Corporate Sponsor DIAGEO back at CGI

President Clinton Opened 2012 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting Emphasizing Action through Social Investment, Empowering Girls and Women, and Designing for Impact

Featured speakers included Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, IDEO Chief Executive Officer Tim Brown, and Walmart President and CEO Michael T. Duke

New commitments focusing on environmental protection, women’s empowerment, sustainable energy and global health and progress reports on previous commitments announced

 

President Clinton at his press confereence on CGI's opening day.

New York, NY – Today, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and Walmart President and CEO Michael T. Duke joined President Bill Clinton and other global leaders in New York City at the opening of the eighth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. Over the course of the three-day meeting, pioneers and innovators from business, government, and civil society will examine the most effective ways to design a more prosperous and sustainable world and confront the most urgent global challenges.

“As CGI’s eighth Annual Meeting begins, I am deeply grateful that such a diverse group of esteemed leaders are here with us to motivate global action and change lives worldwide,” said President Clinton. “Their dedication reminds us that the international demand for solutions must take priority over the differences that divide us. It’s the same dedication to humanity that has helped CGI members make nearly 2,300 commitments that have impacted the lives of more than 400 million people since 2005. In the next three days, I look forward to seeing how the world’s leading thinkers will propose creative and inclusive solutions to the obstacles facing our planet.”

This year’s theme, “Designing for Impact,” focuses on the capacity of global citizens to cultivate an environment where their lives and the systems they utilize can serve as an effective vehicle for change. Through this theme, participants will convey how innovation and creativity can transform into platforms for global action. Each day of the Annual Meeting, CGI members will use a different lens to approach designing their work for impact from the empowerment of women and girls to social investment.

President Clinton moderated the opening panel featuring Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and Walmart President and CEO Michael T. Duke, who discussed how we can better design our world to cultivate greater opportunity and equality. The conversation followed opening remarks from IDEO CEO Tim Brown, whose cutting-edge ideas on design have influenced the meeting’s creative focus this year.

In addition to moderating the discussion in the plenary session, President Clinton announced new commitments for 2012 and reports on progress of commitments made at past CGI Annual Meetings.

The 2012 CGI Annual Meeting is sponsored by Abraaj Capital, American Federation of Teachers, Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos, APCO Worldwide, Barclays, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Delos Living, Deutsche Bank, Diageo PLC, The Dow Chemical Company, Duke Energy Corporation, ExxonMobil, The Ford Foundation, Varkey GEMS Foundation, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, Hewlett Packard Company, Inter-American Development Bank, InterEnergy, Jive Software, Knoll Inc, Laureate International Universities, Microsoft Corporation, NRG Energy Inc, Procter & Gamble, The Rockefeller Foundation, Shangri-La Industries, Standard Chartered Bank, Starkey Hearing Foundation, Swiss Reinsurance Company, Tom Golisano, Toyota Motors Corporation, United Postcode Lotteries, The Victor Pinchuk Foundation, and Western Union Financial Services Inc.

The full program, webcast schedule, and list of all CGI Annual Meeting commitments are available here: clintonglobalinitiative.org/2012.

The following new commitments were announced today in plenary sessions:

GIVE: Lights and Power for Panzi Hospital
Commitment by: GlobalECHO Foundation
In 2012, the GlobalECHO Foundation committed to providing $150,000 over a two-year period that will help the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo transition from a reliance on diesel fuel and an undependable grid to clean, sustainable, and renewable energy. Specifically, the Foundation will fund the installation of solar panels donated by another CGI member, Suntech Power Holdings Company Limited.

Health Justice for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Commitment by: Paychex Corporation and Special Olympics International
In 2012, Tom Golisano committed $12 million to fund 12 Special Olympics (SOI) International Healthy Communities Demonstration Projects worldwide. Through this contribution, SOI will identify communities where they will deliver a sustained set of health interventions and supports for individuals with intellectual disabilities in a comprehensive, community-based year round model. This commitment will enable SOI to expand its data collection and ability to document the global health status of people with intellectual disabilities, raising awareness and generating collaborative solutions to the issue of health disparities facing people with intellectual disabilities.

