On June 21, 2011, H.R.H. Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands attended the Social Performance Task Force conference this afternoon in Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch)  hosted by the Netherlands Platform for Microfinance.

According to the official website for the European Microfinance Network, the Social Performance Task Force consists of:

…850 leaders from all over the world from every microfinance stakeholder group: practitioners, donors and investors (multilateral, bilateral, and private), national and regional networks, technical assistance providers, rating agencies, academics and researchers, and others.  Created in March 2005, the Task Force has been charged with clearly defining social performance and addressing questions about measuring and managing social performance. (source)

To view photos of the awesome princess please click the link here. 

Source: European-microfinance.org

Photo courtesy of: Koninklijkhuis.nl

On June 9, 2011, H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands attended the 8th Annual European Microfiance Network Conference in Amsterdam.  The event was held at the former Amsterdam Stock Exchange where attendees discussed various issues.  The main theme/topic at the conference, “Complementing microfinance with sustainable non-financial services, but who will pay the ferryman?” (source)

According to the site, European-Microfinance:

The Conference will be opened by H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands in her capacity of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, and Member of the Dutch Council on Microfinance.

… the intention of the conference is to be a meeting of minds, ideas and experiences.  [attendees] include EMN member organizations, speakers, and representatives of other insinuations active in the microfinance sector.

Sounds fascinating.

To view photos from today’s event please click the links here and here.

To read more about the conference please click the link here.

Sources: European-microfinance.org and E-mfp.eu

Photo courtesy of:  Koninklijkhuis.nl

On June 8, 2011, H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands attended the opening of a new educational center in Almere.  The purpose of this new center is to promote a healthy lifestyle “…to inform children about the themes of construction, housing, and healthy living in a sustainable area.” (source)  Furthermore, according to the Dutch online newspaper, AD.nl, the idea for the overall look of the new center was “…provided by the local youth and in turn designed by architect, Jord den Hollander.”

To view photos please click the links here, here, and here. 

Sources: AD.nl and PPE  Photo courtesy of:  AD.nl by ANP

On June 6, 2011, H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands visited an art exhibit “… at Lange Voorhut in The Hague…”, according to PPE.  The sculpture exhibit, entitled ‘The Hague Under the Heavens’, showcases contemporary Chinese sculptures by nine different artists.

The title of the exhibit, ‘The Hague Under the Heavens’, comes from a proverb by Confucius.  According to the official website for the sculpture exhibit, Den Haag Sculptuur.nl:

The exhibition will be presented under the title The Hague under the Heavens, referring to the Chinese Tian Xia or All under Heaven, one of the cornerstones of the Chinese Confucian worldview, based on trust in a world of harmony between heaven, earth and humanity, as long as everyone keeps to his or her assigned role in society. (source)

To view images of Princess Maxima of the Netherlands during today’s event please click the link here.  To learn more about the artists, their works as well as to learn how the title of the exhibit came about please click the link here.