Date:       26 October 2012
Time:      14h00–17h00
Venue:    main foyer of the ABSA Towers West Building in Johannesburg
Contact: SAIIA’s Youth Development Officer, Desiree Kosciulek, 011 339 2021, 072 685 7746

In all the commentary surrounding the global financial crisis, comparatively little attention has been paid to the increasing numbers of those who are excluded from the financial system or ‘unbanked’. These are people who do not have access to basic financial services, such as loans and bank accounts.

In South Africa, 9 million people (27% of all adults) are financially excluded, and across Africa and much of the developing world this figure is much worse. Overwhelmingly, these are the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.

What can be done about this? Can including people in the banking system help eradicate poverty? Does our banking system need to be reformed?

One of South Africa’s leading banks, ABSA, opens its doors this Friday to some of Gauteng’s brightest high-school learners to debate this issue. The debate will take the form of a mock session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Run by the youth programme of the South African Institute of International Affairs, Youth@SAIIA, fifteen schools will participate in the event. Full details are below.

Background
Youth@SAIIA provides unique and often life changing-opportunities for youth to expand their perspectives and connect their realities to the global developments. Our programmes reach a wide range of high schools, providing a forum where young people and educators from various cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds are able to come together to not just identify issues, but to also start creating solutions.

The Model United Nations programme is one of the SAIIA’s longest running youth initiatives, and is made possible this year by the generous support of ABSA. In its 17th year, the Model UN project is an academic simulation of the United Nations or other regional bodies such as the African Union. This special Model UN Conference will take the form of a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Financial Inclusion, and will be hosted in the main foyer of the ABSA Towers West Building in Johannesburg.

The Best Delegation from this event will be invited to a special lunch with Maria Ramos (Group Chief Executive, Absa, and Chief Executive of Africa, Barclays), and will also participate in the first ever SAIIA Young Leaders Conference 9-14 December in Johannesburg. Participants of the Young Leaders Conference will hold their own negotiation session on issues ranging from sustainable development and climate change, to global financial issues and will present their ideas and solutions to members of government and the United Nations. Adjudicators of this event include representatives from ABSA, SAIIA, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank.
 
Programme: Friday, 26 October 2012

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Financial Inclusion
14:00 - 14:30     Welcome and Introduction
14:30 - 14:40     Roll call and chairman’s introduction of topic   
14:40 - 15:10     Opening statements (2 min each)
15:10 - 15:25     Formal caucus (1 min each)
15:25 - 15:50     Informal Caucus
15:50 - 16:00    Voting
16:00 - 16:22     Closing statements (1.5 min each)
16:22 - 16:45     Break for adjudication
16:45 - 17:15     Adjudication and announcement of winners

Participating Schools
Athlone Girls' High School
Bona Comprehensive Secondary School
Bryanston High School
General Smuts High School
Greenside High School
Holy Family College
Ivory Park Secondary School
National School of the Arts
Nigel High School
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
Orlando West High School
Parktown High School for Girls
Pretoria High School for Girls
St. Barnabas College
Willowmoore High School

For more information, or to RSVP or arrange interviews or commentary, please contact:

SAIIA’s Youth Development Officer, Desiree Kosciulek

on 011 339 2021, 072 685 7746 or at youth@saiia.org.za
 
SAIIA has been voted the leading think tank in Sub-Saharan Africa for the third consecutive year in the University of Pennsylvania's Global Think Tank Survey.