Empowering Palestinian Women In and Through Media
Commitment by: NISAA Broadcast Radio Company
In 2012, 96 NISAA FM, a woman-owned radio station in the West Bank, committed to train and eventually hire community reporters and students in radio reporting and broadcasting. In order to work against gender stereotypes in media by increasing both women’s roles in media leadership as well as positive representations of women in media, every trainee will learn essential reporting skills, such as gathering news from the field, producing audio reports, reporting live, and working inside the NISAA studio.

Bridging the Gap: Empowering Women Through Education
Commitment by: Georges Malaika Foundation
In 2012, the Georges Malaika Foundation (GMF) committed to expand educational access and quality learning opportunities to 340 young girls in the Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through the use of a holistic approach to education, the GMF School will provide tuition-free education that also offers two meals a day, clean drinking water, sanitary latrines, internet access, and highly-trained teachers.

Man Up Congo: Youth Ending Violence Against Girls in Schools
Commitment by: Man Up Campaign
In 2012, the Man Up Campaign committed to support its two youth delegations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who create community-based programs to combat gender violence, specifically the normalization of sexual violence against girls in school. Through Man Up’s support, the two youth delegations will be able to implement awareness raising activities (theater and workshops) to directly engage over 300 students around issues of gender-based violence.

Solar Panels for Panzi Hospital
Commitment by: Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and The Panzi Hospital of Bukavu
In 2012, Suntech, the world’s largest producer of solar panels, partnered with CGI member GlobalECHO Foundation, committed to outfit the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo to run on solar power. This commitment will help the hospital transition from a reliance on diesel fuel and an undependable grid to clean, sustainable, and renewable energy.

The following progress reports were announced today in plenary sessions:

P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water: Save a Life an Hour
Commitment by: Procter & Gamble
In 2010, Procter and Gamble (P&G) committed to increase its scope of providing clean drinking water to developing countries by aiming to save a life every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by 2020. The PUR packet program has provided 1 billion liters of clean drinking water in the last 10 months and hopes to scale up with the PUR packet providing 2 billion liters a year by 2020.

Avon Foundation Global Breast Cancer Clinical Scholars
Commitment by: The Avon Foundation
In 2011, the Avon Foundation committed to create the Women Global Breast Cancer Clinical Scholars Program (Avon Global Scholars) to provide clinically-focused scholarship opportunities to breast cancer specialists outside the United States. The goal of the program is to give advanced training at leading U.S. breast cancer centers affiliated with the Avon Foundation to improve treatment and care of women facing breast cancer around the world.

Addressing Sexual Violence Against Girls
Commitment by: Becton, Dickinson & Co. (BD)
In 2009, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and many other partners committed, via Together for Girls (TfG), to develop and implement sexual violence prevention and response programs at the country level. Together for Girls, the first global initiative to address human injustice and public health impact of sexual violence against girls, uses information from national surveys to mobilize government leaders, civil society, and donors.

Dream Builder: The Women's Business Creator
Commitment by: Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation
In 2011, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, along with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, committed to develop and pilot an online Women’s Business Academy with the goal of providing business skills training to an estimated 3,400 women who plan to start or grow small businesses. The official program name has since been changed to “DreamBuilder: The Women’s Business Creator.” With curriculum and technological design well under way, DreamBuilder is on track to fulfill the Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to train 3,400 women over the next 5 years.

For more information please visit clintonglobalinitiative.org/2012. Follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative for meeting news and highlights. The event hashtag is #CGI2012.

