In His Own Words: The Story of P'Boy, Peer Educator for PSI in Bangkok, Thailand

A new video from Population Services International (PSI) has been accepted to the MTV International Drugs and Harm Reduction Film Festival. The video, "In His Own Words: The Story of P'Boy, Peer Educator for PSI in Bangkok, Thailand" will be screened during the International Harm Reduction Association’s annual conference from April 3^rd – 7^th in Beirut, Lebanon.

Thirty-eight percent of injecting drug users (IDUs) in Thailand are HIV-positive. P’Boy is an individual working to reduce this number.

A recovering drug user, P’Boy is a Peer Educator with PSI/Thailand’s Ozone Drop-in Center – a facility that provides IDUs with health services, information, and life saving products in a confidential, safe environment. The video follows P’Boy as he goes about his daily work and tells his story.

Prior to the festival, you can view the video on PSI’s website at www.psi.org/multimedia/video/his-own-words-pboy-peer-educator-psi-bangkok-thailand .

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

You Can Help Muhammad Yunus

This is a crucial time for microfinance all over the world and the Grameen Bank and me in Bangladesh. You have heard or can search the Internet about our challenge to maintain the independence and autonomy of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.

Now, just in time, Gayle Ferraro is launching a deep and inspiring documentary on Grameen that focuses on the brave members of Grameen in America. It is followed by a panel discussion with me participating remotely from Bangladesh. The combination provides important information on Grameen for the much broader audiences that we must now reach for our work to continue successfully.

Gayle Ferraro's film, "To Catch A Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America", will be shown on Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 PM in more than 225 theaters around the US. Audiences will see the 60-minute film, and also the important panel discussion introduced by Robert De Niro, moderated by CNBC's Maria Bartiromo and featuring Suze Orman, president of Kiva Premal Shah, Vidar Jorgensen, representing Grameen, and me. You also hear calls to action from Hugh Jackman and Matt Damon. If this works well on March 31, the theatrical release will expand and continue. We only have one chance to make the launch a success. If March 31 does not work, we will have to try something else.

For this to be a success, we just have to find 227 people motivated to each take the lead in filling one theatre. People can bring 5 or 10 of their friends, or come alone. Do what is possible, but be sure to be there on March 31.

I hope that you and your friends can help make it work by actually being the host at a local theatre as outlined at http://www.tocatchadollar.com/host-a-screening/ and by getting additional hosts throughout the US.

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Pledges US Government Support to End Water Poverty in Developing Countries

World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Secretary Clinton sign a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding and commit to collaborate to bring more water and sanitation to more people; Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company pledge to accelerate momentum.

WASHINGTON, DC (March 23, 2011) – In her first public appearance since returning from Paris, Egypt and Tunisia, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was clear and compelling in her remarks Tuesday commemorating World Water Day 2011. Joining with World Bank President Robert Zoellick and key philanthropic and corporate leaders, the Secretary called for a comprehensive response to the global water and sanitation crisis.

“We're always juggling the urgent and the important. And oftentimes, the urgent can swallow up everything else. Well, we need to keep our eye on the long-term and the important as well,” the Secretary said. “We know that for hundreds of millions of people today, water represents a deadly threat. And the risks that they face in finding water, hauling it, drinking it, cooking and bathing with it, add up to the defining challenge of their lives. There is nothing more urgent and important than that.”

Convening at the “ Water for the Future” event at the World Bank Headquarters, dozens of US Government and World Bank leaders joined to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Government and World Bank, as well as new commitments to solve the global safe drinking water and sanitation crisis made by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company. The MOU enables the World Bank to work with 17 different US Government agencies to solve the world’s water and sanitation crisis, which the Secretary described as “a critical issue that cuts across every single part of development that one can imagine.”

“The water crisis can bring people together. In fact, on water issues, cooperation, not conflict, is and can be the rule,” said the Secretary. “So let's get about the business of working together – creatively, collaboratively, and quickly – to make a difference, to make our contribution to solving the water crisis and to bring greater health and stability to more of the world's people.”

