2007 Clinton Global Initiative areas of Focus

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 area of focus.


Education

Education is critical to social and economic empowerment, yet severe disparities persist within both the developed and developing worlds. Children—and especially girls—often lack access to a basic education that equips them to navigate everything from the daily challenges of their own societies to the changing tides of technology and the global marketplace. Although education is also central to building tolerance within diverse societies and between culturally distinct countries, schooling is frequently manipulated for religious and political purposes with dire consequences. This year’s CGI will explore specific and practical ways to address these problems.


Energy & Climate Change
In recent years, world temperatures have reached record highs, oil prices have climbed to new peaks, and the market for clean energy technologies has grown dramatically. This year, CGI will explore specific steps for cutting emissions of heat-trapping gases and shaping a clean energy future. Visionary leaders are finding exciting new ways to confront these challenges. Energy and Climate Change working group sessions will explore these challenges and others including: clean energy markets in the developing world, new approaches for protecting tropical forests, innovative state and local solutions to climate change, green buildings, and national policies and international cooperation to fight global warming.



Global Health
Seeking effective partnerships and innovative ideas, CGI focuses on reducing the scale of a catastrophe that is preventable. Global Health working group sessions will examine high impact opportunities for governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to collaborate on critical global health issues including: fighting under-nutrition, over-nutrition and micro-nutrient deficiency, developing new vaccines and expanding the use of existing vaccines, and strengthening health systems, including low-cost IT solutions.



Poverty Alleviation
People around the world are taking strides toward rendering better tools in the global fight against poverty. The poverty working group at the Clinton Global Initiative seeks answers to questions such as: how, in an increasingly complex and uncertain global trade environment, can trade benefit the world’s poorest producers? The group also seeks concrete steps that people can take, such as creating jobs to generate domestic savings and reduce dependence on aid, linking businesses and NGOs in new collaborative initiatives, and equipping young leaders to organize communities, fight poverty and create wealth.