Sept. 23 (UPI) — The New York-based Clinton Global Initiative kicked off Monday’s annual two-day round of high-level meetings and other events with a series of announcements on new international efforts for global challenges.
The CGI 2024 Annual Meeting held at the midtown Hilton in New York City through Tuesday will be focused on “What’s Working” to tackle climate resilience, global health equity, gun violence, the protection of journalists, humanitarian crises and “other pressing global challenges,” according to a CGI release early this month on the New York City event.
“We can’t afford to see the world just as it is. We have to think of it as it ought to be,” former President Bill Clinton said Monday morning during a speech to CGI attendees.
Clinton’s global initiative is poised to see the launch more than 170 new “Commitments to Action,” which CGI says will be “new, specific and measurable projects that address a pressing global challenge.” Over the years it has aided more than 10,000 organizations and launched more than 4,000 of them.
Founded in 2005 following Clinton’s 2001 exit from the White House, the worldwide humanitarian organization revealed partnerships and commitments to resource sustainable humanitarian work, and in a flurry of meetings outlined fresh plans aimed at improving America’s “community care hubs” and “social care network.”
“You don’t look at problems and say thats impossible,” the 42nd president said. “You ask instead: What is possible? You keep going. Because you know that you always have some power to build a better tomorrow.”
Among the roster of scheduled speakers was the first woman nominated by a major U.S. political party to be its presidential nominee, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The schedule also includes leading business leaders, journalists, a governor, presidential Cabinet secretaries, Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex, actor Matt Damon and the spouse of late Russian political opposition leader Alexi Navalny, his wife, Yulia Navalnaya.
CGI’s meeting coincides with the 79th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City and unites business, government and civil leaders to help drive progress on global issues such as climate resilience, “inclusive economic growth and recovery, health equity, the full participation of women and girls and a humanitarian response to ongoing worldwide crises.
“There’s a lot in this world that’s working,” former first daughter Chelsea Clinton said Monday morning, highlighting CGI’s staff and their efforts over the years since its 2005 start.
The married mother of three reportedly told attendees “that we all have a choice: focus on what’s broken and get nowhere — or choose to focus on what’s working and use that to make tomorrow better,” CGI posted on X later in the morning.
Based in New York, Blooming Health its own commitment to scale operations in 17 states by next year. Partnering with national organizations like AARP Foundation and state and local governments, Blooming say it will prioritize the availability of outreach and health services for underserved U.S. populations, and that it will do so by expanding partnerships with “community-based social care and healthcare stakeholders,” such as affordable and supportive housing, community care hubs and social care networks.
This particular Clinton initiative arrived following last week’s Biden administration reveal of new plans to expand and strengthen America’s healthcare workforce with a nearly $100 million HHS investment targeted for schools, rural and tribal communities as well as addiction and mental health aimed at “community-based” efforts.
On Monday’s first day of the global conference, other stakeholders announced their work, as well.
Blooming Health’s announcement during Monday’s daylong meetings also saw its CEO speak on a panel on a CGI “Health Equity and Economic Inclusion for Aging Populations.”
“Our commitment seeks to mitigate health inequities and promote healthier communities by bridging awareness gaps, ensuring that older adults and underserved populations can effectively navigate the complex network of social services,” said co-founder and CEO Nima Rooh about Blooming Health’s CGI partnership, “and improving capacity of community-based organizations that serve underserved populations in a trusted manner via the power of inclusive technology and automation.”
And Norwegian Refugee Council has committed itself to “sustainably resource humanitarian work” through the creation of a new “NRC Capital Fund.” The fund combines grants, loans from private and institutional investors and NRC’s own financial reserve to fuel efforts.
The first phase will focus on solarizing its field operations. Its initial funding pipeline will cover at least 5,500 field staff in a number of nations, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia and Yemen.
