Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective Part Four Chapter 13 Africa: Guns or Growth?

Hillary Clinton describes the Obama Administration's Africa policy in typical Hillary fashion as resting on four pillars.

1. Promoting opportunity and development,
2. Spurring economic growth, trade, and investment,
3. Advancing peace and security,
4. Strengthening democratic institutions.

China, as we know, is  heavily invested in Africa.  Her description of that relationship as one of exploitation of natural resources in exchange for glitzy structure and infrastructure that benefits them and excludes local labor.  Her concern is the damage being inflicted by some foreign investment.
She quotes her remark to a TV interview question in Zambia in June 2011.

... our view is that over the long run, investments in Africa should be sustainable and for the benefit of the African people.

Confronted with a suggestion that the Chinese model, basically a hands-off local government model might serve African nations better than the good-governance model that could be interpreted as imposed by the west, responded:

It is easy – and we saw that during colonial times – it is easy to come in, take out natural resources, pay off leaders, and leave. And when you leave, you don’t leave much behind for the people who are there. You don’t improve the standard of living. You don’t create a ladder of opportunity.
We don’t want to see a new colonialism in Africa. We want, when people come to Africa and make investments, we want them to do well, but we also want them to do good. We don’t want them to undermine good governance. We don’t want them to basically deal with just the top elites and, frankly, too often pay for their concessions or their opportunities to invest.

Hillary Clinton’s Media Outreach: Three Interviews from Lusaka, Zambia

June 11, 2011 by still4hill

She mentions this speech where she spoke of sustainable partnerships that add rather than subtract value.

Hillary Clinton on Building Sustainable Partnerships in Africa

August 1, 2012 by still4hill

On the subject of the disturbing downward trend in electoral democracies on the continent she refers to a speech in 2011 at African Union Headquarters where she warned African leaders that the Arab Spring could spread.  We wondered, viewing the video, why she was speaking in the dark.  It turned out that there was a power outage that occurred while she spoke that might have been a coincidence.  It is a message that older, entrenched leaders do not want to hear.  Hillary remarks upon the reluctance of some of these leaders, often seen as liberators from colonialism, to cede power.  The phenomenon is endemic on the continent.
She delivered a similar message to Arab elders at Forum for the Future in Morocco in November 2009.  Neither was that audience particularly receptive to the message of inclusiveness.  The Arab Spring was a reaction to policies that she knew then, through her interactions with civil society in Arab countries, would boil over sooner or later boil over.  A look at the slideshow in this post speaks more than 1,000 words.

Video: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa

June 13, 2011 by still4hill

Putting forth the example of a grassroots Senegalese movement effectively defeating Abdoulaye Wade in their 2012 election,  she posits that democratic change is possible in Africa and quotes further from her sustainable partnerships speech in Dakar.

I know there is sometimes an argument that democracy is a privilege belonging to wealthy countries, and that developing economies must put economic growth first and worry about democracy later. But that’s not the lesson of history. Over the long run, you can’t have effective economic liberalization without political liberalization ... the United States will stand up for democracy and universal human rights, even when it might be easier or more profitable to look the other way, to keep the resources flowing. Not every partner makes that choice, but we do and we will.

Liberia, today so unfortunately stricken with the ebola epidemic,  stands as a shining example of democracy in Africa as Hillary points out that former enemies on the field of battle now sit side by side in the legislative chambers.

Hillary Clinton’s Address to Joint Session of Liberian National Legislature

August 13, 2009 by still4hill

Some of you have seen a film that tells the story of a Liberian woman’s efforts to end the war. Tired of the killing and the conflict, she organized women at her church and then other churches and in mosques until thousands of Liberian women had joined a vocal, public movement demanding peace ... These were women who woke up one day and said, “Enough, enough. We’re better than that ...  I know that the suffering of the people of Liberia has been broad and deep. But now, you each have a chance, both personally and publicly through your service here, to make a stand against the past and for a future that is worthy of the sacrifice and the suffering that went on too long. The United States is proud to support you.

Her 2009 visit to Kenya comprised several important speaking engagements to which she refers:  The AGOA Forum (Clinton administration legislation), a "townterview" with Fareed Zakaria, a visit, with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, to an agricultural research institute, and the usual ministerials.

Hillary Clinton’s Address at the Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) Forum in Kenya

August 5, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton’s Townterview at the University of Nairobi with Fareed Zakaria

August 7, 2009 by still4hill

Students greeted her with signs reading "corruption-free zone."  At this event Hillary shared the stage with Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathi who led a reforestation movement in Kenya.  The issue of natural resources being decimated arose.  You may recall that in her very lengthy confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hillary was asked a question about natural resources in Africa (it might have come from John Kerry, but I am not certain).  Immediately she responded that "Botswana comes to mind."  Here she shared the same example.
Botswana's national trust fund has reinvested profits from its resources into the population and infrastructure with such success that both the Peace Corps and USAID pulled out of the country since their help was no longer needed.  Hillary credits Botswana's Five Ds for the success: Democracy, Development, Dignity, Discipline, Delivery.

