GK Partners

2006 Events

Gibril Faal made a presentation at the 'African Diaspora Leadership Forum & African Monitor Launch' on 3 Oct 2006, Glaziers Hall, London. He discussed how RemitAid™ can improve the development impact of remittances. The conference was organised by Centre for African Policy & Peace Strategy (CAPPS) and the South African-based Africa Monitor. The event was co-chaired by the Executive Director of CAPPS - Dapo Oyewole and The Archbishop of Cape Town - The Most Reverend Njongokulu Ndungane.
Gibril Faal made a presentation at the 'International Money Transfer & Remittances Summit' on 17 Oct 2006, City Hall, London. He spoke immediately after the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone who strongly supported Remittance Tax Relief (RTR). Gibril commended the Mayor for his support of RTR and illustrated the development impacts of remittances. He also discussed how RemitAid™ can mitigate the structural imperfections of remittances. The event was organised by UK Money Transmitters Association (UKMTA) and was chaired by the Chairman of UKMTA - Dominic Thorncroft.
Gibril Faal was a participant at the 'Global Consumer Money Transfers Conference' on 30 Oct 2006, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London. He was a guest of Lady Olga Maitland, the CEO of the organisers - International Association of Money Transfer Networks (IAMTN). The conference was chaired by the Chairman of IAMTN - Rt Hon Lord Lamont of Lerwick.

Richard Ellis (an Associate of GK Partners) led a workshop on 'Raising Finance for your Business' on 5 Sept 2005, Conference Room, GK Partners Offices, London. The workshop was for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Social Enterprises (SEs) that work in the environmental / green industry. It was organised by London Remade as part of their 'enhance' programme - delivered by GK Partners.

Gibril Faal was an expert participant at the 'IOM-ACBF Workshop on Migration, Development and Poverty Reduction' on 8-10 August 2006, Dakar, Senegal. The workshop was part of the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Migration and International Development. Gibril presented a paper on 'Diaspora Engagement in Public Private Partnerships for Socio-Economic Development - The RemitAid™ Case Study'. He also proposed resolutions on remittance tax relief which were adopted and included in the 'Common Framework' document. The Workshop organised by (IOM) and African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and was co-chaired by Madame Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director of IOM and former Minister in Senegal, and Dr Soumana Sako, Director of ACBF and former Malian Prime Minister.

Gibril Faal hosted the fifth annual Africa Diaspora & Development Day (AD3) event on 30 June & 1 July 2006, Royal Horticultural Society Halls, London. On 30 June, an art exhibition (Made in Africa) and musical recital was hosted for 'Friends of the Diaspora'. On 1 July, Alexandra Amosu (first UK urban ringtone millionaire and mobile content entrepreneur) gave keynote address. The vent was attended by visiting Commonwealth Fellows from West Africa. Gibril led a consultation workshop on RemitAid™. AD3 was organised by AFFORD.
Gibril Faal was an expert participant at the 'Conference of African Intellectuals and the Diaspora (CIAD II)' on 12-14 July 2006, Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Gibril presented a paper proposing a new definition and classification of the African Diaspora. He also held informal briefings on RemitAid™ and lobbied leading African decision makers, including: executive staff of the five African presidents who attended; Commissioners and staff of the African Union; highest ranking African officials from the United Nations and other international bodies; leading academics in African and American universities, etc. This second CIAD was organised by the Brazilian Government and the African Union, supported by UNESCO.

Gibril Faal made formal and informal presentations to Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT), Department for International Development (DFID) & London Borough of Southwark on the RemitAid™ policy idea - covering financial economic and political justifications; operational framework; strategic benefits; governance and management; risk assessment and mitigation.
Gibril Faal and GK Partners were appointed to undertake an independent 'Impact Evaluation' of University of Oxford's Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS). GK Partners proposed to apply a social enterprise and social marketing methodology to the evaluation of the outputs and outcomes of the academic institution. The shall be undertaken in conjunction with Professor Steven Vertovec, Director of COMPAS.

Gibril Faal presented an updated study on 'The Conceptual and Practical Causes of Bad Governance and Undemocratic Practices' on 10 May 2006, SOAS, University of London. Talk was part of the spring lecture programme organised by the Royal African Society, and chaired by Ade Daramy.

Gibril Faal hosted 'Neighbourhood Renewal in our Global Village Conference' on 1 April 2006, Glaziers Hall, London. Ambassador Aicha Belarbi, Commissioner on the UN Secretary General's Global Commission for International Migration (GCIM) delivered keynote speech. Gibril also led an advocacy master class on 'How London is Run' and a consultation workshop on RemitAid™. Conference was organised by AFFORD.

Gibril Faal (with John Hilary of War on Want) led a debate against the motion that 'Free trade is the only way to make the poor world richer' on 23 March 2006, Westminster, London. He argued that fair trade and fair market regulation are critical for wealth creation in developing countries. He also gave illustrations of how countries have grown rich through protectionism and cartels. The debate was organised as part of a series of Westminster Fringe Debates by The Economist Magazine and the Stockholm Network, chaired by Simon Cox of the Economist.

Gibril Faal was an expert participant at the 'First Ministerial Conference of Least Developed Countries on Migrants' Remittances' on 8-10 February 2006, Cotonou, Benin. He presented a paper on 'Home Town Associations, Diaspora Remittances, Remittance Tax Relief (RTR) and RemitAid™'. Gibril also lobbied LDC finance ministers, central bank governors and senior executives from regional and international financial institutions. He proposed a resolution of RTR which was adopted and incorporated in the Ministerial Declaration. Conference was organised by UN-OHRLLS and IOM as part of the United Nations High Level Dialogue on International Migration. The conference was co-chaired Anwarul Chowdrey, Under Secretary-General and High Representative of UN-OHRLLS, and Madame Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director of IOM and former Minister in Senegal.

Gibril Faal participated as an expert on Diaspora contributions to development at the 'African Civil Society Consultation on Engagement with the African Union' on 13-14 January 2006, Nairobi, Kenya. He briefed and consulted about 100 leaders of African and international civil society organisations about RemitAid™ and raised awareness about the policy proposal amongst influential activists from all parts of Africa. Event organised by CREDO and FEMNET and chaired by CREDO director, Rotimi Sankore.