The following is a listing of events taking place in the UK and overseas this month. For further information, please contact the organisers directly.

Microfinance has experienced explosive growth. The European Microfinance Network, established in 2003, today has 74 members located in 22 European countries. The growth in the US has been no less spectacular. Microfinance is represented in Arab countries by SANABEL. And every African country has its microfinance operators.

This conference highlights recent microfinance growth and innovations in developed countries and their applications as a strategy for poverty eradication in Africa. In doing so, it acknowledges the diversity of African microfinance and of the different approaches adopted in Africa. To quote a highly recognised report: "Perhaps the greatest contribution of microfinance is that it empowers people by providing them with confidence and self-esteem, and the financial means to play a larger role in their own development. The potential of microfinance far exceeds the micro-level. It is a scaling up to address most of the problems associated with poverty eradication."

This is a conference for experts and specialists, and leaders in microfinance development. Among those invited are microfinance practitioners, investors, consultants, researchers, academics, government personnel and technical and financial partners who can share ideas promoting microfinance for growth and wealth-creation in Africa. Contact Kamreya Clark +27 (0)21 689 7881 or Email  kamreyac@omegainvest.co.za

On the eve of an election, one woman can decide the fate of a nation.

An international group of observers arrives in a West African country to oversee and rubber stamp its first democratic election. New voters queue in their thousands, but a senior member of the observation team finds herself both horrified by the President’s suppressive tactics and, for once, in a position to do something about it.

Yet as violence on the streets escalates and the country enters free fall, an increasingly angry young translator forces this well-meaning outsider to confront the impact of her intervention.

Richard Eyre returns to the National Theatre to direct this gripping new play by award-winning playwright Matt Charman.

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/observer

The positive, changing face of the African continent is continuing to attract the lion's share of global exploration dollars as prospectors zoom in on its untold mineral riches. Countries which were previously considered no-go areas have attracted a new wave of international investors, explorers and miners wanting to have another look. Striking examples of these are Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

Over the six years that Australia’s Paydirt has been hosting the Africa DownUnder Conference, there has been a surge in the growth rates of nearly all African countries, largely driven by the unparalleled demand for commodities from China. This ancient land mass of Africa is without question the world's greatest treasure trove – and has yet to be comprehensively explored using modern techniques.

Apart from presenting companies, the event will be attended by several African Mines Ministers, business leaders and executives from the mining services industries. Last year, the conference attracted more than 900 delegates, 100 exhibitors and a full programme of top-notch speakers.

http://www.mbendi.com/paydirt/events/e5ox.htm

Join the largest golf tournament of its kind in Europe by spending the day with friends and supporting the outstanding work being done by five benefiting charities in South Africa.
The South African Charity Golf Day will take place at the stunning Foxhills Club and Resort in Ottershaw, Surrey and will have in excess of 320 golfers teeing off for a day of fun to raise funds for 5 very deserving South African charities. These charities are the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, The FW de Klerk Foundation, Starfish Greathearts Foundation, Thuthuka and MaAfrika Tikkun, all of whom major in helping children from all communities in South Africa who are afflicted by the scourge of AIDS.

http://www.sagolfday.com/sagd.aspx?p=7&sp=71

This year, Lake of Stars is being sponsored by v, The National Young Volunteers Service. Vinspired Lake of Stars enters its sixth year and is again set to be one of the most talked about festivals on the global music scene. From a simple idea to promote tourism in a part of the world little heard of and to unite diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, the event has established itself as one of the most respected projects of its kind.
The four day festival, which will be located at the stunning Nkopola Lodge on the southern shores of Lake Malawi, promotes Malawian artists and provides travellers and locals alike with the opportunity to enjoy fantastic live music in an exotic and beautiful location whilst directly contributing to the country’s economy. For many the festival is the focal point of travelling around this beautiful part of Africa, forming part of an itinerary spanning across what Malawi has to offer. This is an experience for those ready for a real adventure; an event that brings together music-lovers from all over the world to one of the most stunning locations imaginable – from dusty towns and isolated rural villages to the majestic peaks of Mount Mulanje, over to the stunning Lake Malawi itself, shimmering in the evening sunlight, and vast rolling landscapes of raw and untouched beauty. For more info: www.vinspired.com

Richard Nyeila & Freestreet Entertainment present another night of pure laughter! An audience with funny man extraordinaire, the award winning Wayne 'Dibbi' Rollins aka Choice FM's 'Rollo'.
Special guests on the night come in the form of one the UK's finest singer/musicians Omar and the duchess of comedy herself the one and only Ms Glenda Jaxson.

