Clinton Foundation

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The William J. Clinton Foundation (Clinton Incorporated) is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas: health security; economic empowerment; leadership development and citizen service; and racial, ethnic and religious reconciliation. The Foundation works principally through partnerships with like-minded individuals, organizations, corporations, and governments, often serving as an incubator for new policies and programs. They have offices located in Harlem; New York City; Boston, Massachusetts; and Little Rock, Arkansas.

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[edit] Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI)

The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) strives to make treatment for HIV/AIDS more affordable and to implement large-scale integrated care, treatment, and prevention programs. Since its inception, CHAI has helped bring AIDS care and treatment to over 750,000 people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. Its activities have included AIDS care and treatment in Africa, including the brokering of drug distribution agreements. During President Clinton's 2006 trip to Africa, CHAI signed agreements with several new countries. Over the course of the past year, CHAI increased the number of partner countries and members of the Procurement Consortium, which can purchase AIDS medicines and diagnostic equipment at CHAI's reduced prices, to 66. [1] CHAI launched the Pediatric and Rural Initiatives in 2005 to focus on bringing AIDS care and treatment to those most often marginalized— children and those living in rural areas. CHAI also negotiated agreements that reduce the prices of second-line drugs and rapid diagnostic tests. In May, 2007, CHAI and UNITAID announced agreements that help middle-income and low-income countries save money on second-line drugs. The partnership also reduced the price of a once-daily first-line treatment to less than $1 per day. [2]

[edit] Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

The Clinton Global Initiative was inaugurated September 15-17, 2005 in New York City to coincide with the 2005 World Summit, under the leadership of former President Bill Clinton.

CGI is stated as being a non-partisan catalyst for action, bringing together global leaders including heads of state, non-profit organizations, charities, and business leaders to discuss challenges facing the world today and devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The initiative culminates in an annual conference, at which each invited guest must make a specific commitment to address one of the focus areas discussed. CGI staff then monitors the progress and success of these commitments throughout the year.

Clinton himself has stated that the 2005 conference saw US$2.3 billion in commitments to donations, and that by the conclusion of the 2006 event, over US$7.3 billion was committed,[3] including British entrepreneur Richard Branson's pledge to donate the profits of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains, two of his Virgin Group's companies, over the next ten years to research environmentally friendly fuels. The donation is estimated to be worth US$3 billion.[4] In the conference's first announcement, First Lady Laura Bush announced a public-private partnership with the Case Foundation and others to install 4,000 Roundabout PlayPumps to bring water to up to 10 million people in Africa.

The conference, which is held annually in New York City and is attended by nearly 50 heads of state, is produced by FiveCurrents.

[edit] Goals

The Clinton Global Initiative began with a focused effort to identify a small number of the most serious issues affecting the world today. Advisory boards and working group chairs are assigned to oversee each focus area.

2006 CGI Focus Areas 2007 CGI Focus Areas 2008 CGI Focus Areas
Energy and Climate Change Energy and Climate Change Energy and Climate Change
Global Public Health Global Health Global Health
Poverty Alleviation Poverty Alleviation Poverty Alleviation
Mitigating Religious and Ethnic Conflict Education Education

[edit] Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI)

On August 1st, 2006, the Foundation entered into a partnership with the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, agreeing to provide resources to allow the participating cities to enter into an energy-saving product purchasing consortium and to provide technical and communications support. [5]

In May, 2007, CCI announced its first project which will help some large cities cut greenhouse gas emissions by facilitating retrofitting of existing buildings. Five large banks committed $1 billion each to help cities and building owners make energy-saving improvements aimed at lowering energy use and energy costs. [6]

At the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative, President Clinton announced the 1Sky campaign to accelerate bold federal policy on global warming.[7] The 1Sky campaign supports at least an 80% reduction in climate pollution levels by 2050.

[edit] Clinton Hunter Development Initiative (CHDI)

The Clinton Hunter Development Initiative was formed in 2006 as a partnership between Scottish philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter’s Hunter Foundation and former President Bill Clinton’s Clinton Foundation to target the root causes of poverty in Africa and promote sustainable economic growth. [8]

The initiative will invest $100 million over the next 10 years in projects that will improve food security, clean water and sanitation, and quality health care. Right now, these programs are focused in Rwanda and Malawi, but can potentially be expanded to other countries in the future.

