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Ben Simmes
Director - Members and Investments, Oikocredit
Ben Simmes (born 1948) is director members and investments of Oikocredit. Oikocredit is a worldwide cooperative society that promotes global justice by challenging people, churches and others to share their resources through socially responsible investments and by empowering disadvantaged people with credit.
Oikocredit currently has 175 million Euro in share capital, an investor base of 23,000 individual or institutional investors, and finances some 350 projects worldwide (micro finance institutes, cooperatives, small and medium enterprises).
Ben Simmes is responsible for the build up of the international investor base of Oikocredit and the development of new investment instruments.
Before joining Oikocredit he has been working in the field of development work in different capacities. He has worked for 7 years in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, especially in the area of ecology and informal sector promotion. He has been the director of a Dutch based agency that was providing staffing for development projects in 65 different countries. In his earlier years he has been a senior staff member of Kontakt der Kontinenten, a training institute focussing on third world issues.
Mr. Simmes graduated at the State University of Utrecht in sociology and economics. 26/3/03: Private investments in development
Which initiatives are presently existing to enable individuals to invest in development?
How can other parties play a role to encourage private investments in development ?
3/2/03: - how effective is this kind of SRI fund (target group reached, effects, financial sustainability)
- support by other agencies (cooperation with for example ICCO, DGIS) to mix funding and donations for technical assistance, expansion of programs;
- relation with the government: the Dutch government supports these Funds by giving tax benefits (an interesting element for many participants, I presume).
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