Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday warned of the growing devastation of the global economic downturn and said the dangers posed by natural disasters around the world had been increased by the effects of climate change. The former president spoke in New York on the first day of the annual Clinton Global Initiative. The conference brings together leaders from government, business and philanthropy, who make financial commitments aimed at tackling poverty and disease around the world.
Clinton announced new financial commitments to help Haiti recover from the effects of a massive earthquake last January, and to Pakistan, where monsoon rains led to deadly flooding last summer. He also announced a new program to help Louisiana's gulf coast, which is still recovering from the massive oil spill and the effects of Hurricane Katrina five years ago.
Clinton also pressed attendees on the need to educate and empower women and girls in developing countries, saying the global economy would improve with women's full participation.
"There are still a lot of places in this world where women are part human and part property and where men define their meaning in life," Clinton said.
The former president's wife, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, spoke at the conference to announced a new program to place cleaner stoves in 100 million homes by 2020. The program primarily targets women and girls, who do most of the world's cooking.
Bill Clinton largely steered clear of politics during the conference, but said at one point he wished more world leaders made their decisions based on facts.
"Do you know how many political and economic decisions are made in this world by people who don't know what in the living daylights they are talking about?" Clinton said.
Well, Bill wouldn't have to look outside this country to find one of those leaders who make such decisions - as I'm certain he already knows. lol
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony