President Bill Clinton concluded the sixth annual Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) meeting this week, which convened nearly 1,000 attendees from business, foundation, nonprofit, and government sectors to advance solutions that encourage economic growth, support long-term competitiveness, and increase social mobility in the United States.
Throughout the meeting, attendees formed partnerships to create Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable plans and projects — that will make a tangible difference across the country.
“The work CGI America attendees have accomplished over the past two days proves that networks of creative cooperation work better than conflict,” said President Clinton. “I’m proud that new commitments made will impact so many lives because you chose to work together to create a better future.”
Since CGI America was first established in 2011, participants have made nearly 600 Commitments to Action that will impact more than 4.9 million people. New CGI America 2016 commitments, alone, will ensure that:
• More than 350,000 people in underserved communities will be positively impacted by services ranging from improving college readiness to supporting business and workforce development programs;
• More than 129,000 girls and women will be positively affected by programs that support early childhood development and increase access to employment and skills development opportunities;
• More than 3,500 veterans will be positively impacted by programs improving the connectedness of military families facing deployments, as well as providing veterans with job skills and financial services; and
• More than 3,000 educators will participate in professional development programs, equipping participants with effective educational tools.
In a press conference on Monday, June 13, highlighting Commitments to Action that will benefit the City of Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed said, “I’m deeply honored that the Clinton Global Initiative chose Atlanta to host the 2016 America meeting. I think that anybody who has been a part of the meetings today knows why I was so enthused about them coming to our city. It’s an honor to stand here today to showcase the impact that the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting will have right here in the City of Atlanta.”
This year’s meeting closed with a one-on-one conversation between President Clinton and President Carter on how CGI America attendees can strengthen the American economy. Additional feature conversations throughout the meeting included:
• America in the World: Staying Ahead, where President Clinton spoke with leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including Ian Bremmer, Sandy Douglas, and Shirley Ann Jackson, to explore how attendees can improve U.S. competitiveness;
• Communities in Transition: Building a Sustainable Future, a discussion in partnership with Quartz, moderated by Kevin J. Delaney, Editor in Chief and President of Quartz, with Donnel Baird, W. Paul Bowers, and Adrianna Quintero, which addressed how attendees can invest in resilient preventative measures to mitigate and adapt to resource changes and ensure socially and environmentally sustainable growth;
• Addressing the Opioid Crisis, a one-on-one conversation between President Clinton and Senator Joe Manchin on strategies to address the devastating human impact and staggering economic cost of prescription opioid abuse across the nation;
• Overcoming Poverty; Improving Opportunity, a discussion with Michael McAfee, Patrick T. McCarthy, Randi Weingarten, and Marian Wright Edelman on creating preventative approaches to alleviate poverty while supporting children to realize their full potential; and
• Now What? Investing in the Long-Term, a conversation hosted by Bloomberg TV with David Westin, Anchor at Bloomberg TV, moderated a discussion with Robert L. Johnson, Steven Sugarman, and Alex Taylor, Executive Vice President of Cox Enterprises, Inc., who discussed smart investments they believe will have a lasting return for all Americans and make the nation more competitive globally. President Clinton also joined the session and highlighted several CGI America commitments impacting lives around the country.
All CGI America 2016 plenary sessions are available at live.cgiamerica.org.