Hillary Clinton at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

August 5, 2009 by still4hill

Well-intentio9ned as they were,  she notes that U.S. (and other) gifts of foodstuffs undercut the market for indigenous agricultural products.  She points to the Feed the Future Program as one that supports local produce and addresses the challenge of transportation.

 

Hillary Clinton With Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula

August 5, 2009 by still4hill

She also met with President Kibaki, Prime Minister Odinga, and the cabinet.  There was tough talk,  to which she refers,  in this meeting but no transcript from the State Department.  The agreed-upon shared power in the government was not going smoothly. Her subsequent words with Foreign Minister Wetangula provide some insight into the tone she adopted, however.

The United States worked hard last year with Kofi Annan and the team of African Eminent Persons to support the Kenyan people to resolve the crisis that afflicted this country. Unfortunately, resolving that crisis has not yet translated into the kind of political progress that the Kenyan people deserve. Instead, the absence of strong and effective democratic institutions has permitted ongoing corruption, impunity, politically motivated violence, human rights abuses, and a lack of respect for the rule of law.
These conditions helped fuel the post-election violence, and they are continuing to hold Kenya back. The reform agenda agreed to by the coalition government and discussed in the speech that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga gave this morning must be fully implemented not just to avoid a repeat of the previous crisis or worse, but more importantly, to set the stage for a better future, a future worthy of the dynamic people of this country, a future of economic growth, democratic development, social justice, and the opportunity for every Kenyan child to live up to his or her God-given potential. I wanted the leaders to know that we respect greatly the way that the Kenyan people pulled their country back from the brink of disaster once, and the ongoing connection between the private sector, civil society, and the government that is the key to resolving these issues.

Hillary's description of her visit to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in summer 2009 is a contrasting patchwork of horror and hope.   She begins with her visit, with NBA star Dkembe Mutombo to the pediatric unit he built and named for his mother.

Hillary Clinton at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center

August 10, 2009 by still4hill

There were so many bright and lovely moments on this first official State tour of Africa.  Most of those were, sadly, not covered by the media, but no one missed the "snap in the Congo."  In an atmosphere that Hillary describes as sour with an air of sullen resignation in a stuffy auditorium at St. Joseph's School. everyone saw her lose patience with a question, remove her earbuds, and tell a student at a town hall that she would not be channeling her husband.

Hillary Clinton’s Town Hall With Search for Common Ground and Congolese University Students

August 10, 2009 by still4hill

In the book, she explains that the student came to her after the event, apologized, and explained that he had not meant to ask her President Clinton's opinion but rather President Obama's.

Goma is one of the the grimmest, most dangerous places on earth, especially for women.  Hillary tells of her visit there and the spirit she encountered among the residents of the refugee settlement she visited.

Hillary Clinton’s Day at the U.N. Internally Displaced Persons Camp, Goma, DRC

August 11, 2009 by still4hill

She says she witnessed the worst and the best of humanity there.  She was inspired to chair a U.N. Security Council meeting the next month on the subject of sexual violence in conflict regions.

Secretary Hillary Clinton Chairing Security Council Meeting Today

September 30, 2009 by still4hill

Secretary Clinton & Ambassador Rice: Remarks After Meeting on the Adoption of a UNSC Resolution to Combat Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict

September 30, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary turns at this point to her visit to Africa's and the world's newest country, South Sudan in August 2012 when a standoff between the breakout state and Sudan from which it had seceded was festering.  South Sudan had oil and Sudan had the ports and refineries.  Clearly some kind of cooperative agreement would benefit both, but South Sudan had shut down the pipeline to the North.

Hillary Clinton With Foreign Minister of South Sudan Nhial Deng Nhial

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton in South Sudan

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

The surface issue was fees charged by Sudan to transport and process the oil.  Hillary used an Op-Ed by one of President Kir's former comrades-in-arms, Bishop Elias Taban, once a boy soldier.   Below the surface, the dispute rested on old battle wounds.  Hillary told him "a percentage of something is better than a percentage of nothing."  Taban's words moved Kir to accept a compromise.   By 2:45 the next morning, the oil flowed again.

Hillary Clinton Welcomes Oil Agreement Between Sudan and South Sudan, Calls for Peace and Humanitarian Access

August 4, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary writes that South Sudan's future remains uncertain, and indeed, while this post was being assembled the State Department issued this statement.
Bishop Taban, who provided the instrument that convinced President Kir to budge was her guest at last year's Clinton Global Initiative where she presented him with the Global Citizen Award.

CGI 2013: Closing Plenary Session

September 26, 2013 by still4hill

She reviews Somalia's war-torn, terror-ridden history and our efforts to assist through several U.S. administrations.  In August 2009, the president of the transitional government traveled to Nairobi to meet with her.  She wondered if he would shake her hand, and he did so very enthusiastically which was a very big deal all around.