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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 create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which have already improved the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

Watch 2012 CGI Annual Meeting

Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting This year's Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting will convene hundreds of world leaders including President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Governor Mitt Romney to answer the question: How can we design our world to create more opportunity and more equality? The meeting will be held September 23 – 25 in New York City. RSVP to watch the live webcast. We Want to Know What You Think You have a unique perspective on our organization, and we want hear what you think of the Clinton Foundation. Complete our brief online survey by September 21, 2012. Take the Survey. Join Us in LA We're excited to announce that R&B artist Robin Thicke will be joining President Clinton and Chelsea at our October 8 Millennium Network event. Join other young philanthropists at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles to support the incredible work of the Clinton Foundation and learn about how we're making a difference in Los Angeles and around the world. Purchase your tickets today. President Clinton Visits Haiti Earlier this week, President Clinton visited Haiti to tour the Haiti Hotel School in Port-au-Prince, the only hospitality school of its kind in the country. The school provides training and resources for people pursuing careers in the hospitality industry and works to reinvigorate the tourism sector. See how we're working to build partnerships that are expanding economic development in Haiti. Read more. Healthier Schools September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Ms. Williamson-English, a school nurse, is helping her school create a healthier learning environment. Read more. President Clinton's Commitment to Africa The New York Times highlights President Clinton's recent trip to Africa, where he and Chelsea toured the sites of many Clinton Foundation projects. Read the article.

Give Today | Email Sign Up | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr President Bill Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods, and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among businesses, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens. CLINTONFOUNDATION.ORG William J. Clinton Foundation | 1200 President Clinton Avenue | Little Rock, AR 72201

For Immediate Release: September 20, 2012
Contact: press@clintonglobalinitiative.org

President Clinton Announces That Newly Elected Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Will Join More Than 50 Current and Former Heads of State at 2012 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

Global business, government, and civil society leaders also announced to attend include Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, prime minister, State of Kuwait; Luis Federico Franco Gómez, president of the Republic of Paraguay; Laurent Lamothe, prime minister of the Republic of Haiti; Otto Pérez Molina, president of Guatemala; Sauli Niinistö, president of the Republic of Finland; Bujar Nishani, president of Albania; Rosen Plevneliev, president of the Republic of Bulgaria; Portia Simpson-Miller, prime minister of Jamaica; Ehud Barak, minister of defense, deputy prime minister, and former prime minister, State of Israel; Benjamin W. Mkapa, former president of the United Republic of Tanzania and founder of the Benjamin William Mkapa HIV/AIDS Foundation; George Papandreou, former prime minister of the Hellenic Republic; Ray LaHood, secretary of transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation; Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and CEO of the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; Philippe Cousteau, Jr., president of GlobalECHO Foundation; Michael T. Duke, president and CEO of Wal-mart Stores, Inc.; Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health; Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company; and Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia

New York, NY – President Clinton announced today that newly elected president of the General National Congress of Libya Mohamed Magariaf, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mohamed Morsi, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will participate in the eighth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative to be held September 23-25 in New York City. They will join world leaders in government, business, and civil society, including President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, at the meeting dedicated to creating and implementing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Secretary-General Ban will participate in a panel during the Opening Session on Sunday, September 23, and President Morsi will address and attend the Closing Plenary Session on Tuesday, September 25.

“I am inspired that so many world leaders are coming together at the Clinton Global Initiative as part of their efforts to find a road to a more peaceful and prosperous future for people everywhere, regardless of borders,” said President Clinton.

President Clinton also announced that Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, prime minister, State of Kuwait; Luis Federico Franco Gómez, president of the Republic of Paraguay; Laurent Lamothe, prime minister of the Republic of Haiti; Otto Pérez Molina, president of Guatemala; Sauli Niinistö, president of the Republic of Finland; Bujar Nishani, president of Albania; Rosen Plevneliev, president of the Republic of Bulgaria; Portia Simpson-Miller, prime minister of Jamaica; Benjamin W. Mkapa, former president of the United Republic of Tanzania and founder of the Benjamin William Mkapa HIV/AIDS Foundation; Ehud Barak, minister of defense, deputy prime minister, and former prime minister, State of Israel; Tarja Halonen, former president of the Republic of Finland; George Papandreou, former prime minister of the Hellenic Republic; Walter T. Gwenigale, minister of health and social welfare, Republic of Liberia; Alvin Brown, mayor of the City of Jacksonville; Ray LaHood, secretary of transportation, the U.S. Department of Transportation; Gavin Newsom, lieutenant governor of the State of California; Christine C. Quinn, speaker of the New York City Council; Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and CEO of the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; Philippe Cousteau, Jr., president of GlobalECHO Foundation; Michael T. Duke, president and CEO of Wal-mart Stores, Inc.; Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health; Bill Goodwyn, chief executive officer of Discovery Education at Discovery Communications Inc.; Randall Kempner, executive director of Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs; Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company; Ross Mountain, general director at DARA; Billy Parish, president of Solar Mosaic; Jonathan Quick, president and CEO of Management Sciences for Health; Ethnie Miller Simpson, chief executive officer of Zinergy International; Richard Stengel, managing editor of TIME Magazine; Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia; and Michelle Yeoh, global ambassador, Make Roads Safe Campaign at the FIA Foundation will participate in the upcoming Annual Meeting.