Steve Hilton, President of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, invited several of their grantees to join him onstage, including the Millennium Water Alliance, UNICEF, WaterAid America, and World Vision.

“Lack of access to safe water and sanitation remains a major challenge in developing countries, making an already bad situation worse in impoverished communities,” Hilton said. “Since 1990, the Hilton Foundation has invested $84 million in clean water, serving more than two million people through our partner organizations. I'm very pleased to announce here today that our board recently pledged another $50 million in grants over the next five years for safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in communities of greatest need in West Africa, India, and Mexico.”

Jeff Seabright, Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company, also announced a new $6 million commitment to helping solve the water and sanitation challenge in Africa. He was joined by Steve Hollingworth, a senior executive at CARE, one of The Coca-Cola Company’s nonprofit partners.

Tuesday’s event at the World Bank is the centerpiece of this week’s activities in Washington and across the United States, many of which are being shared with online audiences through a national digital and social media awareness campaign. Tracking the news at #water2011 and #water2011news, the online/viral campaign asks people to "donate their voice" on either Twitter or Facebook to the cause for this week. The groundbreaking campaign has surpassed its goal of 1 million listeners, having attracted nearly 2 million listeners so far.

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is participating in and filming several of the events and activities of the week, which include a forum dedicated to sustainability and best practices in the global water and sanitation sector. World Water Advocacy Day is taking place today, March 23 on Capitol Hill. Advocates from across the country are coming together to call on Congress for greater US leadership on access to water and sanitation for the world’s poor.

Safe drinking water and sanitation are the most effective – and one of the most efficient – ways to invest foreign assistance and private philanthropic dollars to improve health and alleviate poverty worldwide. Each dollar invested in safe drinking water and sanitation provides an eight dollar (8:1) return on that investment in reduced healthcare costs and time savings. Access to safe water and basic sanitation is the foundation of sustainable progress toward other important development objectives, including health, child survival, gender equity, education (especially for girls), the environment, poverty alleviation and human security.

At a time when one in eight people worldwide does not have access to safe drinking water and two in five people lack access to basic sanitation, the water and sanitation crisis is among the most pressing issues facing the global community. A child dies every 20 seconds, and more than 2 million people die each year from preventable water-borne diseases. Women and children in the developing world are disproportionally affected by the global water and sanitation crisis. Children are the most susceptible to water, sanitation and hygiene-related illness, which factors into nearly all of the major causes of child death, including diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition. Women and girls spend hours every day fetching often unclean water, preventing them from more productive activity. Girls often stop attending school when there are no sanitation facilities, thereby perpetuating a cycle of illiteracy and poverty.

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LINKS

www.waterday.org

http://csis.org/event/world-water-day-learning-forum-making-progress

http://oneweekforwater.org/participate-on-the-hill/

Event Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/5550591071/in/set-72157626202445059/

Event Video: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/03/158833.htm and http://water.worldbank.org/water/

About the Coalition for World Water Day

A diverse coalition of water, sanitation, hygiene and health organizations has come together for World Water Day 2011. Its goal is to raise awareness and call for stronger commitments and more robust action to ensure universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The global safe drinking water crisis can be solved with solutions available today. The 2011 coalition includes Catholic Relief Services, CARE, charity: water, Church World Service, Drop in the Bucket, Food for the Hungry, Global Water Challenge, International Relief & Development, Lifewater, Living Water International, Millennium Water Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, PATH, Procter & Gamble, PSI, Save the Children, Tetra Tech, WASH Advocacy Initiative, WaterAid, Water.org, Water and Sanitation Program, Water For People, and World Vision.