Those in the know will book early.

www.hackneyempire.co.uk

The night before his assassination, Martin Luther King retires to room 306 in the now famous Lorraine Motel in Memphis after giving an acclaimed speech to a massive church congregation. When a mysterious young maid visits him, King is forced to confront his past and the future of his people.
David Harewood, recently seen in the Hollywood blockbuster Blood Diamond, plays King in a hauntingly inspiring portrait.
Introducing the brilliant young American playwright Katori Hall, who has just been announced as the 2009-10 recipient of the Playwrights of New York Fellowship, one of America's most significant new writing Awards.

Visit the Mountain Top official website

For nearly 50 years people across Britain campaigned against apartheid and white minority rule in southern Africa. At the heart of this campaign was London: centre of empire, a national and international stage and home of the Anti-Apartheid Movement between 1959 and 1994. Find out who was involved, what action they took and how they supported the people of southern Africa in winning their freedom.
In collaboration with the AAM Archives Committee.

With Trainer, Gerald Whittle, Managing Director, Whittle Consulting Pty Ltd, Australia, the course is designed for mining and mineral processing executives, senior managers, technical staffs and consultants – anyone who makes decisions that affect the mining and mineral processing value chain.
It is suitable for senior managers who wish to understand the drivers of value in their business and identify existing opportunities for enhancing performance and for technical staff who wish to apply these techniques in their work. Targeted job roles include: Mining Managers, Mining Engineers, Mining Analysts, Geologists, Process Engineers, Resource Managers/Analysts, Ore Resource Managers, Mine Planners, Plant Managers, Metallurgists, Project managers and other mining professionals involved in feasibility studies, development or operations.

twww.salvoglobal.com/mining.asp

This event, which is the 3rd in a series of annual Trade Mission and Exhibitions held in Nigeria, is designed to connect UK businesses with the "emerging " business market in Nigeria, and potentially other parts of Africa.
The Enterprise Exhibition is the first event of its kind to bring UK Businesses and Entrepreneurs from the African Diaspora to Nigeria on a trade mission/exhibition. A core objective is to promote the international trade, exchange of learning and good practice and global partnerships through bringing business communities together across continents. The focus of this year's exhibition will be to bring the international business communities in touch with the vibrant and diverse Nigerian business communities.

The Event is organised by Compass Consulting UK in partnership with the UK Trade and Investment, Greater London Enterprise OneLondon, the European Regional Development Fund, Federal Ministry for Commerce and Industry, the Bank of Industry – Nigeria, Lagos State Government, the British High Commission (Embassy), and a host of other organisations within the Organised Private sector.

http://www.compass-consultants.com/enterprise_exhibition.html

Whatever your situation, if you're looking to find a job in the charity or wider not-for-profit sector, you've come to the right place.
forum3 is the UK's only dedicated national recruitment, volunteering and networking event for the charity and not-for-profit sector

www.forum3.co.uk

The Africa PharmLab 2009 aims to support the increased involvement of pharmaceutical and medical laboratory companies in Africa, working in partnership with government ministries and international institutions, to raise the standard of health services available on the continent. The number of killer diseases and infections is on the increase in developing countries and this event provides an ideal opportunity for companies to see how they can effectively respond to the growing needs of the African continent.
Our objective is to introduce larger and well established companies/stakeholders with the opportunity to utilise their knowledge and research skills for cooperation with companies and governments in emergent markets. African public and private pharmaceutical and laboratory companies, senior representatives from Health Ministries, Health Regulator Bodies, International Institutions, International Pharmaceutical Companies are welcome to this gathering.

http://www.cubicglobe.com/dev/pharmlab/index.htm

Michael Peel, Legal Correspondent, Financial Times. Michael Peel's book claims that the oil-rich Niger Delta is at the heart of a country where petroleum and polio have both boomed, where small villages challenge giant oil companies, and scooter drivers run their own mini-state. Peel tells the story of how this extraordinary country has been shaped by the crude that pumps through western cities. The author claims that for a rich world growing ever more anxious about where its new oil will come from, there is something resonant and troubling in Nigeria's metamorphosis from pillar of Western industrial prosperity to lawless emblem of a rapacious age.