Hillary Clinton With Somali Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

August 7, 2009 by still4hill

They met again for a final time in their respective official positions in August 2012.  A new president was elected the next month.

Hillary Clinton With Somali Roadmap Signatories in Kenya

August 4, 2012 by still4hill

At a military base in Uganda, U.S. Special Operations advisors showed her a surveillance drone used in the search for Joseph Kony chief of the Lord's Resistance Army and elements of Al Shabaab.  She notes that it resembled a child's toy.

Hillary Clinton at Kasenyi Military Base in Uganda

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

She mentions the September 2013 attack by Al Shabaab on a shopping mall in Nairobi that killed Elif Yavuz who worked for the Clinton Health Access Initiative which battles HIV/AIDS and other health challenges.

Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Offer Condolences on the Death of Elif Yavuz

September 23, 2013 by still4hill

In the struggle to conquer HIV/AIDS on the continent, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) begun by George W. Bush plays a major role.  She recalls this event in Johannesburg in 2009 where she was accompanied by Eric Goosby,  the State Department's Global AIDS Coordinator, her Congressional Representative, Nita Lowey, and the late, Honorable Donald Payne who was a friend of this blog.

Hillary Clinton at PEPFAR Event in South Africa

August 8, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary declared a goal of an AIDS-free generation on World AIDS Day 2011.

Secretary Clinton on World AIDS Day 2011

December 1, 2011 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton at the Reach Out Mbuya Health Center, in Kampala, Uganda

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary begins drawing this Africa chapter to a close in South Africa around Nelson Mandela beginning with recollections of her visits to South Africa as First Lady, the second time bringing Chelsea with her.   A lifetime friendship ensued.

Hillary Clinton with Nelson Mandela

August 8, 2009 by still4hill

One working relationship that brought many smiles over the years was her friendship with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.   She gave parties for Hillary on both of her visits.  There was a rare snowfall on Hillary's last visit and she was called 'Nimkita' - one who brings the snow.

Hillary Clinton With South African Minister of International Relations Nkoana-Mashabane

August 8, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

August 7, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton’s Meeting With U.S. and South African Business Leaders

August 7, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton at a Dinner Hosted by South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

August 7, 2012 by still4hill

 Hillary led a delegation of business leaders to this summit.  Our friend Grace Bennett of Inside Chappaqua accompanied Hillary's traveling press on this trip,  and Hillary called her over to meet Maite.

Hillary Clinton at the U.S.-South Africa Business Partnership Summit

August 6, 2012 by still4hill

 

 

There was one last visit to Nelson Mandela.

Hillary Clinton Visits Nelson Mandela

August 6, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton at The United States – South Africa Partnership

August 8, 2012 by still4hill

She refers to these closing remarks in this speech.

It’s a burden being an American or a South African, because people expect you to really live up to those standards. People hold us to a higher set of standards, don’t they? And we owe it to all who came before, all who sacrificed and suffered, to do our very best to keep working every single day to meet those standards. But we mostly owe it to our future.
Many things have changed since Robert Kennedy came to Cape Town and Nelson Mandela left Robben’s Island. But some have not. The world we want to build together still demands the qualities of youth and a predominance of courage over timidity. So in that spirit, let us work together so that the values that shaped both our nations may also shape a world that is more peaceful, more prosperous, and more just.

Clintons Close CGI in Rio and Convene in South Africa to Honor Nelson Mandela

December 10, 2013 by still4hill

Hillary went on Air Force One with the Obamas and the Bushes.  Bill and Chelsea went from Rio.

Hillary ends this chapter with hopes for an Africa worthy of Nelson Mandela's long walk to freedom.

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Tweets from Hillary: Alarm and Advice for Ukraine

Flying home from South Africa's Memorial to Nelson Mandela, Hillary was catching up with international news.

Hillary ClintonVerified account ‏@HillaryClinton

On my way back to the U.S. from Madiba's funeral and watching what's going on in Ukraine with alarm.

Several hours later, having landed in New york, she tweeted again.

Hillary ClintonVerified account ‏@HillaryClinton

Just landed in NY. The Ukrainian government must follow Madiba's example & choose dialogue with its people, not force.

Clintons Close CGI in Rio and Convene in South Africa to Honor Nelson Mandela

President and Chelsea Clinton closed the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America and swiftly made their way to Johannesburg for the memorial to Nelson Mandela.  President Dilma Rouseff of Brazil, who participated in CGI was also in attendance at the monumental event help in the soccer stadium that hosted the 2010 World Cup.   CGI issued the following.