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

DEEP CUTS TO U.S. INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING ASSISTANCE WOULD HAVE DEVASTATING IMPACT

Cuts Would Jeopardize Lives and Health of Women in Poor Countries, Cripple Highly Effective U.S. Global Health Effort

Thousands of women in poor countries would die from pregnancy-related complications and one of the most successful U.S. global health programs would suffer severe damage if funding for U.S. international family planning and reproductive health assistance were cut significantly, according to two new Guttmacher Institute analyses.

The first analysis examines the stark impact of potential funding cuts. The United States currently contributes $648 million for family planning and closely related reproductive health care overseas. Guttmacher estimates that every $100 million decrease in the program would result in the following outcomes:

• 5,000 more maternal deaths;
• six million fewer women and couples receiving contraceptive services and supplies;
• 1.9 million more unintended pregnancies;
• 800,000 more abortions (of which 600,000 would be unsafe);
• 600,000 more years of healthy life (DALYs) lost; and
• 23,000 more children losing their mothers.

Funding reductions of different magnitudes would have proportional effects. The roughly $200 million cut proposed in H.R. 1—a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would fund the government through the end of FY 2011—would have double the impact detailed above.

The second analysis examines the unique attributes of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program that make it especially effective at empowering women in developing countries to better time and space their pregnancies. Unlike many other donor countries, USAID’s program relies heavily on the private sector, stresses technical assistance and evaluation, and concentrates its support on improving the quality of and access to contraceptive services. It is also the only governmental donor to deploy professional staff around the world to work alongside local counterparts, thereby enhancing effectiveness and local ownership.

“The U.S. emphasis on working with nongovernmental organizations, rather than only foreign governments, facilitates innovation and accountability, leverages greater investment from recipient country governments themselves and ensures that U.S. expertise has the maximum positive impact,” says Susan Cohen, Guttmacher’s director of government affairs. “If the U.S. ability to provide technical assistance is lost, it would not only be difficult to recreate, but the effectiveness of funding provided by other donors and local governments would be jeopardized, as well.”

Taken together, the two analyses illustrate comprehensively that cuts to the U.S. international family planning program would have significant repercussions, directly impacting women’s lives and potentially crippling a highly successful global health program.

“The U.S. international family planning and reproductive health program stands out as one of our nation’s flagship foreign aid investments and is a cornerstone of the new Global Health Initiative,” says Cohen. “Cutting funding for this highly effective program would be disastrous for women and families in poor countries—while barely making a dent in the U.S. budget deficit.”

Click here for “Just the Numbers: The Impact of Deep Cuts to U.S. International Family Planning Assistance.”

Click here for “As Global Commitment to Reproductive Health Intensifies, U.S. Leadership More Important Than Ever,” by Susan A. Cohen, in the Winter 2011 issue of the Guttmacher Policy Review.

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

Smart Global Health Blog Contest

With the September 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) approaching, the CSIS Global Health Policy Center wants to focus on the opportunities and challenges of confronting the global epidemic of chronic diseases. In addition to the series of high level speakers coming to CSIS to speak on the topic, we want to hear from you! We will post questions in the upcoming months for you to respond to. The winning blog entries will be featured on the home page of our website, SmartGlobalHealth.org.

Our first question of the blog contest is:

What should be the key priority of the upcoming UN High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and why?

Let us know what you think and have your entry posted on the front page of SmartGlobalHealth.org.

For more information on the contest's rules or to submit your entry, please visit: http://smartglobalhealth.org/BlogContest

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2011 Introduced to Enable Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation for 100 Million of World’s Poorest

WASH Advocacy Initiative Applauds Introduction of Bill as One of the Most Effective Steps to Improving Global Health and Alleviating Poverty Worldwide

WASHINGTON DC, (March 18, 2011) — Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate yesterday by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) would put the United States in the lead of responding to the worldwide safe drinking water and sanitation crisis. The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2011 would commit the United States to extending safe, affordable and sustainable supplies of drinking water and sanitation to 100 million people within six years. This major bipartisan initiative would put the United States at the forefront of addressing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for drinking water and sanitation.

