IF YOU COULD DO ONE THING TO CHANGE THE WORLD...WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
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By fostering partnerships, providing strategic advice, and driving resources toward effective ideas, CGI helps its members – organizations from the private sector, public sector, and civil society – maximize their efforts to alleviate poverty, create a cleaner environment, and increase access to health care and education. Since CGI was established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, its Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, along with heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries.
The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. Imagine a room filled with the most innovative, action-oriented, and socially responsible leaders in the world. The Clinton Global Initiative's Annual Meeting brings together heads of state, government and business leaders, scholars, and NGO directors. Participants analyze pressing global challenges, discuss the most effective solutions, and build lasting partnerships that enable them to create positive social change.
CGI U is more than just an event. It is a growing community of young leaders who don't just discuss the world's challenges -- they take real, concrete steps toward solving them. Prior to attending the meeting, each student and university must develop and submit a Commitment to Action: a specific plan of action that addresses a pressing challenge on his or her campus or in the wider global community. Commitments range from installing energy-efficient light bulbs to establishing campus bike-share programs, from distributing life-saving water filtration kits to designing medical backpacks for nomadic doctors in Africa. Since the inaugural meeting, nearly 2,000 commitments have been made by students around the world. CGI U is proof that young people have the power to make a significant impact by confronting some of the world's most urgent challenges.
In June 2011, the Clinton Global Initiative hosted CGI America, its first meeting focused exclusively on economic recovery and job growth within the United States. More than 750 leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and all levels of government participated in the two-day event in Chicago.
