What do Prince Harry and Hollywood’s own Matt Damon know about the virtues of hard work? Can they offer insights into climate issues, global health, gun violence, and a way forward for humanity that defeats hardscrabble inequality once and for all?
The 2024 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting set down for New York on Sept. 23 and 24 thinks they offer plenty. That’s why they will be addressing the gilded elites at this year’s edition of the annual event.
A subset of the Clinton Foundation, the CGI “convenes global and emerging leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges,” according to its website.
File/Matt Damon participates in the session “Shifting the Power: How New Philanthropic Approaches Can Transform the World of Social Impact” during the Clinton Global Initiative September 2023 Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on September 19, 2023 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty)
AP reports the theme dominating the 2024 gathering of political, business and philanthropic leaders is “What’s Working” – an effort to shine a spotlight on potential solutions and effective aid in a world marked by war, increased income inequality and food insecurity.
Former President Bill Clinton revealed this year’s Clinton Global Initiative would “double down” on the progress made on a host of important issues.
File/Chelsea Clinton is joined by her parents Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton on stage during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on September 19, 2022 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“We started CGI because we wanted to have a meeting where people didn’t just talk about big problems, but where we could roll up our sleeves and get something done,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press. “It’s more important than ever to be optimistic and realize we all have the ability to make a difference.”
The Duke of Sussex plans to discuss the launch of the Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network, an initiative designed to support parents whose children have suffered or died due to online harms.
He also plans to address his nonprofit’s collaboration with the World Health Organization and others to end violence against children, an issue he and his wife Meghan outlined on a recent trip to Colombia.
For his part, Oscar winner Damon is expected to discuss the status of the $1 billion plan he announced in 2022 to give 100 million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America lasting access to water and sanitation.
Business leaders scheduled for the conference, which runs at the same time as U.N. General Assembly week, include Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Past events have featured A-list celebrity speakers and top business executives such as Ben Affleck, Bono, and former Presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter.
The initiative has also been sponsored by major corporations, from Coca-Cola, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Blackstone Group, Laureate Education, Monsanto, and Standard Chartered Bank.