The WASH Advocacy Initiative commends Senators Durbin and Corker for their leadership on this important issue, and thanks the five other senators who have signed onto the bill as original cosponsors: Harry Reid (D-NV), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

“We applaud the leadership of Senator Durbin, Senator Corker, and their colleagues in working to provide 100 million people in developing countries with sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation,” said Gary White, Chairman of the WASH Advocacy Initiative. “This is one of the most effective – and one of the most efficient – actions the United States can take to improve health and alleviate poverty worldwide.” Each dollar invested in safe drinking water and sanitation provides an eight dollar (8:1) return on that investment in reduced healthcare costs and time savings.

Patti Simon, wife of the late Senator Paul Simon, said “We shouldn’t forget that the global water and sanitation challenge is solvable – we know the solutions today. This new legislation will help make those solutions a reality. Paul would be proud to see this bill being introduced to address an issue that was a priority for him in Congress, and pleased that leaders like Senator Durbin and Senator Corker are taking the challenge seriously.”

“Access to safe drinking water is a right that everyone in the world ought to enjoy but too few are able to realize,” Assistant Senate Majority Leader Durbin said. “Water access is no longer simply a global health and development issue; it is a mortal and long-term threat that is increasingly becoming a national security issue. The United States needs to do much more to ensure that global water access is protected and expanded.”

“As a fiscal conservative, I realize the urgent need to dramatically reduce federal spending and be more efficient with our resources – especially as it relates to our limited foreign aid budget. That means better focusing, targeting and coordinating our efforts to achieve results without authorizing more funding, which is exactly what the Water for the World Act does,” Senator Corker said. “A lack of clean water leads to the deaths of 1.8 million people a year – 90 percent of them children. It stifles economic growth, keeps women and girls from going to work and school, and contributes to political unrest that threatens our national security. For many reasons, I believe water is one of the wisest places we can focus our foreign aid.”

Almost one billion people currently lack access to safe water, and 2.6 billion people lack a way to dispose of their human waste safely. More than two dozen resulting diseases – including cholera – trigger the world’s most serious, and most solvable, public health problems. These diseases kill more children than AIDS, malaria and TB combined. Development experts point out that safe water and sanitation contribute markedly both to global health initiatives and to efforts to keep children in school, alleviate poverty, and empower women. Women and children, as the primary water-haulers across the developing world, bear the brunt of this crisis.

The bill would also strengthen the capacity of USAID – with its newly appointed Global Water Coordinator Christian Holmes – and the U.S. Department of State to ramp up U.S. developmental and diplomatic leadership, while further catalyzing initiatives by American citizens to provide safe, affordable and sustainable drinking water and basic sanitation. The bill builds on the landmark Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, which at long last made safe drinking water and sanitation a priority of U.S. foreign development assistance. The bill is nearly identical to a bill that passed the Senate by unanimous consent last year.

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About the WASH Advocacy Initiative:

The WASH Advocacy Initiative (WAI) is a nonprofit advocacy effort in Washington DC entirely dedicated to helping solve the global safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge. Our mission is to increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and solutions, and to increase the amount and effectiveness of resources devoted to solving the problem around the developing world. WAI is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Wallace Genetic Foundation, and four organizations who have detailed staff persons to WAI: Water.org, CARE, Water For People, and Global Water Challenge.

www.washinitiative.org

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development

In Wednesday, March 9, in Washington, USAID launched a new partnership that aims to spark revolutionary advances to dramatically reduce maternal and newborn deaths around the world.

This partnership between USAID, the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank is a testament to the belief that, by harnessing the spirit of ingenuity, we can create new technologies, better service delivery models, and improved "demand side" innovations that empower women and their families to be aware of and access health care at the time of birth, and adopt healthy behaviors.

As part of Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development, these partners expect to provide nearly $14 million in grants during the first round of funding. Over five years, the partners aim to invest at least $50 million in groundbreaking and sustainable projects with the potential to have a transformative effect on the lives of pregnant women and their babies in the hardest-to-reach corners of the world.