International Leaders Close CGI Latin America Meeting with a Focus on Fortifying the Region’s Progress

CGI Latin America attendees announced 27 Commitments to Action valued at more than $222 million, which aim to positively impact the lives of more than 500,000 people

President Clinton convened Top business, government, and NGO leaders, including President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, NIKE President and CEO Mark Parker, Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno, Grupo Omnilife CEO Angélica Fuentes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima Susana Villarán de la Puente, Natura Chief Executive Officer Alessandro Carlucci, Pro Mujer President and CEO Rosario Pérez, Gerdau Chairman of the Board of Directors Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, and BTG Pactual Chief Executive OfficerAndré Esteves, convened December 8-10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to promote successful efforts already underway in the region and advance new solutions to the social and economic challenges that remain

Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, hosted the sixth Clinton Foundation Day of Action on December 8, bringing people together for a day of volunteering, giving back to the local community in Rio de Janeiro by transforming a community day care center in the Morro do Vidigal neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro – Today, the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America (CGI Latin America) meeting concluded in Rio de Janeiro, where leaders from across Latin America and around the world explored how to carry Latin America’s social and economic progress into the future. Government leaders, top CEOs, and executives from leading NGOs focused on developing human capacity, designing for green growth, and harnessing innovation and technology in the region.

Participants developed and announced 27 Commitments to Action - new, specific, and measurable plans to address a challenge facing Latin America. These 27 commitments, valued at more than $222 million, will positively impact the lives of more than 500,000 people in Latin America and beyond. Overall, CGI members have made more than 2,500 commitments, which are improving the lives of more than 430 million people in over 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $87.9 billion. Of these, CGI members globally had already made 616 commitments around the world that directly impact the Latin American region since the Clinton Global Initiative launched in 2005. More than 250 of these commitments are specifically designed to improve lives throughout Latin America exclusively, and have an estimated value of $4.6 billion dollars when fully funded and implemented.

As part of the event, Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, hosted the sixth Clinton Foundation Day of Action on December 8, bringing people together for a day of volunteering in Rio de Janeiro. Volunteers helped transform the Mini Creche Santo Amaro – a community day care center in the Morro do Vidigal community of Rio de Janeiro. Started by Chelsea Clinton in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Clinton Foundation ‘Day of Action” program seeks to create service opportunities and mobilize thousands of volunteers to give back to their respective communities. This was the sixth Day of Action, which all together has mobilized a total of 3,000 people donating more than 15,000 volunteer hours.  This was the first Day of Action outside of the United States.

This meeting reflects President Clinton's ongoing efforts through the Clinton Foundation to mobilize philanthropy and corporate social responsibility in all parts of the globe. Since leaving office, President Clinton has made many trips to Latin America. CGI Latin America built on President Clinton’s years of dedication to the region, from his time in government to the Clinton Foundation’s work in Latin America.

• Since 2007, the Clinton Climate Initiative and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group have been empowering cities in Latin America to invest in green technologies and fight climate change— including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo’s deployment of low-carbon transportation, Bogotá, Colombia’s retrofitting of traffic lights, and Mexico City’s improvement of waste management systems.
• Since 2007, the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Enterprise Partnership) empowers individuals across Latin America to work themselves out of poverty. The Enterprise Partnership creates distribution, supply chain and programs training social enterprises, including the Acceso Training Center in Colombia that will place 20,000 people in jobs and the Chakipi Distribution venture that will train 3,000 women for distribution jobs in Peru.
• The Clinton Foundation, since 2010, has raised a total of $34 million for Haiti, including relief funds and also conducts projects focused on supporting Haiti’s small and medium businesses, improving livelihoods, enhancing education and exploring the nexus of agriculture, energy and environment.

Sponsors for the CGI Latin America meeting included: Amil, Andrade Gutierrez, CCR, CNI, ExxonMobil, Grupo ABC, Grupo Contax, Grupo Puntacana, Inter-American Development Bank, InterEnergy, Itaú Unibanco, Laureate Education, Light, OAS, Oi, PWC, Rockefeller Foundation, Santander, The Coca-Cola Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and Valor Econômico.

New CGI Commitments to Action made at the meeting include:

L!VE-Brazil: Healthy Kids, Improved Lives
Commitment By:  SHE Foundation; Fundació Fútbol Club Barcelona; Inter-American Development Bank
Partner(s):  Sesame Workshop; Fundación Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares; Nike, Inc.; Mount Sinai Foundation; Neymar Foundation
In 2013, SHE Foundation, Futbol Club Barcelona Foundation, and the Inter-American Development Bank committed to develop L!VE-Brazil, a school-based intervention program that utilizes new technologies and interactive activities to engage children and promote behavioral changes necessary to prevent the rise of chronic disease. L!VE-Brazil will adapt Sesame Workshop content for use in Brazilian pre-schools, developing materials to promote a reduction of sedentary behavior and adoption of a healthier lifestyle. 

Teaching Retrofitting to Foster Safer Housing in Colombia
Commitment By: Build Change
Partner(s): Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje; SwissContact; Risk Management Solutions, Inc.
In 2013, Build Change committed to develop the capacity of Colombia's Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje and other Colombian organizations by providing Training-of-Trainers in retrofitting techniques. Build Change will design two targeted courses: the first course will teach Colombian engineers, architects and construction technicians to conduct seismic evaluations, produce retrofitting designs and provide supervision during retrofitting; the second course will train builders in retrofitting techniques. Those trained will in turn train other implementing organizations in Colombia.

