Thursday, November 10, 2011

Champagne News

Frank Pascal's wines are now available in the United States. The Dressner team (now distributed in NY by David Bowler) is importing the entire lineup, and let me tell you - this is exciting news.

Isabelle and Franck Pascal, and their name tags.

Vineyard work is thoughtful and very conscientious, and fully converted to biodynamic farming since 2002. The estate is located in the village of Baslieux-sur-Châtillon, in the part of the Marne Valley where Meunier does very well in the heavy clay soils. I cannot say that I have sufficient experience drinking these wines in order to give you a detailed summary, but I can tell you that they are clean and pure and extremely well made wines, wines that showcase the potential of Meunier when it is done right - dark fruit, expansive and broad, earthy. And in Pascal's hands these wines achieve a freshness and ripeness that allows the dosage to be quite low, and the wines still feel perfectly balanced.

The "entry level" wine is called Sagessse Brut Nature. It is almost a Blanc de Noirs - 57% Meunier, 38% Pinot, and 5% Chardonnay. The current release is based on the lovely 2006 vintage, and it feels substantial and ripe, and entirely under control, very fresh. At about $60 it is a bit more expensive than some entry level wines, but it is a very high quality wine that will delight the red grape Champagne lovers out there.

Cuvée Tolérance Brut Rosé is a truly lovely rosé of Champagne, the first Pascal wine that I tried. This wine is Sagesse but with the addition of Pascal's red still wine. It is absolutely delicious, and it doesn't smell or taste anything like Sagesse - as Franck Pascal said, " The addition of still red wine really changes the character of Sagesse." At about $65, this is a very good value in rosé. There are a few vintage wines and I cannot talk intelligently about them because I've had them only at tastings. My favorite so far is the exquisite 2004 Quinte Essence Brut, made of 60% Pinot, 25% Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay from vineyards in Belval-sous-Châtillon (if I understood correctly). All of the wines were very good, but this one stood out to me because of its precision and harmony, the elegance amidst the intensity of its flavors. At about $85 we're into vintage Champagne expensive territory, but here you're definitely getting your money's worth, in my opinion.

And I must mention the fact that team Dressner has wisely decided to bring in the still red wine, the Franck Pascal Coteaux Champenois Confiance. There won't be much of it and it will cost something like $70 a bottle. But Coteaux Champenois can be as beautifully perfumed, elegant, and hauntingly delicious as a lot of expensive Burgundy wine. If you think of this as a 1er Cru from a great producer, then $70 is not very expensive at all. There hasn't been a lot of Coteaux Champenois on the market and I'm very happy that there will now be this one. I've only tasted it, but I liked it very much. This release is mostly from the fantastic 2008 vintage, the balance is 2007. There is such brightness and energy, highly perfumed black currant and blackberry fruit, the texture is rich with the pulp of tiny berries, and the pungent mineral finish really lingers.

Other Champagne news:

--The Dressner team is now bringing in the interesting and delicious Champagnes of Francis Boulard. I think these are great wines and hopefully they will be easier to find on retail shelves now. They are very reasonably priced too.

--I hear that Marie-Noëlle Ledru's fantastic Coteaux Champenois will soon be available in New York. Charlie Woods who created Bonhomie Wine Selections tells me that he is bringing in 3 cases of the 2004 vintage sometime this year.

That's right...3 cases. 36 bottles of this wine will be available in New York. He says that the restaurant Corton has dibs on an entire case, but that the remaining 24 bottles will be allocated as widely as possible. My friends, this is a wine that you must find and purchase if you are even a little bit interested in Pinot Noir or Coteaux Champenois. Ask your favorite shop to buy the wine, and I hope you can get a bottle. I think I have dibs on one, and if I don't, I sincerely advise Charlie, his family, friends, and acquaintances to watch their step around me.

--I hear that Gatinois' Coteaux Champenois is now going to be available through Polaner. I've never tasted it and I don't know the price, but this producer has some of the most prime plots in Grand Cru Aÿ, and their Champagnes are so good, why shouldn't the still wine be great? Again, it's cool that we consumers will have the opportunity to try more still red wine from Champagne, a style of wine that I honestly think will interest many a Burgundy lover.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Owsley Brown II, Liquor Company Chief, Dies at 69
By SUSANNE CRAIG
Published: September 29, 2011

Owsley Brown II, who expanded his family’s Kentucky liquor company to reach a global market for its brands, among them Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort and Finlandia vodka, died on Monday in Louisville, Ky. He was 69.

Matthew Barzun, a son-in-law, said the cause was complications of pneumonia.

Mr. Brown was a former chief executive of Brown-Forman, the company founded in Louisville in 1870 by his great-grandfather George Garvin Brown. The company’s first brand, Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, was America’s first bottled bourbon and remains one of Brown-Forman’s strongest sellers.

Mr. Brown worked his way up the ranks of the family business, becoming chief executive in 1993. Two years later, he added the title of chairman.

Besides expanding into foreign markets under Mr. Brown’s leadership, Brown-Forman also introduced a number of new products. In 1995, it released Tropical Freezes, which the company calls the first blended freezer cocktails. The drink, which comes in a foil package, was another big seller. In 2002, Brown-Forman joined with Miller Brewing to produce Jack Daniel’s Hard Cola.

But he resisted calls for merging Brown-Forman with another company. Speaking in June, he said mergers could “breed arrogance and complacency, and even a sense of entitlement.”

“One thing seems clear to me,” he said, “pursuing size for its own sake is a very poor choice.”

Mr. Brown lived in Louisville and was a leading philanthropist there. He is survived by his wife, Christy; his brothers W. L. Lyons Brown Jr., known as Lee, and Martin Shallenberger Brown Sr.; a sister, Ina Brown Bond; his children Owsley Brown III, Brooke Barzun and Augusta Holland; and nine grandchildren.

Mr. Barzun, a former United States ambassador to Sweden and now President Obama’s national campaign finance chairman, said Mr. Brown “deserves credit for turning a great American company into a great global company.”

He said his father-in-law favored tradition and quality, be it in his choice of drink, his vision for Brown-Forman or his hopes for Louisville. In June, Mr. Brown received a corporate citizenship awarded from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, based in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Brown’s favorite drink, he said, was Old Forester Bourbon over ice with a splash of water or club soda.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

President Barack Obama, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu Joined President Clinton for Second Day of the 2011 Annual Meeting

September 21, 2011

Today’s sessions focused on sustainable consumption, change in the Middle East and North Africa, and sports as a tool for good

New commitments announced will develop green buildings worldwide, combat non-communicable diseases, create jobs, and provide programs to end violence against women

New York, NY – Today, President Bill Clinton welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Prize laureate, peacebuilder, and general secretary of the National League for Democracy via satellite and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of the Elders in a first-time conversation between the two visionary leaders. Suu Kyi spoke about her own struggles for human rights, democratic governance, and ethic reconciliation, while Archbishop Tutu discussed his recent work to end child marriage. The highlight of the conversation was the overwhelming admiration Tutu and Suu Kyi expressed for each other’s efforts to promote world peace and democracy.

“The lives and accomplishments of Aung San Suu Kyi and Archibishop Desmond Tutu are an inspiring testament to the tremendous good than can be achieved by a boundless reserve of courage, humility, and conviction,” said President Clinton. “Suu Kyi and Archibishop Tutu exemplify the positive work of CGI members – who have made 194 new commitments this year, valued at $6.2 billion that will positively impact more than 100 million people.”

President Clinton introduced President Barack Obama, who made remarks regarding job creation in the U.S., including infrastructure building and supporting education. President Obama also thanked CGI members for their commitments to address some of the world’s greatest challenges.

The “Sustainable Consumption: Redefining Business As Usual” panel focused on the role of corporate responsibility in business and was hosted by Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of the Kingdom of Norway and included heads of major corporations including Bob Diamond, chief executive, Barclays; Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO, PepsiCo; and Paul Polman, chief executive officer, Unilever. Panelists discussed how corporations are creating shared value by addressing critical issues around the world, such as food security and global health, which also directly support their core business strategy.

Her Royal Highness Princess Ghida Talal announced new commitments by Care with Love, Johnson and Johnson, Mayo Clinic, the American Cancer Society, GBCHealth, and OVG that will build a home and healthcare facility for rural children with cancer in Egypt, promote and obtain smokefree worksite policies for major companies with global supply chains, and raise and distribute $1 billion during the next five years to develop green buildings around the globe.

General Wesley Clark also announced new commitments by Applied Environmental Research Foundation, Amazon Watch, Basecamp Foundation, Rural Action, Darden Restaurants, Arison Investments, Wetlands International, Applied Materials, Standard Chartered Bank, and Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government that will promote the prosperity and preserve the biodiversity of local landscapes and marshal the talents of the next generation of international leaders.

For descriptions of all the commitments announced today, please see below. A complete list of all CGI commitments is available here: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/commitments.

All open-press sessions – plenaries, breakout sessions, special sessions, and keynotes – can be viewed live at http://live.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

On Thursday, CGI will host two press conferences, the first will highlight the important work of CGI members to support the crisis in the Horn of Africa at 11:00 a.m. and the second will convene the U.S. Department of State, MTV, the Body Shop and Julia Ormond to discuss combating human trafficking and slavery at 1:45 p.m.

