaragua took the stage to tell her story. A modest loan enabled her to give her family a job in her bakery. The business is doing well and she made a public promise in The Hague that she would send her children to school again next year. A touching moment which clearly moved the audience. Princess Máxima warmly thanked a beaming Linda Flores in Spanish.

On the RNW website, by contrast, you can see a video about a small Indian farmer who bought a cow which then became sick and died. It's unlikely she will be able to pay off her loan and the pressure on her growing. Her creditors want their money. The farmer says suicide seems the only way out of her suffering.

Princess Máxima, who is married to Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, sounded another critical note at the RNW meeting. She identified a growing problem in the world of microfinance. Moneylenders out to make a quick profit.

"We have to note that in certain markets some institutions have raised the yields, even as their operating expenses have been coming down. In these cases profits have started to play a more important role than sustainability."

Vanessa Mock and a panel of microfinance experts

Over-enthusiasm

Surprisingly critical words from the princess. But she was not the only one to go on the offensive in the Peace palace. Dutchman Klaas Molenaar, who gives advice about microcredit all round the world, witnessed how things went badly wrong in Afghanistan as a result of over-enthusiasm.

"Ooh, that's very bad. Very, very bad. I've seen donors coming in at a post conflict situation with a lot of money. That's so in conflict with the history of microfinance. It has to grow gradually and organically. There is no capacity when the donors just want to push in money."

Al those present agreed that microcredit is an invaluable tool. A small loan can permanently change human lives. Rik Rensen referred to a remark made by Princess Máxima some time ago that earning a dollar feels better than being given a dollar.

Lending not enough

But that was too simple to serve as the final conclusion. All those present supported the position that simply lending money is not enough. Microcredit only really has a future as part of a total package. Abureza Faisel Rahman, director of British organisation Fair Finance, spoke about his ideal form of microcredit.

"The issue about microfinance is: is it more than just about finance? And that's the question I think challenges everyone. How do you get about a billion people with more than just credit. How do you get to a billion families with education and with services that are actually be for progress. And that I think is the nub of all of these discussions."

That brought to an end a critical afternoon's examination of a promising financial phenomenon. The fact that microfinance was subject to and fended off so much criticism probably demonstrates that it has reached maturity.

And that the discussion needs to be continued.

You can do that on the Radio Netherlands Worldwide website. Go to the Microfinance Dossier and record your opinion or watch one of the video portraits of small businessmen and women whose lives have been changed by a microloan. Happily for the better in majority of cases, but not always...|

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