Science and technology can do more than address specific technical challenges; it inspires collective action by turning impossible challenges into solvable problems. To accelerate substantial and sustainable progress against maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths at the community level, we must harness the collective imagination and ingenuity of problem solvers from a broad range of disciplines.

We call on for-profit companies, non-governmental organizations, academic and medical research institutions, faith-based organizations, civic groups, and foundations – individually or in partnership – to take up this challenge.

• For more information on the initiative and a video of the launch presentation, please visit http://www.savinglivesatbirth.net/
• Download the Request for Application (RFA)
• Read the Fact Sheet: Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development [PDF, 213KB]

Please help us spread the word and share this notice with a broad range of experts in a variety of disciplines.

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

The Square Kilometre Array belongs in Africa

Africa is bidding to host the world's most powerful radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). When constructed, in 2025, it will have 50 times greater sensitivity than any other radio telescope on Earth. The SKA will probe the edges of our universe, even before the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. This telescope will contribute to answering fundamental questions in astronomy, physics and cosmology, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

South Africa is leading the African bid and has already legislated to create 12.5 million hectares of protected area - or radio astronomy reserve. This area is also referred to as the Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Area, offering low levels of radio frequency interference, very little light pollution, basic infrastructure of roads, electricity and communication.

The human story began in Africa and it can also be the place where we find answers to the story of our universe. Please help us bring the SKA project to Africa by informing the readers of Global Health and International Development PR about the project and the advantages of the South African SKA bid. I've created a comprehensive resource that you're welcome to explore and borrow from:

http://skaafrica.com



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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.

President Clinton Announces Program for Fourth Annual Clinton Global Initiative University Meeting

Approximately 1,000 Students To Attend CGI U Meeting, Which Will Take Place at the University of California, San Diego, April 1-3

Program Will Include Topical Sessions on College Affordability, LGBT Rights, and Urbanization; Students Will Also Participate with Veterans in a Service Project at the San Diego Food Bank

Speakers Will Include Actor and Humanitarian Sean Penn, Population Services International Ambassador Mandy Moore, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Restaurateur Lorena Garcia, Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padrón, and UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox

New York, March 7, 2011 – President Bill Clinton announced the program of the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) meeting, which will be held at the University of California , San Diego from April 1-3, 2011.

“Since 2008, CGI U has brought together more than 2,500 students from 575 schools in 99 countries, all of them dedicated to addressing the great global challenges of our time,” President Clinton said. “Their work has improved the lives of thousands of people around the world. I am looking forward to convening the next generation of global leaders once again, so they can learn from each other and gain practical skills that will help them turn their ideas into real change.”

Building on the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative, CGI U brings together approximately 1,000 students from all over the world, along with non-profit leaders, entrepreneurs, and celebrities engaged in efforts to create positive change. Each student makes a Commitment to Action – a detailed plan for improving lives within one of CGI U’s focus areas: education, environment & climate change, peace & human rights, poverty alleviation, and public health.

Since 2008, through their Commitments to Action, CGI U members have:

· Made more than $1.3 million in infrastructure improvements to schools and libraries in countries including the U.S., Rwanda, Nigeria, and Laos;
· Reached more than 74,000 students, faculty, and staff with educational efforts and outreach about clean energy and sustainability;
· Placed more than 3,800 new recycling containers on college campuses and in surrounding communities;
· Engaged 2,700 people in workshops on conflict resolution, diplomacy, and peace;
· Established and maintained more than 90,000 square feet of community gardens;
· Introduced more than 3,000 bicycles on college campuses in the U.S., Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon, and China;
· and much more.

The 2011 CGI U meeting will include large plenary sessions where CGI U participants can learn about innovative approaches to solving global issues, along with smaller working sessions focused on skills such as fundraising and marketing, and a large-scale service project at the San Diego Food Bank.