The Water for São Paulo Movement
Commitment By:  The Nature Conservancy
Partner(s):  FEMSA; Ambev; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Itaú Unibanco S/A; Sotreq; Town of Extrema; Grupo ABC
In 2013, The Nature Conservancy committed to mobilize a broad coalition of businesses, government agencies, water utilities, nonprofit organizations and watershed committees over a two-year period to fund, implement and manage green infrastructure conservation and restoration projects in São Paulo's most important watersheds. This commitment will create the enabling conditions to restore 30,000 acres of priority water-provision areas, conserve 370,500 hectares of standing forests and control erosion on 5,434 hectares over the following ten years.

Generating Employment Opportunities for Youth in LAC
Commitment By: Inter-American Development Bank
Partner(s): Microsoft Corporation; Caterpillar Inc.; WalMart Stores, Inc.; International Youth Foundation; CEMEX Corporation; Arcos Dorados; Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI)
In 2013, The Inter-American Development Bank committed to roll out the implementation of the New Employment Opportunities program in 10 Latin American countries. These programs will build multi-stakeholder alliances to design effective youth employability strategies to achieve the common goal of significantly boosting job entry for 500,000 disadvantaged youth across Latin America, at least 50% of which will be women and girls. Ultimately, the NEO seeks to incorporate the most effective job skills programs into public education systems, national employment services and job training institutions, building the capacity to respond to the growing demands of both businesses and poor and low-income youth.

New Social Finance Tools to Impact 100,000 Lives in Brazil
Commitment By: SITAWI
Partner(s): Mais Unidos Group; WalMart Stores, Inc.; The Dow Chemical Company; Instiglio; Família C
In 2013, SITAWI committed to expanding its loan and donor-advised fund offering by $3.5 million to now total $5 million in new funds and mechanisms to transform the social and philanthropic sector in Brazil. SITAWI and its partners will develop tools, raise funds and operate them in sector-specific or community-based funds. This will create a tool to support long-term collaborations between social sector organizations, allowing them to achieve economies of scale and more transformational outcomes. By supporting ongoing efforts to create social impact bonds in Brazil; these new mechanisms will be open to new donors and partners creating the opportunity to engage multiple stakeholders.

Leveraging Opportunities for Amazonian Indigenous Youth
Commitment By: IKEA Foundation
Partner(s): Forest Trends; Associação Metareilá do Povo Indígena Surui; Equipe de Conservação da Amazônia (ECAM); Yawawaná Cultural Association; Acre Pro-Indian Commission; Kanindé Association
In 2013, the IKEA Foundation committed to creating opportunities for indigenous youth and women in the Surui and Yawanawa territories in the Brazilian Amazon, increasing their income generating capacity and improving their livelihoods from the sustainable management of their forests. This will be done through agroforestry training; sustainable renewable energy installation and training; peer youth learning exchanges, and women's empowerment. The objective of this initiative is to provide youth with the long-term prosperity and sustainable management of their land while continuing to financially support generations to come. The programs aim to affect 160 youth and 200 women by 2016.

Scaling Social Impact Bonds in Latin America
Commitment By: Instiglio
Partner(s): SITAWI
In 2013, Instiglio committed to launch two Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) in Latin America over a three year period. This not only marks the launch of the first SIB in Latin America, but potentially the first SIB in a low or middle income country. SIBs will provide up-front capital to scale early interventions in areas as diverse as early childhood development and diabetes management; with governments or international donors paying based on the achievement of measured results.

Communities and Kids Bite Back to Control Dengue
Commitment By: UBS AG
Partner(s): University of California, Berkeley; CIET International; Brandeis University; Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; Redes de Desenvolvimento da Maré; Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; RedeTrel
In 2013, the UBS Optimus Foundation committed to fund an initiative to curb the spread of dengue in Latin America. The foundation will expand on Camino Verde's successful pilot project to develop protocols for pesticide free interventions and a cluster randomized control trial, will conduct a trial to determine the capacity for the municipal and state governments to collaborate with community-led prevention efforts in Mexico, and pilot Dengue Torpedo, a mobile-application in Rio de Janeiro, which will be used as community platform to map mosquito breeding sites and provide low-cost education in health literacy.

Crafting Security: Advancing Artisan Incomes
Commitment By: Global Goods Partners
Partner(s): New York University; Swaziland Fair Trade Organization; Kiej de los Bosques, S.A.
In 2013, Global Goods Partners committed to develop and implement a well-structured, custom designed training and mentoring program that will match training and expertise to its partners' needs, thereby providing the critical components needed to develop sustainable craft enterprises. Over a three year period, GGP committed to train and mentor 20 organizations from Asia, Africa and Latin America, impacting the live of 3,000 craft makers that make a living from their craft enterprises.

