Former president Bill Clinton is calling on college students to tackle both local and global problems to make the world a better place with his newest initiative, the Clinton Global Initiative University, or CGI U.
He started the CGI U because “young people have proven they have an enormous commitment to changing the world and they have a tremendous power to do so,” he said during a conference call with The State News and other college media. “You can make a profound difference.”
The inaugural meeting of CGI U will be March 14-16 at Tulane University in New Orleans, where more than 500 students will meet with university officials.
Global leaders also will gather to focus on energy and climate change, human rights and peace, global health and poverty alleviation.
After Hurricane Katrina, Tulane University became the first university in the U.S. to require students to do some kind of community service to graduate. Clinton said he chose New Orleans to host CGI U because it’s a part of the U.S. that still needs aid and attention after the 2006 hurricane.
“It’s important to focus on issues here because the United States won’t be whole again until we make good to the people of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast area,” Clinton said.
The project is the newest part of the Clinton Global Initiative, Clinton’s nonprofit organization aimed at using service and action to make the world a better place.
Both projects focus on taking action to alleviate global problems, and every attendee of CGI U must commit to some specific action before leaving.
“What steps can you take as college students in society to be more proactive rather than reactive?” Clinton said.
Clinton said he envisions a world where every college and university in the U.S. has its own nongovernmental organization, or NGO, that focuses on service projects and fixing a specific global problem.
In his mind, each college could brand its NGO in the same way sports teams are branded — students would want to join this group more than a fraternity or sorority.
“Students should think of this as just another part of their education, as their duty as citizens,” Clinton said.
Until that time, however, Clinton said students across the country should focus on making their campuses carbon neutral.
He said if every college and university went carbon neutral, greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. would be reduced by 6-7 percent.
For anyone interested in applying to attend CGI U this year, or for more information about Clinton’s projects, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org.
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