For the full list of confirmed participants, visit: clintonglobalinitiative.org/ourmeetings/2012/speakers

CGI will also feature for the first time televised “Broadcast Conversations,” a series of sessions hosted by broadcast journalists with an international audience for use on their programs. Hosts will include CNN’s Piers Morgan of “Piers Morgan Tonight” and Fareed Zakaria of “Fareed Zakaria GPS” and Charlie Rose, executive editor and anchor of “Charlie Rose,” which airs on PBS and Bloomberg.

During the “Broadcast Conversations,” CGI members and commitment makers from government, business, nonprofit, and entertainment will share their experiences with addressing and designing solutions to major global challenges and discuss current affairs. Participants will include Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, president of Mexico; Salva Kiir Mayardit, president of the Republic of South Sudan; Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom; Timothy Geithner, secretary of the treasury, United States Department of the Treasury; Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and CEO of the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco; and Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company.

For more information, please visit clintonglobalinitiative.org/2012. Follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative for meeting news and highlights. The event hashtag is #CGI2012.

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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 create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

President Clinton to travel to Haiti

New York, NY- On Monday, September 17, President Bill Clinton will travel to Haiti.

In the afternoon, President Clinton will visit the Haiti Hotel School in Port-au-Prince, where he will tour the facilities and meet students and staff. The tour is open press.

President Clinton will then visit the Center for Investment Facilitation in Port-au-Prince, where he will make an announcement, tour the facility, and talk to staff. The visit is open press.

Later, he will speak at an open press ceremony at the University of Notre Dame in Port-au-Prince, where new projects funded by the Qatar Fund will be announced.

For more information, please contact press@clintonfoundation.org.

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Monday, September 17, 2012
1:15 PM EST
President Clinton tours Haiti Hotel School
#1 Impasse Lavau
Bois Verna
Port au Prince
OPEN PRESS


2:30 PM EST
President Clinton visits Center for Investment Facilitation (CFI)
CFI Facility
27, rue Armand Holy
Port-au-Prince
OPEN PRESS


3:45 PM EST
President Clinton speaks at Qatar Fund Announcement
University of Notre Dame
6 Rue Sapotille
Port-au-Prince
OPEN PRESS

President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney to Attend and Address
the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Felipe Calderón, president of Mexico; Denzil L. Douglas, prime minister of the Federation of Saint Kitts & Nevis; Ralph E. Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Atifete Jahjaga, president of the Republic of Kosovo; Goodluck E. Jonathan, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Paul Kagame, president of the Republic of Rwanda; Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Hashim Thaçi, prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo; Timothy F. Geithner, secretary of the treasury, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, finance minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama; Tom Golisano, CGI's founding sponsor, and founder and chairman of the board of Paychex; Condoleezza Rice, founding partner of RiceHaleyGates LLC; Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize-winner; and Carlos Slim Helú, founder, Fundación Carlos Slim will join the CGI Annual Meeting with the theme “Designing for Impact”

Other newly announced participants include Regina M. Benjamin, surgeon general, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Cheryl D. Mills, counselor and chief of staff, U.S. Department of State; Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer, The Coca-Cola Company; Arif Naqvi, founder and group chief executive of Abraaj Holdings; Peter G. Peterson, chairman, The Peter G. Peterson Foundation; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; Reeta Roy, chief executive officer of the MasterCard Foundation; and Melanne Verveer, ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, U.S. Department of State; Linda Zecher, president and chief executive officer, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

NEW YORK – Today, President Bill Clinton announced that President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney will participate in the eighth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative joining world leaders in government, business, philanthropy, and civil society who gather each year to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. President Obama and Governor Romney will address separate sessions during the final day of the Annual Meeting to be held September 23-25 in New York City.

