Clinton Global Initiative Returns With Lineup Of International Activists, Political Leaders And Celebrity Philanthropists

Clinton Global Initiative Returns With Lineup Of International Activists, Political Leaders And Celebrity Philanthropists

The Clinton Global Initiative, the signature event of the Clinton Foundation, is returning next week after a six-year absence.


The lineup for the Sept. 19-20 event again includes a mix of international leaders, politicians, corporate executives and celebrity philanthropists. Many participants make measurable commitments to action on problems such as climate change and world hunger.


Among those in the lineup are Matt Damon, Bono, Ashley Judd, Robin Wright and Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Laurene Powell Jobs, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Jose Andres and Queen Rania of Jordan.

CGI, as it is known, was ended after the 2016 event, as Hillary Clinton was running for president and foreign donations to the foundation came under scrutiny.

The theme of this year’s event is “The Business of How,” and will include the announcement of a set of new commitments.


Wright, the co-founder of the Pour Les Femmes Foundation, will be part of a session on improving economic outcomes for women. Other speakers will include Hillary Clinton, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Voto Latino CEO Maria Teresa Kuman.


Judd, partner in Kokolopori Bonobo Research Reserve, will take part in a session on the use of science and technology “to improve the human condition, overcoming personal barriers and societal obstacles in the process.”


Damon, co-founder of Water.org, is among the speakers on how to speed up adaptation to climate change, with such measures as early warning systems and improved infrastructure. Others in the session include Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Newsom and the co-founder of Water.org, Gary White.


Bono, co-founder of One and (Red), will be part of a closing session on “Taking Action Together,” with participants discussing how to lay the “groundwork for a reimagined spirit of partnership and action that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than ever before.” Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Bill Clinton also will take part, along with Miranda.


The complete line up of sessions, which will be streamed online, is here.


The event, held in New York the same week as the United Nations General Assembly, was started in 2005.


In a statement last month, Bill Clinton said, “We called the CGI community back together this year because we face an urgent and historic moment.”