Unconditional cash transfers are the controversial innovation changing the international development landscape. Organizations like GiveDirectly transfer money to poor clients living halfway around the world, who are then free to use the money as they please.
While GiveDirectly is the only NGO set up for the sole purpose of distributing unconditional cash transfers, cash transfers are quickly becoming a popular development intervention. DFID estimates that 1 billion people in emerging markets receive them each year. For example, economist Jenny Aker has studied the use of cash transfers in disasters, including the differences between handing out vouchers, physical cash, and sending money via cellphones.
Join the founders of GiveDirectly, Jenny Aker, and Timothy Ogden of FAI for a discussion about what this trend means for those living in poverty, for microfinance, and for the development industry as we know it. The discussion will be followed by a networking reception.
Panelists:
Jenny Aker, Assistant Professor, Tufts University
Johannes Haushofer, Assistant Professor, Princeton University
Paul Niehaus, Co-Founder and President, GiveDirectly
Jeremy Shapiro, Co-Founder, GiveDirectly
Moderated by: Timothy Ogden, Managing Director, Financial Access Initiative
New York City, NY; NYC