“I’m grateful that President Obama and Governor Romney are taking time to join leaders from all parts of society who choose to address our greatest global challenges through the Clinton Global Initiative,” said President Clinton. “CGI is built on the spirit of non-partisan, cross-sector collaborations that drive action and I’m proud that, since we began in 2005, CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments that are already improving the lives of 400 million people all over the world.”

In addition to President Obama and Governor Romney, President Clinton announced new participants including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Felipe Calderón, president of Mexico; Denzil L. Douglas, prime minister of the Federation of Saint Kitts & Nevis; Ralph E. Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Atifete Jahjaga, president of the Republic of Kosovo; Goodluck E. Jonathan, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Paul Kagame, president of the Republic of Rwanda; Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Hashim Thaçi, prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo; Timothy F. Geithner, secretary of the treasury, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, finance minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Regina M. Benjamin, surgeon general, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama; Cheryl D. Mills, counselor and chief of staff, U.S. Department of State; Melanne Verveer, ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, U.S. Department of State; Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize-winner; Adi Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Group; Tom Golisano, CGI's founding sponsor, and founder and chairman of the board of Paychex; Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer, The Coca-Cola Company; Arif Naqvi, founder and group chief executive of Abraaj Holdings; Peter G. Peterson, chairman, The Peter G. Peterson Foundation; Condoleezza Rice, founding partner of RiceHaleyGates LLC; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; Reeta Roy, chief executive officer of the MasterCard Foundation; Carlos Slim Helú, founder, Fundación Carlos Slim; and Linda Zecher, president and chief executive officer, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will join the CGI Annual Meeting with the theme Designing of Impact.

For the first time, the CGI Annual Meeting is built around the single theme, “Designing for Impact,” which will examine how the Commitments to Action that CGI members make can be structured to achieve the most positive, measurable results. The three-day meeting will focus on designing for individual lives, our environments and the systems we rely on including food, an inclusive economy, and good governance.

CGI will conduct Design Labs facilitated by the following leading design experts: Kate Canales, Director of Design and Innovation Programs, Southern Methodist University; John Cary, Founder and Editor, PublicInterestDesign.org; Krista Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer, D-Rev: Design Revolution; Heather Fleming, Chief Executive Officer, Catapult Design; David Janka, Levinthal Fellow, Stanford University Institute of Design; Patrice Martin, Co-Lead and Creative Director, IDEO.org; Liz Ogbu, Scholar in Residence, Center for Art and Public Life, California College of the Arts; Sandy Speicher, Education Lead, IDEO; Sarah Stein Greenberg, Managing Director, Stanford University Institute of Design; and, Jocelyn Wyatt, Co-Lead and Creative Director, IDEO.org.

Earlier this year, CGI introduced a comprehensive program of year-round opportunities for CGI members organized around eight tracks which will be threaded throughout the programming at the Annual Meeting including Girls & Women, Education & Workforce Development, Energy & Ecosystems, Global Health, Market-based Approaches, Response & Resilience, Technology and the Built Environment.