Entry to this workshop is open to experts and interested individuals upon application to the email address below. Places are limited & Chatham House reserves the right to restrict access to any of its meetings without notice or explanation. If you would like to attend please email Tighisti Amare at tamare@chathamhouse.org.uk stating your name and affiliation.

Emerging markets offer some of the best opportunities for growth. Whilst some emerging markets have suffered from the global turmoil, they still offer business potential growth rates far in excess of the developed world. The key to success is knowledge and understanding.
The 2009 Emerging Markets Summit brings heads of state and senior government figures together with business leaders and independent commentators for a strategic discussion of the commercial opportunities and challenges associated with high-growth markets.

www.emergingmarketssummit.com

In the face of the global economic slowdown and oil price shocks, whether your organization is either thinking about or has initiated layoffs, downsizing, rightsizing, staff cuts, or managed redundancy, for the first time in the history, it is human capital that is linked to the success of organizations. The quality of people and the competencies of the future will be critical factors in corporate vitality and survival of organizations.
Fleming Gulf "Human Capital Innovation in Oil, Gas & Petrochem 2009" is an ideal opportunity for the industry and HR leaders to put heads together to carve out a mutually acceptable strategy to sail through these troubled times virtually unaffected and strong. The forum will equip industry leaders and HR professional with the armory to deal with the people related issues raised by current economic turmoil. It will also expose you to innovative methodologies and instrument that will address short-term imbalances and build strong foundations for long-term prospects.

http://www.jacobfleming.com/conferences/hr/Human%20Capital%20Africa-1-1

Fair Consultants, exhibition and conference organisers with 25 years of experience in the South African market, have bought the Pan African Health Congress with the main objective of promoting the medical industry, including medical technology and pharmaceuticals throughout Africa. The 2009 Pan African Health Expo and Conference will take place concurrently with our ACSA Disability and Special Needs Expo and Conference. It will be the second year that Pan African Health will be under Fair Consultants management. Exhibitors at the show include; healthcare solution providers, medical technology & equipment, diagnostics & medical supplies, disposables, pharmaceutical products, surgical products & devices, medical IT & education and medical service providers.

The expo is aimed to attract visitors from the following sectors; private clinics, government hospitals, government health officials, medical professionals, donor funding organisations, NGO's involved in healthcare and medical aids and administrators.

The African Aid Relief Disaster Management Expo and Conferences' main objective is to put Aid Agencies in touch with suppliers to the UN and NGO Market.
Each exhibitor will get individual appointments made on their behalf with procurement officers from the different United Nations organisations and NGOs. The buyer's seller's forum will take place on Thursday the 17th of November and be ongoing for the full day. Confirmed appointments during the Show with key UN, Aid Agency, NGO and Disaster Management procurement personnel will be coordinated by our offices. These meetings will take place in a dedicated private meeting area. Each exploratory meeting will last 15 minutes and of course you may arrange to meet again at a mutually convenient time.

This conference aims to provide insight into initiatives that are addressing the food crisis. Including the UN, Project Managers, Technical Specialists and Economists. This conference will cover topics such as: New Agriculture Projects in Africa, Support Infrastructures, Bio fuels, Carbon Credits, Specialised Agricultural Funding, Precision Farming, Food Security and Sustainable Development in Africa.

Disability 2009 is the perfect opportunity for suppliers of both products and services to make their brand synonymous with empowerment of people with disabilities, (PWD's).
Disability 2009 is the only established event of it's kind in the country to bring together people with disabilities, (PWD's), their family members, their caregivers and service providers. Disability 2009 is committed to improving the lives of those with developmental and physical disabilities, their families, colleagues and professionals who work with them.