The following progress reports were announced today:

Environmental Entrepreneurship & Women Waste Pickers (2010)

Commitment by: Stree Mukti Sanghatana

Summary: In 2010, Stree Mukti Sanghatana and its partner agencies committed to provide Mumbai’s women waste-pickers with the training necessary for them to begin dry-waste sorting, composting, and using waste to produce bio-gas. Trainees will earn more income and achieve the dignity they deserve for their labor, while also improving the environment. SMS is involved in ongoing negotiations with the city government of Mumbai to incorporate waste-pickers into the city’s official garbage collection plan.

Expansion of P.A.C.E

Commitment by: Gap Inc.

Summary: In 2009, Gap Inc. committed to expand the “Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement Program,” or P.A.C.E., which it launched in India in 2007 to provide female garment workers with the technical training and life-skills education. More than 7,500 women have received training through the P.A.C.E. program. In 2009, the program expanded to Cambodia, and has since launched in China, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The program is scheduled to launch in Bangladesh in October 2011 and in Indonesia in April 2012.

Building Constituency for Equality in the Middle East (CGI 2009)

Commitment by: Karama

Summary: In 2009, Karama made a three-year, $3.38-million commitment to provide support to women’s groups in the Middle East and North Africa to end violence against women, and influence policies and political processes. To date, Karama and its partners have implemented 10 action plans in Egypt and Jordan addressing violence against women and its cultural, economic, educational, legal, media, political, and social causes and effects. It also held an emergency regional meeting earlier this year in response to the Arab Spring to make action plans to increase female political participation and influence in the constitutional reform processes.

The following new commitments were announced today:

Reinventing Education Through Technology

Commitment by: Khan Academy

Summary: Khan Academy commits to add curriculum in physics, biology, and chemistry to its successful online courses. The program breaks down these sometimes complex subjects into self-guided lessons that are easy to understand. Courses, which will be translated into ten world languages, can be used to supplement traditional classroom learning or as a stand-alone training program.

Maiyet in Partnership with Nest

Commitment by: Maiyet

Summary: Maiyet and Nest commit to connecting craftspeople in the developing world with buyers of luxury goods based on traditional handicrafts, enabling them to expand their market access. Maiyet and Nest will provide training and critical market access to eighteen traditional craft businesses and 2,600 artisans. Over the next three years, Maiyet will purchase a minimum of $3 million in goods from program participants, setting an example for other companies.

A Billion Acts of Green

Commitment by: Earth Day Network

Summary: The Earth Day Network commits to inform and facilitate an increase in energy efficiency and renewable energy usage. The network will encourage individuals and corporations to purchase renewable energy credits and technology. It will provide governments with information on alternative energy and energy efficiency policy, while also providing tools to calculate and reduce a business or individual’s carbon footprint. Ultimately, the Network will work to prevent one million pounds of new carbon emissions before the United Nations Earth Summit convenes in Rio de Janeiro.

GAIN Future Fortified Campaign

Commitment by: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Summary: The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and its partners will commit to launch Future Fortified, a three-pronged program to fight hunger among women and children. Future Fortified will increase awareness about sustainable solutions to malnutrition and educate communities on ways to maximize micronutrient consumption, and distribute essential nutrients to 50 million people by 2015. As a kickoff to this four-year project, Herbalife and Royal DSM will donate 20 million sachets of micronutrient powder to thousands in the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa.

Improving Africa’s Neglected Food Crops

Commitment by: New Partnership for Africa’s Development

Summary: A consortium of partners, led by Mars, World Wildlife Fund, IBM, and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, will work to improve Africa’s ‘orphan’ crops. The consortium will genetically sequence two dozen genomes of neglected food crop species and introduce this information into the public domain. They will also establish a plant breeding academy based in Ghana that will train 750 African scientists and technicians in improving the quality of native crops.

REACH: Rural Entrepreneurs for Agricultural Cooperation in Haiti

Commitment by: Heifer Project International

Summary: Heifer Project International commits to provide livestock, as well as animal husbandry and business training to more than 20,000 households in Haiti. Their five-year program scales up the work they’ve done in Haiti for twelve years. Heifer’s market-based approach to crop and livestock development will focus on improving the agricultural skills of women, engaging youth, preserving environmental resources, and developing natural disaster preparedness.

Restoration of Solar Home Systems in Rural Thailand

Committed by: Border Green Energy Team

Summary: Border Green Energy Team commits to restore solar systems on the Thai-Burmese border. In 2004, the Thai government installed 300,000 solar systems for off-the-grid homes, but the UNDP estimates that 80 percent of these systems have stopped working due to lack of a long-term maintenance plan. BGET will restore 100 of these systems by providing micro-loans to finance repairs, and will train a corps of local technicians who can continue maintenance in the long term.

Improved Water Quality for Vulnerable Families in Tonga

Committed by: Tonga Community Development Trust

Summary: The Tonga Community Development Trust will improve access to safe drinking water by supporting the repair and maintenance of 300 household rainwater-harvesting tanks. In this community-designed program, the Trust will cover the cost of repair materials while participants will provide labor.

MaxWest Technology: Reducing Need for Landfills in US and China

Commitment by: MaxWest Environmental Systems

Summary: MaxWest commits to construct two facilities that process biosolids by sustainable gasification in Plymouth, Maine and Guangdong Province, China. This treatment method will capture and recycle energy, reducing the need for fossil fuels. MaxWest will recycle the water in biosolids waste to yield a phosphate-rich fertilizer additive. This technology will reduce landfilling by 100,000 tons per year.

Tunisian and Egyptian Scholarships

Committed by: The Mohamad S. Farsi Foundation

Summary: The Mohamed S. Farsi Foundation, Middle East commits to provide scholarships in the next five years to two university students from Egypt and Tunisia to attend the Washington Semester Program at American University in Washington, D.C during their junior year. Students will participate in seminars with working professionals, internships, and academic courses, such as “American Politics,” “Islam and World Affairs,” and “Peace and Conflict Resolution.”

Promoting Self-Employment Among Youth in Tunisia

Committed by: Enda Inter-Arabe

Summary: Enda Inter-Arabe commits to launch an entrepreneurship program in Tunisia to train at least 40,000 youth and finance 20,000 new ventures, for which it will provide case studies, business training, mentorship, and capital. Enda has been a leader in microfinance in Tunisia for 17 years and currently serves 170,000 low-income micro-entrepreneurs.

Employment Through Youth Entrepreneurship in MENA

Committed by: The Prince of Wales Youth Business International; The Centennial Fund

Summary: The Prince of Wales Youth Business International currently offers underserved young people in thirty-four Middle Eastern and North African countries training, seed money, and mentoring to start their own businesses. Over the next three years, Youth Business International will partner with The Centennial Fund to extend programming to six new countries in the region to train 28,000 young people, launch 7,000 businesses, and create 22,800 jobs.

Construction of Professional Soccer Stadium in Haiti

Committed by: Delos Living; Fondation L’Athletique D’Haiti

Summary: In partnership with Fondation L’Athletique D’Haiti (FLADH), Delos Living commits to co-develop, construct, and manage Haiti’s first-ever professional soccer stadium in Cite Soleil. FLADH has a long record in Haiti, having trained and provided a safe haven to more than 6,000 adolescents through their after-school athletic program. The construction of this soccer stadium will establish a new industry built around professional soccer.

Girls Got Skillz

Committed by: Grassroot Soccer

Summary: Since 2002, Grassroot Soccer has been conducting programs for boys and girls in southern Africa that combine soccer with HIV prevention and a life skills curriculum. Building on this success, GRS now commits to conduct a girl-centered program in six countries. Led by 250 GRS community role models, Skillz Street will provide a safe space for 12,500 girls to play non-competitive soccer, access vital gender-specific conversations about HIV, and take action in their community.

Seeing is Believing – A Renewed Commitment

Commitment by: Standard Chartered Bank

Summary: In 2008, Standard Chartered Bank committed to secure $20 million to fund vision care for 20 million of the urban poor around the world. In addition to reaching this fundraising goal ahead of schedule, the company’s Seeing is Believing Project has already impacted five million lives by providing a range of services from simple eye exams and glasses to specialized surgeries. Standard Chartered now commits to expand its existing program and the range of services it offers by raising an additional $63 million to fund the completion of 35 comprehensive eye care projects in at least 25 countries.

Leadership Matters

Commitment by: Hellenic Republic, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government

Summary: Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos commits to establish the Angelopoulos International Public Leaders Program to help former public officials use their experience to do good in the world. At the Kennedy School, she is creating the Angelopoulos Fund to create opportunities each year for up to five different public officials to spend time at Harvard after completing their terms of office.