Previously announced participants at the 2012 CGI Annual Meeting include: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC; His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco; Madeleine Albright, chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group; Joyce Banda, president of the Republic of Malawi; Walter A. Bell, chairman of the board at Swiss Re America Holding Corp; Seth Berkley, chief executive officer of the GAVI Alliance; Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom; Tim Brown, president and CEO of IDEO; His Majesty King Juan Carlos I, Kingdom of Spain; John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco; Jason Clay, senior vice president of market transformation at the World Wildlife Fund; Chelsea Clinton, board member of the William J. Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative; Hillary Rodham Clinton, secretary of state, U.S. Department of State; Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme; David Crane, president and CEO of NRG Energy, Inc.; Salma Samar Damluji, chief architect at Daw‘an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation; Mallika Dutt, president and CEO of Breakthrough; Jay S. Fishman, chairman and CEO of the Travelers Companies, Inc.; Anne H. Hastings, chief executive officer of Fonkoze Financial Services; Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; José Insulza, secretary general of the Organization of American States; Robert Ivy, executive vice president and CEO of the American Institute of Architects; Antony Jenkins, group chief executive at Barclays PLC; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of the Republic of Liberia; Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank Group; Klaus Kleinfeld, chairman and CEO of Alcoa Inc.; Kay Krill, president and CEO of ANN INC.; Nicholas D. Kristof, columnist at the New York Times; Sasha Kramer, co-founder and executive director of Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL); Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author, journalist, and deputy director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations; Elizabeth Littlefield, president and CEO of Overseas Private Investment Corporation; Molly Melching, founder and executive director of Tostan; António Mexia, chief executive officer, EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A.; Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children; Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank; Jayaseelan Naidoo, chairman of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Reema Nanavaty, director of economic and rural development at Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA); Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, Inc.; Denis O'Brien, chairman of Digicel Group; Sally Osberg, president and CEO of the Skoll Foundation; Clarence Otis, Jr., chairman and CEO of Darden Restaurants, Inc.; Stephan Ouaknine, chairman, managing partner, and CEO of Inerjys Ventures Inc.; Johanna Ralston, chief executive officer of the World Heart Federation; Navinchandra Ramgoolam, prime minister of the Republic of Mauritius; Jim Rogers, chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy Corporation; Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods Inc.; Robert E. Rubin, co-chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, former secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury; Kiran Sethi, founder and director of the Riverside School, Ahmedabad – India; Luis A. Ubiñas, president of The Ford Foundation; Rajiv Shah, Administrator of United States Agency for International Development; Porfirio Lobo Sosa, president of the Republic of Honduras; Lynn Stout, distinguished professor of corporate and business law at Cornell University Law School; Hans Vestberg, president and CEO of Ericsson; Daniel Yohannes, chief executive officer of Millennium Challenge Corporation; Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the United Nations Development Organization; and Jochen Zeitz, chairman of the management board and CEO of PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport.

President Clinton will also honor remarkable individuals for their leadership in philanthropy, government, civil society, and the corporate sector at the sixth annual Clinton Global Citizen Awards in a special ceremony with live musical performances and celebrity presenters on Monday, September 24.

The 2012 CGI Annual Meeting is sponsored by Abraaj Capital, American Federation of Teachers, Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos, APCO Worldwide, Barclays, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Delos Living, Deutsche Bank, Diageo PLC, The Dow Chemical Company, Duke Energy Corporation, ExxonMobil, The Ford Foundation, Varkey GEMS Foundation, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, Hewlett Packard Company, Inter-American Development Bank, InterEnergy, Jive Software, Knoll Inc, Laureate International Universities, Microsoft Corporation, NRG Energy Inc, Procter & Gamble, The Rockefeller Foundation, Shangri-La Industries, Standard Chartered Bank, Starkey Hearing Foundation, Swiss Reinsurance Company, Tom Golisano, Toyota Motors Corporation, United Postcode Lotteries, The Victor Pinchuk Foundation, and Western Union Financial Services Inc.

The full agenda for the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative can be found at clintonglobalinitiative.org/2012. Follow CGI Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

All media wishing to cover the event must apply for credentials and be approved by CGI. Space is limited and the application deadline is Friday, September 21 at 5 p.m. EST. To apply, please complete the form at: cgilink.org/PP392s

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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 create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

PRESS RELEASE10 Sep 2012

Johnnie Walker launches bold new advertising campaign Download file

'Where Flavour Is King’ showcases products’ credentials rooted in the big, bold flavours of Johnnie Walker whiskyJohnnie Walker, the world’s number one Blended Scotch Whisky, is this week launching a new global advertising campaign. Entitled ‘Where Flavour Is King’, the campaign focuses on the array of rich and intense flavours that are found in each blend of Johnnie Walker whisky. 