Turning Waste into Opportunities: Dominican Republic & Haiti
Commitment By: Ciudad Saludable
Partner(s): ECORED; Ministry of Environment, Dominican Republic; CCN Giresol
In 2013, Ciudad Saludable committed to support the integration of waste pickers to the formal sector through the launch and implementation of five solid waste management projects in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. These projects will improve the working and living conditions of waste pickers by developing micro-enterprises, strengthening waste pickers' capacities, and creating a market for recycling materials. Over a three year period 140 waste pickers will enter the formal work sector, indirectly benefiting thousands through improved waste management and decreased CO2 emissions.  

High-Impact Agriculture for Colombia's Small-Scale Farmers
Commitment By: Fairtrasa
Partner(s): Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Endeavor Global; abc* Foundation
In 2013, Fairtrasa committed to partner with 3,000 small-scale banana, avocado, and lime farmers and 300 packers in Colombia to bring their local produce to global markets at fair prices in a $1.5 million program over a four-year period. Fairtrasa will implement its three-tier development model to support farmers at all development stages, by providing them with seeds, capital, tailored training programs and technical support, helping them obtain export certifications, and connecting them to Fairtrasa's global sales network.

Active Kids Do Better: Reshaping Brazil's Decade of Sport
Commitment By: Nike, Inc.
Partner(s): United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Inter-American Development Bank; Natura Cosméticos S.A.; Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; Caixa Econômica Federal; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale (GIZ); BMZ (German Federal Ministry for Econ Cooperation and Dev't); Instituto Bola Pra Frente; Central Única das Favelas
In 2013, NIKE, Inc. committed to join an unprecedented partnership of over 25 international and Brazilian organizations in the first effort to operationalize a global program, 'Designed to Move' in Brazil. The first component, the Active Schools Pilot, will increase both the quantity and quality of physical activity during school hours by building capacity of teachers and shifting school culture to value the overall benefits of physical activity. In the second component, Active Communities, Nike along with Caixa and Natura, will lead the private sector in funding grassroots sports and physical activity programs by embracing Brazil's innovative corporate tax credit system. Combined, these two components will directly impact the lives of 44,500 children in Brazil over a four year period, with plans to significantly scale impact over the next five years.

Team Brazil Social Legacy Fund
Commitment By: streetfootballworld
Partner(s): SITAWI; Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
In 2013, streetfootballworld committed to create the Team Brazil Social Legacy Fund, a unique funding mechanism that leverages the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Brazil that will directly impact over 25,000 youth and children in Brazil. This fund will pool financial resources from partners all over the world to provide long-term sustainable support for sport-based development projects in Brazil. The overall aim of the fund is to be an inclusive investment opportunity for actors across the globe to contribute to a positive social legacy of the mega events in Brazil, and empower young, disadvantaged Brazilians with the skills necessary to create a better future for themselves and their communities

Bananeira Gera Renda- Generating Income for Women in Brazil
Commitment By: OAS S.A.
Partner(s): Municipality of Novo Lino
In 2013, OAS committed to certifying 200 women, from a community in Northeastern Brazil, in developing craft techniques using banana tree fibers. Teaching this technique will open new fronts of opportunity for these women, who will also receive training in entrepreneurship and cooperative management skills. By continuing to produce handmade goods in a sustainable way, they will improve the living conditions of local families.

Scaling Up STEM Brasil: Empowering Science and Math Teachers
Commitment By: Worldfund
Partner(s): Credit Suisse; Federative Republic of Brazil
In 2013, Worldfund committed to replicate and expand the STEM Brasil program by training an additional two-hundred teachers, consequently improving educational opportunities for 20,000 students in the state of São Paulo. By incorporating project-based training methods that develop 21st century skills into the state-mandated curriculum, Worldfund provides innovative methodology and pertinent activities that result in long-term improvements in teacher instructional methods and student learning outcomes.

Spreading Knowledge: Micro MBA for BOP Entrepreneurs
Commitment By: Frogtek
In 2013, Frogtek committed to develop a free mobile based application which will provide a micro MBA education to 10,000 entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid in Colombia and Mexico. By educating these shopkeepers with fundamental business administration principles, Frogtek seeks to increase the sustainability and success of small businesses as they face heightened competition from larger businesses. Frogtek will also recruit experts in gaming, behavioral change techniques, and best business practices to develop a user friendly, innovative curriculum and coordinate the technical production of the mobile app.

Responsible Artisanal Fishing Systems: Restoring Ecosystems
Commitment By: AgroFrontera
Partner(s): Counterpart International; MacArthur Foundation; FoProBim
In 2013, AgroFrontera committed to work with artisanal fishing communities, fish and seafood companies, and other stakeholders in the northern border region of the Hispaniola Island to design, test and implement innovative cross-border value chains that link products from responsible fishing systems to high-value markets through the new SMART Association artisanal fishing certification program. Over two years, 500 fishers and 1200 fish workers will be directly impacted by the implementation of this commitment and an additional 28,400 family members, eco-tourism companies, local students and farmers, will indirectly benefit from the productivity or protective services provided by the marine ecosystems.