Safeguarding Forests & Biodiversity in Western Ghats

Commitment by: Applied Environmental Research Foundation

Summary: The Applied Environmental Research Foundation commits to protect fragile forests and sacred groves in India by providing agroforestry training to local landowners in exchange for conservation easements, creating an alternative to selling or farming forestland

Naboisho Community Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya

Commitment by: Basecamp Foundation

Summary: Through Basecamp’s program in Kenya’s Masai Mara local tribesmen will manage their lands for long-term ecosystem protection, while partnering with the sustainable tourism industry.

Appalachian Ohio Zero Waste Initiative

Commitment by: Rural Action

Summary: Rural Action commits to bring together private, university, and foundation partners to assist entrepreneurs in Central Appalachia in creating a new system for managing and re-purposing waste.

Catalyzing Industry to Rebuild World Fisheries

Commitment by: Darden Restaurants

Summary: Darden Restaurants commits to work with fishermen and buyers to restore overexploited fisheries through data collection and by providing market incentives to encourage fishermen to switch to sustainable practices.

Public-Private Funding Vehicle-Water Efficiency Project

Commitment by: Arison Investments

Summary: Arison Investments commits to creating a public-private equity fund, enabling much-needed financing for water efficiency projects around the world. Every year, more than one-third of the world’s drinking water supply is lost as a result of old infrastructure.

Securing Wetland Carbon Stores for Climate

Commitment by: Wetlands International

Summary: Wetlands International commits to use microcredit help communities protect 2 million acres of peat swamps, which are valuable carbon sinks.

Electrifying Villages and Schools in India

Commitment by: Applied Materials

Summary: Applied Materials commits to provide microcredit opportunities and solar panels to 1,000 homes and 10 schools in rural India. The solar panels will replace kerosene lamps and other carbon-intensive fuels.

Health and Hope Oasis: Support for Children with Cancer

Commitment by: Care With Love

Summary: Care with Love commits to establish a home and health center in Cairo, Egypt where rural children with cancer—and their families—can live while they are in the city for treatment. As part of their housing, these families will be given the nutritious meals, medication, and health education necessary to beat cancer.

Global Smokefree Worksite Challenge

Commitment by: Johnson & Johnson, Mayo Clinic, American Cancer Society, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, GBCHealth

Summary: A group of public and private-sector partners commit to launch the Global Smokefree Worksite Challenge, pledging to make their workplaces around the globe completely smoke-free. Those whose workplaces are already smoke-free will share best practices. For major employers with global supply chains, this is an opportunity to inject progressive tobacco policies in regions where smoking is on the rise. As new partners join the Challenge, this program has the potential to make workplaces healthier for millions of employees.

Global Climate Change Real Estate Fund for C40-Cities

Commitment by: OVG

Summary: In 2007, OVG, a leader in European real estate, committed to invest $1 billion to develop sustainable buildings in the Netherlands. These buildings use 60 percent less energy, and reduce carbon emissions. OVG completed its commitment two years ahead of schedule, and its buildings will reduce carbon emissions by one million tons over the course of their lifetimes. OVG now commits to launch the Global Climate Change Real Estate Fund, which will raise and distribute an additional $1 billion during the next five years, to develop green buildings around the globe, including both new construction projects and energy-efficiency retrofits.

What:
2011 CGI Annual Meeting (www.clintonglobalinitiative.org)

Where:
Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
811 7th Avenue at 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019

When:
September 20-22, 2011

Applying for Credentials: To apply for a press credential to the 2011 CGI Annual Meeting, please complete the online form at http://bit.ly/pressreg2011.

Location: Unless otherwise noted, all events will take place at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers located at 811 7th Avenue. Press entrance and registration is on 52nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in the Executive Conference Center at the Sheraton.

CGI Media Center and Workspace: The Press Center is located in the Executive Conference Center in the lower lobby of the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers. Wired and wireless Internet access will be provided. Phones will not be provided. There will also be video and audio feeds of most events available in the Press Center.

Interview Locations: There will be stand-up camera locations available that broadcast outlets can reserve in advance. In addition, there will be rooms available press can reserve for interviews. To reserve a time, please contact Seth Belaff at seth@tuckerproductions.com.

Wireless Microphones: Please do NOT bring or use wireless microphones on site, as they will interfere with the wireless PA systems.

Plenary sessions and selected press conferences: Plenary sessions will be sent out via fiber, free and unrestricted, on the following loop numbers: Ascent Media Loop #4461 (HD signal) & #4462 (SD signal)

Mult Box: Output specifics are: XLR for audio and BNC connection for video.

Sat Truck Parking: There are a limited amount of satellite and microwave truck parking spaces available. Please email Seth Bellaff at seth@tuckerproduction.com with a request or call at 917-414-5618.

Live Webcast: All CGI sessions open to the press will be webcast at http://bit.ly/cgilive.

Twitter: The event hashtag is #CGI2011.

Photos: Photos from the meeting will be available on CGI’s Flickr account at http://flickr.com/cgiphotos.

Facebook: Highlights, news, and photos from CGI will be shared on the CGI Facebook page: www.facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

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About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 20-22 in New York City.

This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. 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. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

President Bill Clinton Opens the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting with a Focus on Generating Jobs for the 21st Century, Sustainable Consumption for our Planet, “What Works” for Girls and Women, and Progress of Member Commitments


President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón; President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma; Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg; President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso; Prime Minister of Mali, Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé; President of Slovenia, Danilo Türk; Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas; and Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina participated in a global climate change panel, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Yang Jeichi, was featured in the “Megacities, Mega Challenges” panel



194 new CGI members commitments, valued at $6.2 billion to positively impact more than 100 million people, announced



New York, NY – President Bill Clinton opened the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) with a session on climate change, convened by President Felipe Calderón of Mexico and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa. This ground-breaking session brought together nine distinguished Heads of State, including Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg; President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso; Prime Minister of Mali, Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé; President of Slovenia, Danilo Türk; Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas; and Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina to highlight opportunities for collaboration and share effective strategies to address the global climate challenge.

“I am so grateful to President Calderón and President Zuma for engaging CGI members on the important issue of climate change by convening the Leaders Dialogue on Climate Change at our Annual Meeting,” said President Clinton. “Now more than ever, it is essential that governments, businesses, civil society, and the media work together to take action to generate more sustainable and equitable growth while preserving our global sustainability. For seven years, CGI members have done just that. Their work has improved the lives of more than 300 million people around the world in substantive, measurable ways, and has reversed the cycles of environmental degradation and economic downturn.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China, Yang Jeichi participated in the “Megacities, Mega Challenges” panel along with Carlos Slim Helú, founder, Fundación Carlos Slim; James N. Mwangi, managing director and CEO, Equity Bank Limited; Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, the State of California; Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation; and Luis A. Ubiñas, president, the Ford Foundation, where they explored the challenges faced by global megacities and highlighted innovative strategies.

President Clinton announced that this year CGI members have made 194 commitments, valued at $6.2 billion, which will impact more than 100 million people when they are fully funded, and presented several progress reports on past commitments, emphasizing the impact of CGI members work, including the “Investment and Training for American Infrastructure” commitment, first launched by the AFL-CIO and the American Federations of Teachers (AFT) at the June 2011 CGI America Meeting in Chicago.

New commitments by Deutsche Bank, New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation, Greenprint Foundation, Microsoft, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Resources Defense Council, and Johnson Controls will streamline retrofits of commercial spaces, improve the energy efficiency of New York City’s built environment, and provide one million low-income students with access to high-speed broadband were among those announced today.

For descriptions of all the commitments announced, please see below.

More than 1,200 members attended the 2011 CGI Annual Meeting, including more than 50 Heads of State, 500 business leaders, and 450 leaders from NGOs and philanthropic organizations. During the course of the meeting, CGI members will engage in meaningful discussion and explore creative ways to address climate change and dramatic population growth, generating jobs, promoting sustainable lifestyles, and empowering girls and women around the world. Sessions will include insights from CGI members on commitment successes and small group discussions that lead directly to the development of innovative Commitments to Action.

For a complete list of all CGI commitments, please visit: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/commitments.

All open-press sessions – plenaries, breakout sessions, special sessions, and keynotes – can be viewed live or recorded at http://live.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

On Wednesday, Leaders from Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Partners in Health, Mayo Clinic, and the American Cancer Society will announce initiatives to combat non-communicable diseases at an 11:00 a.m. press conference.



The following progress reports were announced today:

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty (CGI 2009)

Commitment by: Pro Mujer

Summary: In 2009, Pro Mujer committed to provide an integrated package of loans, savings, business training, health care, and preventive health education over three years to 350,000 women. Since then, Pro Mujer has increased its client base by 18 percent from 178,000 to 230,000, opened 25 community centers, disbursed 360 million dollars in small loans, and helped its clients save $20.6 million in loans.



Innovative College Funding for 10,000 Students (CGI 2010)

Commitment by: Lumni, Inc.

Summary: In 2010, Lumni committed to provide 10,000 students access to financing for higher education through their innovative financing model over five years. To date, Lumni has financed 840 students and raised $2.9 million through partnerships with individuals and institutions, including Inter-American Development Bank and Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation. It also launched two funds to support students in Chile and the United States, and an online Lumni Academy to provide academic and career services.