From its origins in 1820, the Johnnie Walker label has always been committed to its quest to blend whiskies of exceptional flavour, refusing to compromise on quality. This dedicated attitude to finding exotic and exciting tastes takes the product on a special journey of distillation, maturation and blending, to produce the ultimate, unrivalled blend. The flavours, derived solely from the simplest ingredients of barley, water and peat, are mythically transformed through distillation and years of maturation in charred wood casks before being unleashed through the craft of the master blender.

This unique flavour production and craft of blending, which is at the heart of the Scotch,  is reflected in the collection of campaign images, as consumers are transported to a mysterious and evocative world, featuring giant fruit smashers, towers of spices, honey cauldrons and fire-breathers.

The new, vibrant campaign and its collection of stunning images will be supported by an above the line campaign across outdoor and radio, as well as bespoke promotional materials, delivering rich consumer experiences in the on and off trade. The campaign will also feature social media activation that will centre on a unique Facebook app, taking consumers on an exotic and engaging journey through the layers, flavour and wonderful ways to enjoy Johnnie Walker.

‘Where Flavour Is King’ was written and produced by UK ad agency LOVE, and led by creative director Chris Myers. The campaign images were shot by renowned photographer Finlay MacKay over five days in London, England in April 2012. The extensive production – led by award-winning set designer Robin Brown, Michelin star food stylist James Hayward and Fashion Director of GQ Style in the UK, Luke Day – required a drawing room to be built from scratch, featuring dramatic lighting, giant fruits and 6ft tall bottles of Johnnie Walker whisky.

Gavin Pike, Global Brand Director for Johnnie Walker, said the campaign would help drive consumer awareness of the range of tastes across the brand portfolio:

“The new campaign, ‘Where Flavour Is King’, will open consumers’ eyes to the depth and variety of flavour that exists across the Johnnie Walker whisky taste spectrum. By creating a unique image for each variant of Johnnie Walker whisky, the consumer will be able to make an instant, tangible association with the power and depth of flavour of each blend. For example our Red Label shot centres around spices and fresh fruit, whereas the Black Label campaign highlights rich fruits and vanilla, with the distinctive Johnnie Walker smoky finish.

We’re thrilled to be able to Keep Walking in the footsteps of John Walker, dedicating ourselves to the pursuit of flavour and are positive that ‘Where Flavour Is King’ will provide even deeper levels of consumer engagement than in previous campaigns.”

The first market to launch ‘Where Flavour Is King’ is Africa, followed by Australia, Brazil, Global Travel, Russia & Hong Kong, later this year. European markets will roll out from July 2013.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

About JOHNNIE WALKER:Johnnie Walker is the world’s number one Blended Scotch Whisky brand, enjoyed by people in more than 180 countries around the world. Since the time of founder, John Walker, it has been closely associated with the concept of progress. A combination of consumer insight, determination and commercial astuteness enabled three pioneering generations of the Walker family to grow the small grocery store founded in 1820 into an international whisky business selling stylish, authentic, iconic brands.

This progressive and innovative approach has continued into the 21st century. Today’s range of award winning whiskies includes RED LABEL®, BLACK LABEL®, GOLD LABEL RESERVE®, PLATINUM LABEL® and BLUE LABEL®. Together they account for 18.0 million cases sold annually (Impact Databank February 2012), making JOHNNIE WALKER the most popular Scotch Whisky in the world.

About Diageo:Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business. With its global vision, and local marketing focus, Diageo brings to consumers an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across the spirits, wine and beer categories including Smirnoff, Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, J&B, Cuervo, Captain Morgan and Tanqueray, and Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo trades in some 180 countries around the world and is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.

Diageo is committed to responsible drinking through: setting world-class standards in responsible marketing, promotion and innovation; promoting a shared understanding of what responsible drinking means, and working with others to combat alcohol misuse.

The JOHNNIE WALKER, WHERE FLAVOUR IS KING, KEEP WALKING, RED LABEL, BLACK LABEL, BLUE LABEL, GOLD LABEL RESERVE AND PLATINUM LABEL words and associated logos are trademarks.