Together with the governments of these two countries, CHDI has had such successes as helping farmers access fertilizer, disease-resistant seeds, irrigation systems, advanced planting techniques and micro-credit. This assistance as lead to a record harvest in eastern Rwanda. CHDI has also helped Partners In Health build new health care facilities in Neno, Malawi.

[edit] The Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Following his quadruple bypass surgery in 2004, President Clinton became even more outspoken importance of a healthy lifestyle and to the prevalence of childhood obesity in America. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association that is working to end the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States by 2010. Co-led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Alliance includes four: the Healthy Schools Program Go Healthy Challenge, a food and beverage industry program, and a healthcare initiative. [9]

The Healthy Schools Program supports schools’ efforts to create healthier environments for students and staff. The Program provides hands-on and online support to schools, helping them to offer healthier food, more opportunities for exercise, and education on how to lead a healthier lifestyle. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which provided an initial $8 million to start the Healthy Schools Program, recently awarded a $20 million grant to expand the program to over 8,000 schools in states with the highest obesity rates. [10]

The Go Healthy Challenge, an online, on-air and community-based campaign, encourages kids to take the Go Healthy Pledge to lead healthier lifestyles. This campaign is fueled by a partnership with Nickelodeon, which airs the Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge and sponsors the Worldwide Day of Play. The Alliance for a Healthy Generation has also partnered with the NBA, Rachael Ray and Channel One to engage a variety of audiences in the fight against childhood obesity. [11]

At the industry level, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation struck agreements with major food and beverage manufacturers to provide kids with nutritional options, and established nutrition guidelines for school vending machines, stores and cafeterias to promote healthy eating. Some of the companies involved in these efforts are Coca-Cola, Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, Dannon, Kraft Foods, Mars and PepsiCo. [12] [13]

The fourth initiative involves working with insurance companies and healthcare providers to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood obesity.

[edit] Disaster relief

The Foundation has funded extensive disaster relief programs following the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit, President George W. Bush asked former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton to raise funds to help rebuild the Gulf Coast region. The two Presidents, having worked together to assist victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, established the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to identify and meet the unmet needs in the region, foster economic opportunity, and to improve the quality of life of those affected. [14] In the first month after the hurricane, the Fund collected over 42,000 online donations alone; approximately $128.4 million has been received to date from all 50 states and $30.9 million from foreign countries.

[edit] Criticism

The Clinton Foundation has been criticized for a lack of transparency. Although U.S. law does not currently require nonprofit charities --including presidential foundations-- to disclose the identities of their contributors, critics say the names of donors should be disclosed because Bill Clinton's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, might become the vice-president of the United States. Commentator Matthew Yglesias wrote in an op-ed (Los Angeles Times, October 4, 2007) that the Clintons should make public the names of foundation donors to avoid any appearance of impropriety. [15] Bill Clinton's presidential library sold names of several donors to infoUSA, a direct marketing data firm founded by longtime Clinton donor Vin Gupta.

On April 4th, 2008 when the Clinton's released their tax returns for the past 30 years, it was found that their charitable donations went to their own charitable foundation. [1] [16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Clinton Group Gets Discount For AIDS Drugs- NY Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  2. ^ Five Nations To Tax Airfare To Raise Funds For AIDS Drugs - NY Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  3. ^ From an interview with Bill Clinton broadcast on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace on September 24, 2006.
  4. ^ Come fly with me, come give it away. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  5. ^ Former President Clinton launches climate change initiative. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  6. ^ President Clinton Announces Landmark Program to Reduce Energy Use in Buildings Worldwide. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  7. ^ Rockefeller Brothers Fund: News & Resources: Multimedia: President Clinton Recognizes 1Sky Campaign on Global Warming
  8. ^ A Scotsman Wields a Not-So-Invisible Hand in Africa - NY Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  9. ^ Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association – and Industry Leaders Set Healthy School Beverage Guidelines for U.S. Schools. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  10. ^ Healthy Schools Program. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  11. ^ Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  12. ^ Producers Agree to Send Healthier Foods to Schools - NY Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  13. ^ How Bill Put the Fizz in the Fight Against Fat - TIME Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  14. ^ Clinton Lends His Expertise and an Ear in Louisiana - NY Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  15. ^ Who's Giving Money to Bill Clinton? - LA Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  16. ^ Clinton Library Sells Secret Donor List, ABCNews.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.

[edit] External links

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