The stars come out for the Clinton Global Initiative 
Thursday, September 27th, 2007

Politics, planning to solve the planet's most pressing problems, and Brangelina all rolled into one:  we love it!  The third annual Clinton Global Initiative is bringing 1,300 delegates from 72 countries together to address and attempt to improve issues that are affecting the world today.  It doesn't come cheap for these do-gooders:  each had to pay $15,000 for membership, and each must design their own specific project to work on between each annual conference (including backing it financially).  And if they don't make good on their commitment, they're actually barred from coming back the next year.

Yesterday, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie spoke alongside the minister of education in Afghanistan, and the president of Colombia, and said that the amount of money spent in Iraq in just a few hours could have educated thousands of children.  "To put things into perspective and maybe help to understand why we maybe need to adjust the way we're doing things in the world, the conflict in Iraq has displaced over four million people," she said.

Jolie said that an appeal by UNICEF, the United Nation's fund for children, to address educational needs of children was nothing compared to the cost of U.S. military spending in Iraq.  "The entire appeal equals about eight hours of current spending in Iraq.  So just a few hours would send 150,000 children to school."

"Nothing wins more hearts and minds and nothing gives more freedom than education and nothing is a better deterrent for conflict than an educated child."  The world, she said, needs to get its "priorities in order."  Her commitment, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which she co-chairs, will educate more than 1 million children around the globe.  It even includes a plan to bring "Sesame Street" to Afghanistan.

"They say education is not lifesaving," she said.  "All of us would beg to differ."

Her partner, Brad Pitt (as if you didn't know), spoke on the session for climate change, and pledged $5 million toward the rebuilding of the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

"We're prepared to break ground by the end of the year, but we need your help," he said.  "We will match dollar for dollar any and every single contribution up to $10 million."  His "Make it Right" project, teamed up with real-estate deveoper and philanthropist Steve Bing, will ensure that "residents who wish to return to the Lower Ninth Ward can do so without further financial hardship."  The website for his project is here.

For more info on the annual Clinton Global Initiative, you can visit their website.  Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, tennis star Andre Agassi, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and many others are on the guest list this year.  But you don't have to be a celeb or head of state to make a difference.

The Clinton Global Initiative has also introduced mycommitment.org, where anyone can make commitments, big or small to help change the world.

   

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