Digital Archive....

Links We Like Financial Access Initiative Blog We haven't posted an update on stuff we've been reading for quite some time. So, here's a round-up of some to the articles, blogs and papers we've been reading. Shamika Ravi on the Microfinance Bill 2012: A Move Towards Responsible Microfinance in India The Wall Street Journal on the Indian government's introduction of a bill to regulate microfinance Andhra Pradesh government doesn't like India's federal government's microfinance bill, and seeks changes Hope Springs a Trap , an Econimist article on microfinance for the ultra-poor. David Roodman talks about whether microfinance works and his new book, Due Diligence , with Owen Barder at the Development Drums Timothy Ogden on women, banking and financial inclusion  and why the social component matters Digicel Debuts First Non-Bank Mobile Payment System Segmentation for Innovation: Understanding the...

facts matter Texas in Africa Conrad Black has a new piece up over at the National Review. I'd encourage you not to give it anymore hits; the central argument of the piece is that colonization was the West's great gift to the world. Here is the money quote: No one could seriously dispute that almost all of sub-Saharan Africa, all of North Africa except Morocco, all of the Middle East except Israel and Jordan and most of the oil-rich states, and the entire former British Indian Empire were better governed by Europeans. The Philippines and Cuba and, during the piping days of the U.S. Marines' occupations (even if they were deployed at times by the United Fruit Company), Nicaragua, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic were all better off under the Americans. Now, I could certainly dispute this claim, but this is Mr. Black's opinion and he's certainly entitled to it. What I'd like to dispute is the evidence he presents in support of his ...

The Market Has Spoken – And It Is Rigged The Baseline Scenario By Simon Johnson In the aftermath of the Barclays rate-fixing scandal, the most surprising reaction has been from people in the financial sector who fully understand the awfulness of what has happened. Rather than seeing this as an issue of law and order, some well-informed people have been drawn toward arguments that excuse or justify the behavior of the Barclays employees. This is a big mistake, in terms of both the economics at stake and the likely political impact. The behavior at Barclays has all the hallmarks of  fraud , pure and simple – intentional deception for personal gain, causing significant damage to others. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission nailed the detailed mechanics of this deception in plain English in its "Order Instituting Proceedings" (which is also a settlement and series of admissions by Barclays). Most of the compelling quotes from traders ...