Nestlé Nutrir Crianças Saudáveis (Nestlé Healthy Kids)
Commitment By: Nestlé
Partner(s): International Assocation of Athletics Federations; Instituto Bola Pra Frente; Instituto Fernanda Keller; Casa do Zezinho; Bairro da Juventude
In 2013, Nestlé committed to expand its Nestlé Healthy Kids Program in Brazil (Nestlé Nutrir Crianças Saudáveis) with the objective of raising nutrition and health knowledge and promoting physical activity among 1 million more school-age children in Brazil. Nestlé will evaluate the performance and progress of each participating school, and provide positive incentives by presenting the annual Nestlé Nutrir award to the best school boasting outstanding progress.

Coca-Cola Coletivo: Scaling Sustainable Communities
Commitment By: The Coca-Cola Company
Partner(s): Inter-American Development Bank
In 2013, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, committed to refine and expand the Coca-Cola Coletivo platform through a $16 million investment across three countries in Latin America and 12 cities in Brazil. This will impact more than 34,000 people in Brazil alone by 2017. This commitment, which is integrated into TCCC's value chain and is co-funded by the Inter-American Development Bank's Multilateral Investment Fund, will enhance opportunities to find employment, create new business enterprises and strengthen the self-confidence of low income residents in affected communities.

Water and Cities: Sharing Challenges and Solutions
Commitment By: Conservation International
Partner(s): Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; City of Bogota; Mexico City
In 2013, Conservation International committed to promote and facilitate a partnership among the cities of Bogota, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro to address the issue of ecosystem degradation resulting from urban growth and land use change, and the effects of climate change. Conservation International will help each city create a local alliance between local, state and/or national level governments, academia, the private sector, development agencies and civil society organizations and support the coordination, funding and management of local programs to protect ecosystems as well as to scale up ongoing activities in each city.  

The Amapá Initiative
Commitment By:  Conservation International
Partner(s):  Amapá State Government; Fundo Vale; Global Conservation Fund
In 2013, Conservation International (CI) committed to supporting the two-year start-up phase of the Brazilian Amazon conservation project Amapá Initiative, an integrated approach for development that builds the capacity of civil society, promotes enabling policies and a strong governance system, and bolsters sustainable production chains in the protected forests. The initiative will help communities access markets and create their own associations with trainings in forest and watershed management. After the start-up phase, CI will implement these activities more broadly across the state of Amapá with the goal of an autonomous, stakeholder-led initiative with a fully capitalized endowment by 2020.

Investing in English Teacher Training Programs in Mexico
Commitment By:  Worldfund
Partner(s):  Dartmouth College; Credit Suisse; Google Inc.; Marshall Wace Asset Management
In 2013, Worldfund and Dartmouth College committed to expand their successful program, the Inter-American Partnership for Education (IAPE) to improve teacher quality in Mexico through an intensive two-week U.S.-based pedagogical training program. The program brings high-quality English language training to Mexican teachers and ensures language retention, enthusiasm, and learning outcomes in their students. With the opening of a second training site in Mexico, IAPE will double its training to 720 teachers per year in 2016 and will have impacted an estimated 700,000 students per year. After 2016, the program will continue to add an additional 160,000 students per year. 

Responsible Fans: Stopping Violence in Football
Commitment By:  Republic of Colombia
Partner(s):  Fundación Colombianitos; streetfootballworld; Tiempo de Juego; Contexto Urbano
In 2013, the Colombian Ministry of Internal Affairs committed to bring together leaders from barras (football club supporters) and communities most affected by violence associated with football, in an effort to reduce conflict. This project will identify and promote six community engagement initiatives developed in partnership with the young barristas and community leaders, providing conflict resolution training, capacity building and business development skills to support them to develop a joint business plan. Six projects will be selected for implementation by the Ministry and provided with seed funding. The project will be rigorously monitored and evaluated to pave the way for future replication throughout Colombia.

Supporting the Growth of Brazil's Women-Led SMES
Commitment By:  Itaú Unibanco S/A
Partner(s):  Inter-American Development Bank; IFC
In 2013, Itaú committed to develop tailored financial products and services to directly meet the needs of women entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Over a two year period, Itaú will recruit 1,500 female entrepreneurs in partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation's ‘Ten Thousand Women’ Program and other businesses. Itaú will work closely with the selected clients to develop products and services that cater directly to their needs. They will also develop and implement an innovative decision-making matrix for risk assessment of women-led SMEs and the lessons learned will be used to adapt the model for future replication in Brazil.

TAKTAKTAK.COM: Learning by Playing
Commitment By:  Innova y Moderniza tu Aprendizaje AC (INOMA)
Partner(s):  United Mexican States; Grupo BBVA Bancomer; Nacional Monte de Piedad
In 2013, INOMA committed to significantly expand the reach and content of TAKTAKTAK.COM, an online platform that offers free educational games for children, ages 6 to 10. Over a two year period, INOMA will reach 120,000 in Mexico City and in the State of Puebla. Additionally, INOMA will complement the platform with 40 new games that will cover a broader spectrum of the basic education curriculum. Finally, INOMA will develop and implement a predictive algorithm that monitors each user's learning progress, collecting crucial feedback to improve the games platform and provide educational authorities and institutions with aggregated data which may inform and improve national education strategies.

