Bill Clinton plans private summit on global woes

[maddezmom]

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton says he is intent on finding ways the private sector can solve some of the world's most pressing problems from poverty to terrorism.

As host of a meeting in New York later this year of private and public sector leaders, Clinton said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday there are plenty of problems governments simply cannot address.

~snip~


"If I were president and I had a Congress that was two-thirds Democrat and we were starting with a budget surplus of prosperity, there would still be needs in the world I would like to see met that the American government could not meet entirely," he said.

The Clinton Global Initiative, to be held Sept. 15-17 in New York to coincide with the United Nations' General Assembly, eyes four topics -- poverty, corruption, climate change and religious and ethnic reconciliation.

Everyone who participates must make a specific commitment to be fulfilled by the next annual meeting, he said. For example, a corporation might commit to building schoolrooms in Kenya or sending educational materials to Mexico.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050712/ts_nm/people_clinton_dc_2

[cmd]

1. Clinton will put shrub in the shadows

He's looking out for the people while the shrub watches over corporations. Best of luck, Big Dog.

edit: rate that story a 5

[FlemingsGhost]

2. What's GHW Bush doing with his spare time?

Oh, right ... arming the world.

Cha-ching!

[silverweb]

3. Go, Big Dog!!

:yourock:

This is wonderful! I have no doubt much good will come of it.

:bounce:

[Fridays Child]

4. Caring Corporations run by Compassionate Conservatives?

Cow Crap.

[silverweb]

5. Every bit helps.

"Better to light one candle than curse the darkness," right?

Corporations want good PR. If getting them to do something good makes them look better -- and Clinton can motivate them to do something substantial -- they're likely to go for it. Then we can keep prodding them to do more. It may be too much to hope that they'll actually develop a real conscience, but it's a beginning.

It's a progressive sort of thing, you know?

It has to start somewhere
It has to start sometime
What better place than here
What better time than now

(Rage Against the Machine, "Guerrilla Radio")