Investment and Training for American Infrastructure (CGI America 2011)

Commitment by: The AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

Summary: In June 2011, at CGI America, the AFL-CIO and AFT committed to work with pension fund managers to encourage infrastructure investments. They committed to work with fund managers to re-invest up to $10 billion in pension assets of working families into energy efficient, job-creating infrastructure improvements, and to train 140,000 apprentice and mid-career construction workers in high-demand green construction skills. They have made substantial progress: In California, two of the nation’s largest public pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTERS, have allocated more than $1.1 billion to this effort. The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust deployed $134 million for an energy efficiency project in the Penn South Mutual Cooperative in New York City, and will developing a pipeline for $79 million in further investment.



joinFITE Campaign (CGI 2010)

Commitment by: Dermalogica

Summary: In 2010, Dermalogica made a pledge to help women around the world achieve Financial Independence through Entrepreneurship – or “FITE.” In partnership with Kiva.org, joinFITE began providing small microloans to women to start or grow businesses. To date, joinFITE has funded loans to almost 5,000 women, and engaged more than 36 million consumers in meaningful dialogue.



North Star Foundation Initiative (CGI 2005)

Commitment by: North Star Foundation

Through a 2005 Commitment to Action, the global express mailing company TNT and the UN World Food Programme, major transporters in Africa, launched the North Star Foundation to address the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. North Star has established a network of roadside wellness centers serving truck drivers and other patients. To date, the clinics have provided free counseling and health services to 110,000 men and 60,000 women. By the end of this year, the alliance will have 42 clinics operating in 19 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. On average, each clinic provides medical care to 25 patients each day. The partnership continues to expand, and includes the government of Malawi, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and UN AIDS.



The following new commitments were announced today:

BoP HUB, Designing Business to End Poverty

Commitment by: World Toilet Organization

Summary: The World Toilet Organization commits to build the “Base of the Pyramid Hub,” which will serve as a gateway for business ventures, technologists, and manufacturers to access the “base of the pyramid” markets. The BoP Hub will bundle and weave products with distribution, logistics, economies of scale, public policy, design, and technology, and complete the supply chain to create a faster, less expensive ways of delivering goods and services.



Cholera Outbreak Preparedness

Committed by: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh; AmeriCares Foundation

Summary: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh will partner with AmeriCares’ worldwide network and share resources to respond to global cholera epidemics, while also scaling up its work in Bangladesh. Together, they will create a cholera kit with supplies, equipment, and medicines to treat cholera and will distribute enough kits to treat 15,000 people, enabling quick responses to outbreaks in resource-poor areas.



Creating Economic Opportunity through Social Innovation

Commitment by: eBay, Inc.

Summary: eBay, Inc. commits to launch the Opportunity Project to partner with organizations that have effective market-based approaches to providing economic opportunity in vulnerable communities. The project will help groups scale by providing financial resources, business expertise, and a skills-based employee engagement effort.



Educating Youth in Social Entrepreneurship

Commitment Maker: Institute for Development Studies and Practices—Pakistan.

Summary: Pakistan’s unemployment rate is over 15 percent, and one-quarter of its population lives below the poverty line. The Institute for Development Studies and Practices-Pakistan commits to provide 200 Pakistani youths with literacy, life skills, civics, and leadership training, over four years, preparing them to start their own social enterprises.



Education & Opportunity through Mobile Apps

Committed by: The AppBridge

Summary: The AppBridge will create and distribute free mobile applications that facilitate education, employment, and economic opportunity. In partnership with app developers and mobile phone companies, the AppBridge will launch 50 apps in five countries reaching 250,000 individuals. The project will also develop a programming language for apps to work across a spectrum of mobile devices in multiple languages.



Enrolling 10,000 Out-of-School Children in Pakistan

Commitment by: The Citizens Foundation of Pakistan

Summary: The Citizens Foundation, which currently enrolls more than 100,000 children, at 730 schools in some of the rural and urban slums of Pakistan, now commits to enroll an additional 10,000 out-of-school children, including 5,000 girls. The project will also award 500 scholarships to girls for secondary education, provide literacy training to 4,000 mothers and other female relatives, and create 600 new jobs for women through its all-female faculty.



Girls and Women Tech Training

Commitment by: CA Technologies and Feminist Approach to Technology

Summary: CA Technologies and Feminist Approach to Technology each commit to help women advance in the fields of science and technology. CA Technologies will partner with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to encourage pre-teen girls to explore technology by linking them with mentors from among its own staff, and by providing a series of fun, hands-on workshops in five cities across the United States. Feminist Approach to Technology will support women who have entered the technology field, creating job opportunities for women in India by providing free training and placement support with businesses ready to hire.



Intertribal Council on Utility Policy Green Jobs Initiative

Commitment Maker: The Intertribal Council on Utility Policy.

Summary: The Intertribal Council on Utility Policy commits to launch an extensive green jobs program, working with higher education institutions to develop training and employment opportunities for member tribes in three states. The five-year commitment will create at least 320 green jobs, ranging from administration to construction, for veterans, and unemployed or under-employed women and youth and will address the local need for affordable housing and clean energy through construction of energy efficient straw-bale housing and renewable energy installations.



Investing in Clean Energy Innovation

Commitment by: Inerjys Ventures

Summary: Inerjys Ventures commits to invest $1 billion in renewable energy innovation over the next seven years to help portfolio companies successfully sell their innovations globally. This investment will target technologies with the potential to be game-changers in clean energy production and distribution. Inerjys will also use their state-of-the-art lab facility in Montreal as a business incubator, providing training, lab access, and office space to six new energy start-ups.



Investment in a Portfolio of Renewable Energy Assets

Commitment Maker: Dundee Realty Corporation

Summary: In 2007, Dundee Realty Corporation committed to invest $300 million in a combination of wind, solar, and hydropower projects to generate 150 megawatts of power for the Ontario grid and reduce the region’s dependence on carbon fuels. Today, Dundee and Firelight are now doubling their commitment to $600 million; the goal is to have the full $600 million funded by 2016.



New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation

Commitment by: New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation, Greenprint Foundation, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation

Summary: Deutsche Bank and their partners commit to help NYCEEC—the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation—work with financial, foundation, and real estate communities to make the city agency self-sustaining. By providing information, marketing services, and financing tools to the real estate community, NYCEEC will increase New York’s energy efficiency and spur construction job growth. NYCEEC’s efforts will enable a pipeline of projects that can be developed in the next 12 to 18 months.



PACT’s Community Health Workforce Initiative

Commitment by: Partners in Health

Summary: Partners in Health/PACT commits to integrate 25 community health workers into primary care teams across the nation. The community health workers will serve as extensions of clinics, bringing high-quality care and support into the homes of patients who are marginalized and disengaged from the healthcare system. Over three years, this workforce will impact 2,500 patients, ultimately reducing avoidable costs to the healthcare system while creating the means to innovatively improve health outcomes.



Scaling Demand for Commercial Tenant Green Buildouts

Commitment by: Natural Resources Defense Council and Johnson Controls Inc.

Summary: The Natural Resources Defense Council will bring together partners to design and implement retrofits in commercial tenant spaces. Johnson Controls will provide technical analysis to track performance and generate energy improvements. The project will begin with build-outs at a Jones Lang LaSalle space on Madison Avenue, the Bloomberg LP office space, and the Linked-In office in the Empire State Building.



Shape the Future – Economic Growth through Education

Commitment by: Microsoft Corporation and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Summary: Microsoft commits to help one million students from low-income households and 100,000 educators in the United States access high-speed broadband. In partnership with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and the Federal Communications Commission, Microsoft will provide home PCs, operating systems, educational software, skills training, and broadband service, for free or at a significantly reduced cost and will use its new assessment software to help local governments determine the economic impact of digital exclusion. The three year initiative will reduce the number of U.S. households without internet by 10 percent



Technical Training Center in Rural Indonesia

Commitment by: YUM

Summary: YUM commits to establish a new vocational-technical training center in rural Indonesia to provide workers with in-demand trade skills. This four-year commitment will train 600 people, align training with the needs of local businesses, link participants with employers, and provide micro-loans to 300 participants for the purpose of launching their own business.



WakaWaka – Home & Personal Solar Light & Power Source

Committed by: Business Creation Investments AG

Summary: Business Creation Investments AG commits to distribute one million solar LED lamps in eight developing countries in five years. With more than 20 percent of the world’s population not connected to the utility grid, the lamps will provide an affordable and safe alternative. The lamps, called WakaWakas, use new technology that provides more and longer light, as well as a faster charge, than any currently-available solar lamps.

What:
2011 CGI Annual Meeting (www.clintonglobalinitiative.org)

Where:
Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
811 7th Avenue at 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019

When:
September 20-22, 2011



Applying for Credentials: To apply for a press credential to the 2011 CGI Annual Meeting, please complete the online form at http://bit.ly/pressreg2011.

Location: Unless otherwise noted, all events will take place at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers located at 811 7th Avenue. Press entrance and registration is on 52nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in the Executive Conference Center at the Sheraton.

CGI Media Center and Workspace: The Press Center is located in the Executive Conference Center in the lower lobby of the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers. Wired and wireless Internet access will be provided. Phones will not be provided. There will also be video and audio feeds of most events available in the Press Center.

