Clinton Hosts Own Global Summit To End Poverty

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The New York Sun

While world leaders met at the United Nations yesterday, just a few blocks away, President Clinton kicked off his own international summit, the Clinton Global Initiative. The William J. Clinton Foundation has invited about 1,000 politicians, business tycoons, and activists to attend and to make a specific commitment toward ameliorating world poverty, conflict, and disease. Those who do not uphold their commitment will not be invited back next year.


Mr. Clinton opened the event, funded in part by two-time gubernatorial candidate Thomas Galisano, with a panel discussion featuring Prime Minister Blair, Secretary of State Rice, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. All agreed that trade is of paramount importance to government and nongovernment efforts to attack the world’s problems. “The thing that will make the difference is the enterprise of the people,” Mr. Blair said. “Private enterprise and private job creation – this is the key.”


The panel’s participants also emphasized the bipartisan nature of the conference, though Ms. Rice countered Mr. Blair’s call for the development of cleaner energy technology, saying that “solar and wind aren’t going to do it” in developing countries like China and India. Later, a wide grin crossed Mr. Blair’s face as Mr. Clinton said that he wouldn’t ask “whether in the long term it’s better for oil prices to be so high.”


More than $300 million has already been committed to the Clinton Global Initiative, mostly in pledges of $100 million each from the former CEO of Cel-Tel Africa, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, and Sir Tom Hunter, the main supporter of the Live 8 concerts.


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