Social Entrepreneurs Positively Transforming Communities
Commitment By:  FEMSA
Partner(s):  Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Technology University of Monterrey; United Mexican States; Universidad del Valle de Mexico; Universidad de Monterrey; Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica; Impact Hub; The Pool; GreenMomentum
In 2013, FEMSA committed to promote social entrepreneurship and job creation in Mexico by supporting 520 social entrepreneurship projects over the course of 4 years, with a total investment of $4.5 million dollars. FEMSA will do this by strengthening and expanding the scope of key programs and alliances, including Ashoka's Youth with Value program, which promotes a social entrepreneurship culture among young students, providing them with tools, counseling, and seed capital. FEMSA will develop a comprehensive entrepreneurship development strategy, which encompasses all stages from idea generation through the launch and early growth of the new companies.

Clean Energy for Latin America and the Caribbean
Commitment By: InterEnergy
In 2013, InterEnergy committed to invest $100 million dollars in equity capital toward renewable energy projects in Latin America and the Caribbean over the course of the next two years. With a focus on solar and wind power, as well potential for some biomass, the combined size of the projects is ultimately expected to surpass $300 million dollars. Using a market-based approach, the commitment will drive sustainable development in the region by both decreasing carbon emissions as well as lowering the price of power for consumers.

Progress on CGI Commitments to Action announced on stage at the meeting include:

Unlocking the Power of Microalgae: A New Source of Sustainable Oil
Commitment By: Solazyme
Partner(s): Unilever, Mitsui, AkzoNobel, Bunge, Sasol
In 2013, Solazyme committed to scaling the production of a new source of sustainable renewable algal oil for use in consumer products.  Solazyme will use one of the world's smallest microbes, microalgae, to help alleviate pressure and environmental damage in fragile equatorial ecosystems through the replacement of palm oil in products with algal oil.  Their technology divorces geography from natural oil production so this oil can be produced anywhere at any time, thus alleviating deforestation pressures around the fragile equator band. With its partner in Brazil, Solazyme is building the world’s first fit for purpose renewable oil plant, which, when at full capacity, will have a greenhouse gas reductions impact equivalent to planting 10 million trees a year.

Scaling Up PESCA
Commitment By:  PUNTACANA Resort & Club (PCRC)
Partner(s):  Dominican Republic; Club Med; University of Miami; Reef Check Foundation; Cap Cana; Counterpart International; Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute; Dominican Council of Fishing and Agriculture (CODOPESCA); Hotel Association of the La Altagracia Province; Juanillo Fishermen’s Association
In 2011, Puntacana Resort & Club, through the Partnership for Ecologically Sustainable Coastal Areas (PESCA), committed to significantly scale up its coral restoration efforts by developing restoration programs in strategic areas throughout the Dominican Republic in order to protect key coral species and to rehabilitate the local reef ecosystems that the tourist industry in Punta Cana depends upon. As of March 2013, 6 coral nurseries have been established in the Dominican Republic totaling more than 1.1 km of linear tissue and more than 1,300 staghorn coral fragments encompassing, 21 distinct traceable genotypes; representing the largest genotypic diversity being tracked for this species in the Caribbean, excluding Florida. In April 2012, the Puntacana Ecological Foundation (PCEF) signed a collaboration agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank to promote coral gardening as a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional tourism and in August 2012, established the Puntacana Marine area as a protected Habitat and Species area. By November 2012 an additional 104 new lobster houses were deployed in a pre-designated 60,000 m2 no fishing zone, on the back reef area of Punta Cana.

A Financially Sustainable Model to Empower Poor, Rural Girls
Commitment By:  Fundación Paraguaya
Partner(s):  Nike Foundation; Teach a Man To Fish; Teach a Man To Fish; The MasterCard Foundation; Moises Bertoni Foundation (MBF); Sega School
In 2008, Fundacion Paraguay and its partners made a commitment to transform the lives of impoverished girls in rural environments by addressing access to education alongside the environmental degradation in their communities. This was achieved by the piloting of a financially self-sustaining agro-forestry school in Paraguay which transformed girls from poor, farming families into ‘rural entrepreneurs,’ giving them the skills and tools necessary to compete in the market while sustainably managing their land. The goal of this commitment was to expand this successful pilot program worldwide. There are now four girls’ schools replicating this model: one in Paraguay as well three additional countries in East Africa with a total of 501 students enrolled.

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In South Africa, they met up with Hillary who had flown from Washington on Air Force 1 with the Obamas and George W. and Laura Bush.  

The memorial reportedly drew 91 heads of state and heads of government.  H/T to mynix for sharing this raw footage from the event.

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