Interview Locations: There will be stand-up camera locations available that broadcast outlets can reserve in advance. In addition, there will be rooms available press can reserve for interviews. To reserve a time, please contact Seth Belaff at seth@tuckerproductions.com.

Wireless Microphones: Please do NOT bring or use wireless microphones on site, as they will interfere with the wireless PA systems.

Plenary sessions and selected press conferences: Plenary sessions will be sent out via fiber, free and unrestricted, on the following loop numbers: Ascent Media Loop #4461 (HD signal) & #4462 (SD signal)

Mult Box: Output specifics are: XLR for audio and BNC connection for video.

Sat Truck Parking: There are a limited amount of satellite and microwave truck parking spaces available. Please email Seth Bellaff at seth@tuckerproduction.com with a request or call at 917-414-5618.

Live Webcast: All CGI sessions open to the press will be webcast at http://bit.ly/cgilive.

Twitter: The event hashtag is #CGI2011.

Photos: Photos from the meeting will be available on CGI’s Flickr account at http://flickr.com/cgiphotos.

Facebook: Highlights, news, and photos from CGI will be shared on the CGI Facebook page: www.facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 20-22 in New York City.

This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. 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. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Fondo Acceso SAS Announces First Investment in Colombia

The Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Investment Fund formed by philanthropist Frank Giustra and the Fundacion Carlos Slim, in association with the William J. Clinton Foundation, makes a US $1.35 million investment in Alimentos SAS, a promising Bogota-based fruit by-products manufacturer

Investment to result in the creation of 277 new manufacturing and farm jobs in Colombia

New York, NY, September 15, 2011-- Fondo Acceso S.A.S. (Acceso) announced today that it will invest US$ 1.35 million in Alimentos SAS (Alimentos), a 28-year-old Bogota-based manufacturer that produces several lines of fruit by-products including natural fruit juices and pulp for distribution in supermarkets as well as to institutional consumers. The investment (a combination of debt and equity) will facilitate Alimentos’ implementation of plant improvements enabling them to secure industry certifications and to introduce innovative shelf-stable technology allowing expansion into new markets. The investment in Alimentos will be made directly by Fondo Acceso SAS, a Colombian enity and subsidiary of Acceso Fund LLC.

Acceso was incorporated in 2010 by Fundacion Carlos Slim, A.C. and the William J. Clinton Foundation in association with Frank Giustra. Through this partnership and President Clinton’s focus on the issue, Acceso addresses the limited financing opportunities for the small-and-medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) sector in Colombia – a sector that is underserved by traditional capital markets. Acceso uses market-based approaches to make disciplined investments in the form of loans or equity, not grants. Acceso measures both social and financial returns, with social returns sought in the form of job creation. Over the next five years, the investment in Alimentos is expected to generate 277 new jobs -- 100 in manufacturing and 177 in agriculture from the Colombia farm community that supplies fruit to Alimentos.

“By providing SMEs access to capital and assuring they seek the technical assistance needed to grow responsibly, we believe that they are well-positioned to expand. Through innovative funds such as Acceso, NGOs can be a catalyst for stimulating private financial market support of SMEs”, said Carolina Botero, Manager, Fondo Acceso.

About Fondo Acceso SAS

Fondo Acceso S.A.S. (Acceso) was incorporated in 2010 by Fundacion Carlos Slim, A.C. and the William J. Clinton Foundation as part of the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative. Small-and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) employ 30 percent of the Colombian labor force, but face challenges in accessing the financing that would enable them to expand. Acceso works to provide emerging SMEs in Colombia equity financing alternatives along with capacity-building assistance. To learn more about Acceso, please visit: www.fondoacceso.com

About Alimentos SAS, SA

Alimentos SAS has a 28 year history working in Colombia’s processed food market. In 2005, the company was acquired by Mr. Daniel Gaviria and Mr. Luis Trujillo, former executives in Colombia’s dairy industry. The combined vision of Mr. Gaviria and Mr. Trujillo is to apply the extended shelf-life and conservation processes common in the dairy industry to the fruit juice and fruit puree markets. To learn more about Alimentos, please visit www.pulpas-de-frutas.com

Saturday, July 2, 2011

President Clinton Announces Impact of Commitments Made At CGI America Meeting

Business, Nonprofits, and Government Officials Have Launched More Than 50 New Commitments That Will, When Fully Funded and Implemented, Create or Fill More Than 124,000 Jobs

Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, and Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, to Join President Clinton at Closing Plenary Session on Thursday Afternoon at 4:30 p.m. CT

June 30, 2011, CHICAGO — On the final day of the Clinton Global Initiative’s CGI America meeting, President Clinton announced that commitments launched during the event will, when fully funded and implemented, create or fill more than 124,000 jobs, provide more than 364,000 people with access to job training, and support entrepreneurs with $265 million in investments or loans.

“At CGI America we have announced 51 commitments that will improve the lives of 2.7 million people in the United States,” President Clinton said. “The individuals and organizations that have launched new programs this week are proving that we can create jobs and foster economic growth here in America. I hope that their efforts will inspire others to take action to revitalize their own communities.”

CGI America is the first Clinton Global Initiative event focusing exclusively on the U.S. More than 750 leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and all levels of government are participating in the event, which aims to generate new ideas for spurring economic growth and highlight existing programs which can be replicated and scaled.

On Thursday morning, President Clinton hosted a plenary session on American communities that have found innovative ways to address unique local economic challenges. The session featured Tanya Fiddler, executive director of the Four Bands Community Fund; Jennifer M. Granholm, former governor of Michigan; John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado; Tony Hsieh CEO of Zappos.com; Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., governor of Indiana; Robert J. McCann, CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas; Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School professor; and Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles.

Thursday’s program also featured a panel of civic and business innovators exploring how energy-efficient building retrofit projects can create highly-skilled jobs while cutting energy costs and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Speakers included: Mike Beebe, governor of Arkansas; Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte; Susan Leeds, CEO of the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; James E. Rogers, chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy; Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Metals; and Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The two-day gathering will conclude today with President Clinton holding a one-on-one conversation about the current state of the economy with Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, at 4:30 p.m. CT. Also during the closing session, Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, will announce a new commitment to spur energy-efficient building retrofits in the U.S.

All sessions are webcast live at http://live.CGIAmerica.org.

At all CGI meetings, participants make Commitments to Action. A commitment is not a financial contribution to CGI; rather, it is a plan that outlines the steps the organization or individual will take to launch a program that improves lives. At CGI America, most commitments have focused on addressing the challenges of job creation and economic growth in the U.S.

The following commitments were announced Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. Details on all CGI America commitments can be found at http://www.CGIAmerica.org.

Philadelphia Academies

Despite steady job growth in Philadelphia, 22 percent of adults in the city cannot read or write well enough to handle elementary school material. To address the problem, Philadelphia Academies commits to build a digitally-based literacy and workforce training program for youth and adults, which will be accessible any time from any computer or mobile device. Over the next four years, the $34-million Digital On-Ramps initiative aims to help 33,000 Philadelphia residents gain critical skills.

Carnegie Corporation

The Carnegie Corporation and its partners commit to identify and fund programs that recruit, train, and support teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. To do so, they will create a funding pool valued at $20 million and invite relevant programs to apply. Using criteria established by the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute, the group will identify those that will most effectively recruit and train teachers. This group hopes to recruit and train 20,000 new teachers in 3 years while supporting existing educators working in the area.

Arkansas Rural Heritage Development Initiative

The Rural Heritage Development Initiative commits to strengthen small businesses in Arkansas by providing mentoring, support, training, and access to capital for entrepreneurs. RHDI will recruit more than 55 new entrepreneurs during this three-year commitment, in addition to the 69 members currently served.

SFMade and the Pratt Center

SFMade and the Pratt Center are committing to create the Urban Manufacturing Alliance. This commitment will focus on retaining and creating manufacturing jobs initially in five major U.S. cities, including San Francisco and New York City. The alliance will reach 1,000 manufacturing companies with branding, supply chain, and policy research programs to help them strengthen their businesses. Already, these nimble manufacturers have proven to be extremely recession-resilient and highly committed to local employment and sustainable practices. As a result of SFMade and the Pratt Center’s participation here at CGI America, the City of New York has joined as a partner of the commitment.

The Obama Administration

The Obama administration commits to the launch, leadership, and support of the Better Buildings Challenge. The Better Buildings Challenge is a White House-convened, Department of Energy-supported leadership initiative that is co-led by former President Bill Clinton and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. It directly engages business executives, state and local elected officials, and leaders from other non-governmental organizations; recognizes the organizations they lead for making actionable commitments to improve energy efficiency in America’s buildings; and supports their efforts with technical assistance and policy support. Through the Administration’s efforts in conjunction with former President Clinton and the Jobs Council, three major American cities – Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle – have signed onto the Challenge, committing to take necessary policy steps to accelerate the energy efficiency market in their respective cities.