Exhibitors at the show include: all suppliers of equipment and services for PWD's. The following sectors will be represented: Mobility Aids, Prosthetic artificial limbs, wheelchairs, walking sticks, Hospital furniture, emergency medical supplies (such as bandages, rubber gloves, condoms, products and aids for the Deaf and Blind, Communication Aids, Occupational Products, Training Institutions, Physio Equipment, Adapted Vehicles, ADL's (assisted daily living equipment & services, Showering devices / building products, sports equipment, hand cycles, patient handling devices, (hoists etc), Hearing aids, Wheelchair clothing, Easy Reaches.

The expo is aimed to attract visitors from anyone involved in purchasing of equipment and services, and all end users. This includes: Government, Private Clinics, Hospitals, Medical Specialists, Orthopaedics, Physiotherapists, NGO's, Orthapedic Surgeons, and Prothetists.

After a successful event in 2008 the Ghana Black Stars Network (GBSN) will be hosting the 2nd Annual Ghana Business & Investment Exhibition at the Bernie Grants Art Centre in London on Saturday 19th September 2009.
As an emerging market, Ghana has industries that need to be created, developed and championed. Competition is getting fierce but there are still many industries which lack the knowledge and insight needed to thrive and create wealth.

The Business & Investment Exhibition will include a series of seminars that discuss the key areas one needs to consider when looking at business in or relocating to Ghana. The 2008 event included seminars on property and land acquisition; business opportunities; the entertainment industry; opening a bank account; investing in the GSE and finding a job in Ghana. The event will also feature a number of seminars, including: Ghana in the next 5 years – Politics, Agriculture 'The future for Ghana', Business & Investment Opportunities in Ghana, Black Gold – Oil in Ghana, cause for celebration? Exporting & Importing products, 'Land and Property in Ghana'. Each seminar will look at the current climate, how things are developing and what opportunities are available.

For further enquiries on this event, please email info@thegbsn.com  or call 0871 951 9527.

The 16th Annual Africa Oil Week 2009 is the world's largest and most significant exploration and development event on Africa for the global oil exploration and gas-LNG industry Calendar, with key African Government decision-makers, State and National Oil Company delegations, with senior oil executives drawn from across the African oil and gas value chain.
This is the global event par excellence, consistently acclaimed on the industry's international calendar. As the premier management event in and for the African Continent, Africa Oil Week stands apart as the foremost deal making environment for the African exploration business.

Register your Delegate participation now at:

http://www.petro21.com/events/index.cfm?id=454&CFID=875990&CFTOKEN=86327935

IIR's industry-leading prepaid mobile event is now in its 12th year and the event promises a senior speaker panel of Mobile Operators from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With over 85% Mobile Operator attendance in 2008, this is a key industry event for learning about the most innovative development in prepaid marketing, pricing and services, in addition to offering excellent networking opportunities.
As the only global event to focus exclusively on mobile prepaid, you will gain an excellent understanding of the strategies that are being developed to protect revenues in the current economic climate. Understanding how to optimise data collection and develop innovative marketing campaigns that stimulate usage and increase ARPU will be central to the intensive four-day event. You will also learn about the latest developments at the major tier one and two operators in identifying and deterring prepaid churn.

For the full speaker line-up and to download conference programme, visit http://www.iir-events.com/IIR-Conf/page.aspx?id=20287

Book online at http://www.iir-events.com/IIR-Conf/page.aspx?id=20287

The Africa continent is going through major transformation due to high price of the oil. Therefore the supply chain industry has to follow the trend and be more innovative in its approach towards all the parties involved in this transaction. This is an opportunity to discuss the design, operation and quality control procedures of the inland network of Africa crude oil production and gas facilities, stabilisation plant, pipeline distribution storage and transfer to an integrated terminal.

Import and export of petroleum products need more adequate state of the art technologies and facilities to store and to ship them. APESTRANS 2009 is the gathering to meet African and international stakeholders involved in the storage and transport of the of the petroleum and mineral products and to discuss its geopolitics'.