Sessions will include:

· Financial Aid: Innovation for Affordability, which was developed with MTV and will focus on addressing the prohibitive cost of higher education;
· LGBT Rights in the U.S. and Beyond, which will examine efforts to fight bullying and other infringements on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people;
· On the Edge: Poverty Along the U.S.-Mexico Border, which will address challenges such as violence and high unemployment; and
· The Urban Planet: Solutions for a Crowded World, which will examine the ongoing challenges and opportunities created by rapid urbanization.

Program participants will include: Mark Arnoldy, founder, NepalNUTrition; Michele Barry, senior associate dean of global health, Stanford University; Nnimmo Bassey, chair, Friends of the Earth International; Raquel "Rocsi" Diaz, TV personality, RocStar Rebuilds; Jose Reyes Ferriz, former mayor of Ciudad Juarez; Lorena Garcia, executive chef, restaurateur, and judge on NBC’s “America’s Next Great Restaurant”; Marye Anne Fox, chancellor, University of California, San Diego; Shirley Ann Jackson, president, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Van Jones, distinguished visiting fellow, Princeton University; Peggy Liu, chairperson, Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy; Jessica O. Matthews, co-founder, sOccket Inc.; Mandy Moore, ambassador, Population Services International; Gavin Newsom, lieutenant governor of California; Deogratias Niyizonkiza, founder, Village Health Works; Eduardo Padrón, president, Miami Dade College; Sean Penn, humanitarian and actor; Nan Shi, secretary general, Urban Planning Society of China; Richard Socarides, president, Equality Matters; Anu Sridharan, co-founder, NextDrop; Kate Stohr, managing director, Architecture for Humanity; and Kevin Surace, chief executive officer, Serious Materials.

On Sunday, April 3, the program will culminate in a service project, in which CGI U attendees and volunteers will work alongside 100 local veterans at the San Diego Food Bank. The San Diego Food Bank provides food to over 340,000 individuals monthly, while also advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. Participants will sort, inspect, package, and distribute food for low-income military and non-military families, and help with beautification projects. In total, they will contribute more than 2,500 hours of service for the Food Bank.

UC San Diego, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, has been recognized widely for its local impact, national influence, and global reach. In 2009, Washington Monthly named UC San Diego number one in its rankings, which measure “what colleges are doing for the country.” The school has also been named one of the top ten public universities by U.S. News & World Report.

The full agenda can be found at http://www.cgiu.org/meetings/2011/agenda.asp. The meeting will be webcast live at www.cgiu.org. On Twitter, follow CGI U (@cgiu) or the Clinton Global Initiative (@ClintonGlobal). CGI U is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/CGIUniversity.

CGI University is grateful for the support of its sponsors: Dell, Irwin Jacobs, Laureate Education, MTVu, Andy Nahas and the Prospect Fund, Life Technologies, Qualcomm, and U.S. Global Investors.

ALL PRESS MUST BE CREDENTIALED BY THE CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE.

Press must apply for credentials at http://bit.ly/cgiu2011press by March 28. We will notify you when your application has been approved. More press logistics information will be available closer to the event date. If you have any problems or questions, please email press@clintonglobalinitiative.org.

To request sat truck parking, please contact seth@tuckerproduction.com.

About CGI U
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) challenges college students to address global issues with practical, innovative solutions. CGI U members do more than simply discuss problems – they take concrete steps to solve them by building relationships, creating action plans, participating in hands-on workshops, and following-up with CGI U as they complete their projects. Previous CGI U meetings have taken place at Tulane University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Miami, and have convened more than 2,500 students from 575 schools in 99 countries and all 50 states. To learn more, visit CGIU.org.

About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 170 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 19-22 in New York City .

This year, CGI will also convene a meeting focused on driving job creation and economic recovery in the United States . The meeting, CGI America, is the first CGI event solely dedicated to U.S. issues, and will take place in Chicago June 29-30.

The CGI community also includes MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make a Commitment to Action, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.