Energy Infrastructure Partners

Historically, Black Colleges and Universities in the United States have not been on the front lines of the green energy movement. The Energy Infrastructure Partners, America’s first minority-owned clean energy infrastructure fund, is committed to change that by working with these institutions across the country to develop more efficient and renewable energy infrastructure, as well as certify students in green energy installation and integration. Starting this year, the program will educate and train students at five colleges to design, install, and maintain energy efficient projects, such as solar panels on the roofs of their schools. Over the next five years, Energy Infrastructure Partners will place 25 schools at the forefront of the green economy and prepare an estimated 100,000 students for jobs in the energy sector.

For a complete program and details on all CGI America commitments, visit http://CGIAmerica.org.

For more information, visit: http://www.CGIAmerica.org and follow @ClintonGlobal (http://twitter.com/clintonglobal) for meeting news and highlights. The event hashtag is #CGIAmerica.

CGI appreciates the support of the sponsors of CGI America: J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, Tom Golisano, the Dow Chemical Company, Peter G. Peterson Foundation, and ExxonMobil Corporation.

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings, which take place in New York each September, 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. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place September 19-22 in New York City.

CGI America is the first CGI meeting focused solely on the U.S. The CGI community also includes CGI University, 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. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
President Clinton Announces Impact of Commitments Made At CGI America Meeting

Business, Nonprofits, and Government Officials Have Launched More Than 50 New Commitments That Will, When Fully Funded and Implemented, Create or Fill More Than 124,000 Jobs

Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, and Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, to Join President Clinton at Closing Plenary Session on Thursday Afternoon at 4:30 p.m. CT

June 30, 2011, CHICAGO — On the final day of the Clinton Global Initiative’s CGI America meeting, President Clinton announced that commitments launched during the event will, when fully funded and implemented, create or fill more than 124,000 jobs, provide more than 364,000 people with access to job training, and support entrepreneurs with $265 million in investments or loans.

“At CGI America we have announced 51 commitments that will improve the lives of 2.7 million people in the United States,” President Clinton said. “The individuals and organizations that have launched new programs this week are proving that we can create jobs and foster economic growth here in America. I hope that their efforts will inspire others to take action to revitalize their own communities.”

CGI America is the first Clinton Global Initiative event focusing exclusively on the U.S. More than 750 leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and all levels of government are participating in the event, which aims to generate new ideas for spurring economic growth and highlight existing programs which can be replicated and scaled.

On Thursday morning, President Clinton hosted a plenary session on American communities that have found innovative ways to address unique local economic challenges. The session featured Tanya Fiddler, executive director of the Four Bands Community Fund; Jennifer M. Granholm, former governor of Michigan; John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado; Tony Hsieh CEO of Zappos.com; Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., governor of Indiana; Robert J. McCann, CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas; Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School professor; and Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles.

Thursday’s program also featured a panel of civic and business innovators exploring how energy-efficient building retrofit projects can create highly-skilled jobs while cutting energy costs and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Speakers included: Mike Beebe, governor of Arkansas; Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte; Susan Leeds, CEO of the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; James E. Rogers, chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy; Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Metals; and Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The two-day gathering will conclude today with President Clinton holding a one-on-one conversation about the current state of the economy with Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, at 4:30 p.m. CT. Also during the closing session, Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, will announce a new commitment to spur energy-efficient building retrofits in the U.S.

All sessions are webcast live at http://live.CGIAmerica.org.

At all CGI meetings, participants make Commitments to Action. A commitment is not a financial contribution to CGI; rather, it is a plan that outlines the steps the organization or individual will take to launch a program that improves lives. At CGI America, most commitments have focused on addressing the challenges of job creation and economic growth in the U.S.

The following commitments were announced Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. Details on all CGI America commitments can be found at http://www.CGIAmerica.org.

Philadelphia Academies

Despite steady job growth in Philadelphia, 22 percent of adults in the city cannot read or write well enough to handle elementary school material. To address the problem, Philadelphia Academies commits to build a digitally-based literacy and workforce training program for youth and adults, which will be accessible any time from any computer or mobile device. Over the next four years, the $34-million Digital On-Ramps initiative aims to help 33,000 Philadelphia residents gain critical skills.

Carnegie Corporation

The Carnegie Corporation and its partners commit to identify and fund programs that recruit, train, and support teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. To do so, they will create a funding pool valued at $20 million and invite relevant programs to apply. Using criteria established by the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute, the group will identify those that will most effectively recruit and train teachers. This group hopes to recruit and train 20,000 new teachers in 3 years while supporting existing educators working in the area.

Arkansas Rural Heritage Development Initiative

The Rural Heritage Development Initiative commits to strengthen small businesses in Arkansas by providing mentoring, support, training, and access to capital for entrepreneurs. RHDI will recruit more than 55 new entrepreneurs during this three-year commitment, in addition to the 69 members currently served.

SFMade and the Pratt Center

SFMade and the Pratt Center are committing to create the Urban Manufacturing Alliance. This commitment will focus on retaining and creating manufacturing jobs initially in five major U.S. cities, including San Francisco and New York City. The alliance will reach 1,000 manufacturing companies with branding, supply chain, and policy research programs to help them strengthen their businesses. Already, these nimble manufacturers have proven to be extremely recession-resilient and highly committed to local employment and sustainable practices. As a result of SFMade and the Pratt Center’s participation here at CGI America, the City of New York has joined as a partner of the commitment.

The Obama Administration

The Obama administration commits to the launch, leadership, and support of the Better Buildings Challenge. The Better Buildings Challenge is a White House-convened, Department of Energy-supported leadership initiative that is co-led by former President Bill Clinton and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. It directly engages business executives, state and local elected officials, and leaders from other non-governmental organizations; recognizes the organizations they lead for making actionable commitments to improve energy efficiency in America’s buildings; and supports their efforts with technical assistance and policy support. Through the Administration’s efforts in conjunction with former President Clinton and the Jobs Council, three major American cities – Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle – have signed onto the Challenge, committing to take necessary policy steps to accelerate the energy efficiency market in their respective cities.

Energy Infrastructure Partners

Historically, Black Colleges and Universities in the United States have not been on the front lines of the green energy movement. The Energy Infrastructure Partners, America’s first minority-owned clean energy infrastructure fund, is committed to change that by working with these institutions across the country to develop more efficient and renewable energy infrastructure, as well as certify students in green energy installation and integration. Starting this year, the program will educate and train students at five colleges to design, install, and maintain energy efficient projects, such as solar panels on the roofs of their schools. Over the next five years, Energy Infrastructure Partners will place 25 schools at the forefront of the green economy and prepare an estimated 100,000 students for jobs in the energy sector.

For a complete program and details on all CGI America commitments, visit http://CGIAmerica.org.

For more information, visit: http://www.CGIAmerica.org and follow @ClintonGlobal (http://twitter.com/clintonglobal) for meeting news and highlights. The event hashtag is #CGIAmerica.

CGI appreciates the support of the sponsors of CGI America: J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, Tom Golisano, the Dow Chemical Company, Peter G. Peterson Foundation, and ExxonMobil Corporation.

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings, which take place in New York each September, 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. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place September 19-22 in New York City.

CGI America is the first CGI meeting focused solely on the U.S. The CGI community also includes CGI University, 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. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

MEDIA ADVISORY: Secretary of Energy Steven Chu To Announce Better Buildings Challenge Commitment at CGI America

June 30, 2011 (CHICAGO) – During the final day of the CGI America meeting, the Obama administration will commit to the launch, leadership, and support of the Better Buildings Challenge. The announcement will be made at a press conference at 3 p.m. CT, which will be webcast live at http://live.cgiamerica.org.

The Better Buildings Challenge is a White House-convened, Department of Energy-supported leadership initiative that is co-led by former President Bill Clinton and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. It directly engages business executives, state and local elected officials and leaders from other non-governmental organizations; recognizes the organizations they lead for making actionable commitments to improve energy efficiency in America’s buildings; and supports their efforts with technical assistance and policy support.

Through the Administration’s efforts in conjunction with former President Clinton and the Jobs Council, three major American cities – Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle – have signed onto the Challenge, committing to take necessary policy steps to accelerate the energy efficiency market in their respective cities.

More than 700 leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and all levels of government are participating in the two-day CGI America meeting, which is the first Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) event to focus exclusively on driving job creation and economic growth in the United States.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

President Clinton to Open CGI America Meeting in Chicago on Wednesday, June 29

June 28, 2011, CHICAGO — President Bill Clinton will open CGI America on Wednesday, June 29. More than 700 leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and all levels of government will participate in the two-day meeting, which is the first Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) event to focus exclusively on driving job creation and economic growth in the United States.

Featured participants include: U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi, Stephanie Burns, chairman of Dow Corning, Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana, Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago, Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., president and CEO of TIAA-CREF, Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan, John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, Bob McCann, CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas, Pete Peterson, founder of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Michael Porter, professor at Harvard Business School, J.B. Pritzker, managing partner, the Pritzker Group, Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, James E. Rogers, chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

All plenary sessions are open press and will be webcast at http://live.cgiamerica.org.