Alongside this conference and workshop, an exhibition will be held to enable also companies involved in this segment of the petroleum industry to present their services and their expertise.  http://www.cubicglobe.com/apestrans/

Coaching continues to grow as a discipline as organisations recognise the positive impact it can have on organisational performance. With budgets being tightened its more important than ever to ensure that coaching is aligned with business objectives.
The CIPD Coaching at Work Conference in 2009 will focus on ways in which coaching can help organisations to succeed in challenging times. The Coaching at Work Conference provides an ideal opportunity to hear from industry experts on the latest challenges and trends in coaching.

Join fellow coaching professionals at the 2009 conference and discover ways to maxmise your organisations coaching capabilities.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/cande/coach/conference

Organisational development (OD) is becoming increasingly important to the UK HR profession with some organisations recognising the positive impact it can have on performance. But many organisations are still relatively unclear about what OD means and the benefits it can bring to the workplace.

Join us to develop your OD skills and discover how you can generate positive results with the application of the latest OD tools and techniques. CIPD's 'Spotlight On' Organisational Development Conference is a unique opportunity for HR professionals and OD specialists to discuss how OD can improve business performance. Featuring senior OD professionals and best practice organisations, the conference will explain the concept of OD and offer practical examples of OD at work.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/cande/organisational-development?
wa_src=email&wa_crt=Banner2_CaW&wa_cmp=
EventsNews200907&wa_pub=CIPD

We are witnessing rapid development in Internet-based ecommerce and epayment solutions, exploiting traditional business concepts in innovative ways.
ICEP'09 Conference with gather researchers and executives from all over the world to discuss the latest developments in ecommerce and in epayments solutions. Speakers are invited from academic institutions and leading innovative companies to debate the most crucial contemporary issues related to epayments and ecommerce. Over a hundred advanced papers will be presented and discussed. The conference will also provide an opportunity for ecommerce and epayments companies to exhibit their state-of-the-art services and products. This unique networking will take place in the imperial city of Marrakech. The Conference will provide an opportunity to academics and researchers to present to and share with other colleagues from all over the world their findings on the topics, researchers to meet decision makers, vendors and specialists players at all levels to meet and discuss business opportunities, and companies with offers on the conference topics to exhibit their solutions/products to other specialties and to the end users through an exhibition.  http://www.icep.educasphere.com/

Civil Aviation in Africa has already generated tremendous interest in Europe. This is reflected in the growth of African national airlines (there are at last count over 50 African airlines) and the increase of international and specifically European airlines into Africa fulfilling both expanding passenger and cargo needs. Passenger traffic from Europe to Africa is also expected to dramatically increase with the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the general awareness of the tourist potential (especially in sub-Saharan Africa) which this will undoubtedly generate.
This Euro-African conference therefore looks at all aspects of African aviation from a Euro-African point of view, and on the basis that the European aviation industry and its major stakeholders - not the least of which are European passengers - have an interest in the advancement of aviation in the air and on the ground in Africa, to Africa and across Africa. For both Africa and Europe, there can only be mutual benefits in advancing links between the two continents.

BITeomics is organizing the "2009 1st Annual Symposium of Ultra-tight Reservoir E & P", with a theme of "Push the Limit for Exploring Global Energy Resources", which will be held during October 26-28, 2009 in Xian, China. It will be a major conference updating the revolutionary developments in Tight Reservoir Exploration and Production since China enters the new era of Mainstream Technological challenge tight oil and gas reservoir engineering, productions toward processing.

The conference has broad petroleum industrial support and has the additional goal of enhancing international collaborations and integrating all possible intelligence resources to seek the solutions to the global technology and engineering Challenges of Fossil Energy Sector. For the three-day meetings, BITeomics plans to invite 10-15 Worldwide Distinguished Engineers and Decision Makers as plenary lecturers, invite 40-50 leading Experts and engineers of the International Ultra-tight Reservoir Projects, organize up to 100 scientific and technological presentations at the leading edge of the Ne Technologies and New Materials, 80+ Technological Posters and New Product Exhibitions or Showcases, 2 Round Table Discussion with Decision Makers and integrate 1-2 cultural and art events. For more information:  http://www.bitpetrobio.com/SUREP2009/

PLEASE NOTE: ReConnect Africa accepts no responsibility for any of the events described above and/or any dealings with the event organisers.

To notify us of your event and discuss advertising and marketing options, please contact us at:  editor@reconnectafrica.com