Last Week, I had the opportunity to attend this amazing event and shoot interviews with some of its esteemed participants. CGI is an annual summit of world leaders, non-profits, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists and activists. Toss in some editorial journalists and academics and stir. Founded and MC’d by Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative focuses on the key issues of the day (climate change, development in the developing world, preventable disease, etc) with forums and keynotes, interspersed with pledges where a foundation will announce its commitment to supporting a worthy program.
Supplementing webcasts of some of the panel discussions and presentations, I worked with a small team to present live interviews with some of the notable attendees such as Muhammed Yunus (Nobel-winning economist and pioneer of micro-finance), Mandy Moore (pop star and anti-Malaria spokesperson), Melanne Verveer (US Ambassador for Women’s Issues), Gavin Newsome (California Lieutenant Gov.), Valentino Achak Deng (Sudanese activist and co-author with Dave Eggars of “What Is the What?”), and Chelsea Clinton who was quite charming. You can watch all the interviews HERE on Facebook.
Other highlights from the week: Desmond Tutu in a skype conversation with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Obama stopping by for a speech, Chelsea Clinton interviewing her mom onstage, “the panel on “mega-cities, mega challenges,” and the panel called, “From Conflict to Creativity: Reducing Violence through the Arts.”