What: CGI America (www.cgiamerica.org)

Where: Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 East North Water Street Chicago, IL 60611
When: June 29-30, 2011

Opening Plenary Session: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

12:00 p.m. -1:30 p.m., Sheraton Ballroom

Press set time: 11:30 a.m.

Participants:

President Bill Clinton, Founding Chairman, Clinton Global Initiative

Haley Barbour, Governor, State of Mississippi
Simonida Cvejic, Founder and CEO, Bay Area Medical Academy
Rahm Emanuel, Mayor, City of Chicago
Peter G. Peterson, Founder and Chairman, Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Michael L. Thurmond, Former Georgia Labor Commissioner, Georgia Department of Labor
Laura Tyson, S.K. and Angela Chan Professor of Global Management, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

Press Conferences To Discuss New Commitments

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO):

Investment and Training for American Infrastructure

1:45 p.m.- 2:15 p.m., Press Room, Exhibit Hall B, First Floor

Participants:

Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers

Mark H. Ayers, president of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO

Toyota Motor North America

Toyota Helps Nonprofits Maximize Their Impact

3:15 p.m. – 3: 45 p.m., Press Exhibit Hall B, First Floor

Participants:

Pat Pineda, Group Vice President, National Philanthropy and The Toyota USA Foundation Toyota Motor North America

Brian Bichey, Manager, Toyota Production System Support Center

Zack Rosenburg, Founder and CEO, St. Bernard Project

Plenary Session: Education in America: Regaining Our Edge

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sheraton Ballroom.

Press set-time: 3:30 p.m.

Participants:

Stephanie A. Burns, Chairman, Dow Corning Corporation
Adam Davidson, Co-founder and Co-host, Planet Money, National Public Radio
James Heckman, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago
Kaya Henderson, Chancellor, D.C. Public Schools
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President and CEO, TIAA-CREF
Amy Rosen, President and CEO, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

CGI Work In Africa

Harvest season has arrived in Rwanda and Malawi. It's a time of year that inspires hope -- but can also lead to worry.

You see, the quality of a single harvest can mean the difference between hunger and a meal on the table. It can leave families without a secure income or it can help them access health care, running water, and a decent education.

I'm proud that our work with local farmers to ensure more consistent crops, higher prices for their yields, and a better quality of life is starting to pay off.

When I visited these communities five years ago, I met countless farmers who regularly faced food shortages and many others who feared having to emigrate to other countries for jobs. Now the 19,000 farmers in our programs are able to satisfy the basic needs of their families and help their communities thrive.

We're ready to build on these successes and ensure that these transformations take hold permanently -- for farmers, for their families, and for their communities at large.

Make a gift by June 28 to help transform lives in Malawi, Rwanda, and around the world, and I will personally match it dollar for dollar.

This is an amazing chance to double your impact and make sure farmers in Malawi and Rwanda get the most out of their crops this season and the next.

As with all of our work, our programs in these countries began with clear objectives -- creating economic growth and providing individuals with the tools that will allow them to transform their communities with each passing year.

Now, our various programs in Africa help nearly 19,000 farmers and include:
Working with more than 3,700 soybean farmers to continuously improve the soil quality so they can get more from the land available to them;
Negotiating lower fertilizer prices to ensure farmers can afford to nourish their crops and teaching them how to apply those fertilizers to obtain the best yield;
Supplying farmers with disease-resistant maize and bean seeds and providing 1,100 farmers with high-yield fruit trees;
Setting up a coffee cooperative that has grown to 7,000 farmers; and more.
In the coming weeks, these 19,000 families will complete their harvest, sell their surplus at market, and make life-changing investments in housing, education, and future yields.

But our work isn't done yet. Nearly 90% of the people living in these areas are smallholder farmers. If we can reach a broader set of that population, we'll be providing stability, security, and empowerment to entire communities.

Knowing what a difference food security and a stable income can make in an entire country's future, I am profoundly moved by our results so far. I hope you're as motivated as I am to dig a little deeper to extend these programs.

If you can make a gift in the next 7 days, your donation will go twice as far and help transform twice as many lives during this dollar-for-dollar match.

I started this Foundation with the belief that everybody can make a real difference, and at this crucial moment for farmers in Africa and around the world, it couldn't be truer.

Thank you for doing your part to help us realize our shared vision of a more peaceful, prosperous world.

CONTRIBUTE

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

Monday, June 13, 2011

President Bill Clinton to Recognize 275 U.S. Schools for Fighting Childhood Obesity
Little Rock, Ark. – On Monday, June 13, 2011, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, will recognize 275 schools for transforming their campuses into healthier places for students and staff. President Bill Clinton and Dwayne Proctor, director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s childhood obesity team, will honor the award-winning schools at an event at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.

The 275 schools come from 37 different states. The following cities boast multiple awardees: Atlanta; Boston; Dallas; Elizabeth, N.J.; Los Angeles; Miami; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; San Antonio; Washington D.C. Each school has distinguished itself with healthy eating and physical activity programs and policies that meet or exceed stringent standards set by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Healthy Schools Program.

Launched in 2006 with 231 schools in 13 states, the Healthy Schools Program now works with supports more than 12,000 schools across the country to help transform them into healthier places where physical activity and healthier foods are available before, during and after school. The program is supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other funders.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Sulfites in organic wine: An update
Here's an update on what's happening with the petition to allow sulfites in USDA Organic Wine.

Brief background: Currently USDA certified organic wine is not allowed to contain more than 10 ppm (parts per million) of sulfites, even if those sulfites occur naturally. I wrote about the issue in this LA Times article, and about a petition making its way through the USDA process that would allow some limited amount of sulfites in organic wine.

Last week there were two days of brief hearings before the National Organic Standards Board. How brief? Speakers were given just 3 minutes to make their point, and no questions were asked.

Originally, Tuesday's hearing was scheduled to be the main one on the issue. But the NOSB postponed that indefinitely. The petitioners hope to get their hearing in November, but apparently that's not a sure thing.

However, the NOSB does have to allow public comment on issues before it. So the petitioners sent three of their members to the public-comment hearing to speak.

Though it's their petition, they didn't get to go first.

Phaedra LaRocca Morrill, sales and marketing director of LaRocca Vineyards*, a certified organic, no-sulfite winery in California, spoke first. She said sulfites are a synthetic that should not be allowed in wine; it's a powerful argument because most certified organic products cannot contain preservatives. She said organic vineyard acreage is increasing, and that 4 million cases of USDA Organic wine were sold in the US last year, which she said was testament to the strength of the category.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

President Clinton To Open Fourth Annual Clinton Global Initiative University Meeting at the University of California, San Diego on Friday, April 1, 2011
President Clinton to Discuss Innovation with Chad Hurley at Opening Plenary Session Friday Night; Additional Program Participants Will Include Drew Barrymore, Nnamdi Asomugha, Raquel "Rocsi" Diaz, Jose Reyes Ferriz, Lorena Garcia, Van Jones, Mandy Moore,
and Sean Penn

Approximately 1,000 Students Expected to Attend, Representing 349 Schools, 90 Countries, and All 50 States

CGI U's Commitment Challenge Bracket Allows Anyone to
Vote for Their Favorite Commitment

Contact: press@clintonglobalinitiative.org

New York, March 31, 2011 - President Clinton will open the fourth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) by announcing innovative student projects that will improve health care in Africa, help children around the world go to school, and increase understanding between American and Middle Eastern college students.

More than 1,000 students will attend CGI U this year, and each one has created a Commitment to Action - a concrete plan to address an issue within CGI U's focus areas: Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health. This year, students and student groups have made 950 new commitments. In addition, more than 59 leaders from National Youth Organizations will attend, and they have made 38 commitments.

"Young people today have more power to effect change than any generation that has come before," President Clinton said. "Since CGI U was founded in 2008, students and organizations have made more than 3,000 commitments which have improved the lives of thousands of people around the world. These students are taking action to solve the great global challenges of our time - and they are inspiring others to make a difference as well."

Students attend the CGI U meeting to turn their ideas into action by learning about issues, networking with nationally-known leaders, and gaining inspiration from their peers. The meeting will feature sessions on topics including college affordability, LGBT rights, poverty along the U.S.-Mexico border, and ocean pollution. Students will also participate in hands-on workshops designed to improve their understanding of fundraising, marketing, and community engagement.

This weekend, while there will be tremendous attention paid to athletic accomplishment at the NCAA "Final Four" men's and women's basketball championships, CGI U will celebrate its students' commitments with its inaugural "CGI U Commitments Challenge." Beginning today, everyone will have the chance to vote for their favorite CGI U 2011 commitments at cgiu.org/bracket.

Votes will be tallied and posted in real time and those not at CGI U can follow the action at CGIU.org. Updates will be given at each plenary session and the winning commitment will be announced at the CGI U closing session by President Clinton on Saturday, April 2. The winner will receive a new Dell laptop.

On Friday, the Opening Plenary panel discussion, "What's the Big Idea? Powering Innovation on Campus and Beyond," will feature President Clinton; Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube; Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Greg Lucier, chairman and CEO of Life Technologies; and Jessica O. Matthews, co-founder and CEO of Unchartered Play and co-inventor of sOccket. The session will also feature opening remarks by Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated and Marye Anne Fox, chancellor of the University of California, San Diego.

The student commitments that will be announced on Friday are:

The School Fund

Student: Matthew Severson

School: Brown University

Worldwide, there are 115 million children who do not go to school, and 75% live in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, Matt Severson made a CGI U commitment to create the School Fund, a website that connects people who want to make micro-grants to individual students who need education funding. After funders make grants, they can communicate via the website with the students they are helping to support. School Fund donors have now fully funded 100 secondary students at 19 schools in Tanzania, Kenya, and Haiti. This year, Matt and his team commit to expand the School Fund to recruit an additional 800 funders for 500 students. The School Fund will also work with students in new countries, including Ethiopia, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.



Dorm Room Diplomacy

Students: Corey Metzman & Jacob Blumenfeld-Gantz

School: University of Pennsylvania

Corey and Jacob, who have both studied Arabic, recently formed Dorm Room Diplomacy, which commits to establish an intercultural dialogue between American and Middle Eastern college students through videoconferencing. Dorm Room Diplomacy will facilitate weekly two-hour videoconferences between American college students and students from the Middle East. Topics will include: cultural stereotypes, American foreign policy, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, women's rights, the role of new media outlets, and freedom of speech. At the end of each semester, Dorm Room Diplomacy plans to have students take the Implicit Association Test-an online test developed at Harvard-in order to measure how the participants' perceptions of each other have changed.



DoseRight Syringe Clips in Swaziland

Students: Cindy Dinh, Benjamin Lu, Qing Lina Hu and Amanda Gutierrez

School: Rice University

Swaziland, a landlocked country in southern Africa, has been devastated by the AIDS epidemic. More than a quarter of adults between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with the virus, and the average life expectancy in the country is 37. Spoons or measuring cups are commonly used to take HIV/AIDS medication, but they often result in inaccurate dosing of antiretroviral medication, which limits the efficacy of the drugs and can lead to viral resistance. Cindy, Benjamin, Qing, and Amanda launched Team DoseRight to distribute DoseRight syringe clips in Swaziland. DoseRight is a simple, inexpensive plastic clip that attaches to an oral syringe and ensures accurate medication dosage by stopping the syringe plunger after the right amount of medication has been dispensed. The DoseRight syringe clip was successfully field-tested during the summer of 2010. Now, Team DoseRight is collaborating with both the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Swaziland Ministry of Health to help distribute the clips.



Use of Emerging Media in Reducing Maternal & Neonatal Mortality in Kenyan Slums

Student: Aggrey Otieno

School: Ohio University

In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman's risk of dying of preventable complications from pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 16, as compared to 1 in 2,800 in the industrialized world. Aggrey grew up in the Korogocho slums in Kenya, and has seen the devastating effects of this problem firsthand. He commits to a two-year initiative to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in the Korogocho slums. He will choose a group of volunteers from the slums-pregnant women and their partners-who will send regular, free text messages about their own health, as well as the health of other mothers and babies in their communities. Aggrey will use a software program to aggregate and map the information. Traditional birth attendants will be trained to monitor and add to this map so they can report patterns to local medical practitioners and NGOs. Aggrey will also mobilize youth to create weekly community radio programs and videos about maternal and neonatal health.

On Sunday, April 3, the program will culminate in a service project, in which CGI U attendees and volunteers will work alongside 100 local veterans at the San Diego Food Bank. The San Diego Food Bank provides food to over 340,000 individuals monthly, while also advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. Participants will sort, inspect, package, and distribute food for low-income military and non-military families, and help with beautification projects. In total, they will contribute more than 2,500 hours of service for the Food Bank.

CGI U is sponsored by the Dell Social Innovation Competition, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, Laureate Education, Life Technologies, mtvU, Andy Nahas and The Prospect Fund, Qualcomm Incorporated, and U.S. Global Investors.



About CGI U

The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) challenges college students to address global issues with practical, innovative solutions. CGI U members do more than simply discuss problems - they take concrete steps to solve them by building relationships, creating action plans, participating in hands-on workshops, and following-up with CGI U as they complete their projects. Previous CGI U meetings have taken place at Tulane University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Miami, and have convened more than 2,500 students from 575 schools in 99 countries and all 50 states. To learn more, visit CGIU.org.



About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, 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 170 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 19-22 in New York City.

This year, CGI will also convene a meeting focused on driving job creation and economic recovery in the United States. The meeting, CGI America, is the first CGI event solely dedicated to U.S. issues, and will take place in Chicago June 29-30.

The CGI community also includes MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make a Commitment to Action, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

THE SEARCH FOR THE AMERICAN HONEY® 2012 CALENDAR GIRLS IS NOW ON

Wild Turkey American Honey, the Original Honey Liqueur, to Host Calendar Shoot in Austin

SAN FRANCISCO (March 8, 2011)— Wild Turkey American Honey®, a smooth, honey-sweet liqueur that proudly celebrates its all-American roots, is combing America in the search for 12 Honeys—a crew of female ambassadors—to star in their annual calendar.

The American Honeys, who are sweet, smooth, and a little wild at heart, are featured annually in a calendar released by America’s original honey bourbon liqueur. A total of 12 women will be selected for the 2012 calendar and then flown to Austin, Texas, this summer, for the calendar shoot and the chance to win the coveted 2012 Cover Girl title.

“The American Honey Calendar is a salute to America’s fun-loving girl next door,’ says Maura McGinn, Group Brand Director of Vodka & Cordials. “An American Honey is the whole package: she should be bright, she should be warm, and she should have a smile that stops traffic.’

Applications will be accepted on American Honey’s website, where an expert panel, along with consumer judges, will select the top 12 candidates, naming them this year’s Calendar Honeys. The group will spend an activity-filled week in Austin, including a photo shoot and cover girl judging.

The American Honey Calendar Search will be promoted via a robust radio program in 11 markets including Austin, Denver, Philadelphia and St. Louis. The campaign will culminate with a live broadcast in Austin with all participating radio stations, whose radio personalities will participate by selecting the 2012 Cover Girl.

The campaign’s consumer engagement extends beyond prospective Honeys, with programming focused on men and women to act as consumer “judges” with an online platform. A sweepstakes will also be offered for a pair of consumers to attend the American Honey Calendar shoot and participate in the accompanying activities.

The campaign launches today with the search continuing through June 3, 2011. The 2012 American Honey Calendar Girls will be announced in June, with the photo shoot and accompanying live broadcast in Austin occurring the week of July 25, 2011. The 2012 calendars will be available in late 2011.

For more information on the search, or a chance to be a consumer judge, visit AmericanHoney.com

About Skyy Spirits, LLC
Skyy Spirits, LLC is the US-based wholly owned subsidiary of Gruppo Campari (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM) and is the eighth-largest spirits company in the US. Launched in 1992 with the introduction of its flagship brand, SKYY® Vodka, Skyy Spirits has grown exponentially, building a portfolio unrivaled in its quality, innovation and style, making it a top choice among distributors, retailers and consumers. Skyy Spirits manages Gruppo Campari’s portfolio in the US of such leading brands as SKYY® Vodka, SKYY90®, All Natural SKYY Infusions®, Campari®, Wild Turkey® Straight Kentucky Bourbon, American Honey®, Russell’s Reserve®, Glen Grant® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Cabo Wabo® Tequila, Espolón™ Tequila, Ouzo 12®, X-Rated® Fusion Liqueur®, Frangelico®, Carolans Irish Cream®, Irish Mist® Liqueur and Jean-Marc XO Vodka®. Skyy Spirits is also the exclusive US distributor of Cutty Sark® Scotch Whisky, The Glenrothes® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Auchentoshan® Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Glen Garioch® Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Flor de Caña® Rum, Midori® Melon Liqueur, Hibiki® Whisky and The Yamazaki® Single Malt Whisky.

Skyy Spirits was founded and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. More information on the company can be found at www.skyyspirits.com, www.facebook.com/skyyspirits, Twitter: @SkyySpirits and www.camparigroup.com. Please enjoy Skyy Spirits brands responsibly and in moderation.

About Gruppo Campari
Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., together with its affiliates (”Gruppo Campari”), is a major player in the global beverage sector, trading in over 190 nations around the world with a leading position in the Italian and Brazilian markets and a strong presence in the USA and Continental Europe. The Group has an extensive portfolio that spans three business segments: spirits, wines and soft drinks. In the spirits segment its internationally renowned brands, such as Campari, Carolans, SKYY Vodka and Wild Turkey stand out. It also has leading regional brands including Aperol, Cabo Wabo, Camparisoda, Cynar, Frangelico, Glen Grant, Ouzo 12, X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, Zedda Piras and the local Brazilian brands Dreher, Old Eight and Drury’s. Its wine segment boasts the global brand Cinzano, as well as important regional brands including Liebfraumilch, Mondoro, Odessa, Riccadonna, Sella&Mosca and Teruzzi&Puthod. The soft drinks segment comprises the non-alcoholic aperitif Crodino and Lemonsoda as well as its respective line extension dominating the Italian market. The Group employs over 2,200 people. The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. www.camparigroup.com