Clinton Targets Change Around the World or Around the Corner

Four thousand people packed Fogelman Arena to hear the former president pitch his Clinton Global Initiative.

Clinton entered the arena to a standing ovation and a hip soundtrack bringing home the fact that his target audience was college students.

The speech in Fogelman summarized the day, which Clinton spent telling nearly 700 students from a number of colleges that they could make a difference. The students were empowered to make philanthropy a focus in their lives.

Clinton described his global initiative as an effort to bring together people from all over the world who are involved in trying to do public good as private citizens. He advocated a burgeoning non-governmental movement to address key problems facing the world. Chief among these problems are climate change, global poverty, the global healthcare crisis, and human rights. Clinton asked people to make individual commitments — in time, money or grassroots support — to do their part.

Public health faculty, staff, and students served as table facilitators at the event (top left, clockwise): Kathy Ball, Sawyer Pouilot, Latha Rajan, Amanda Goertz, Jeff dellaVolpe, Deepika Sharma, and Lipi Roy.

A pre-recorded message that played before Clinton's speech urged those in attendance to "solve problems, save lives and help people see the future." The Clinton Global Initiative now boasts more than 1,000 commitments, by individuals in more than 100 countries, which have the potential to improve the lives of more than 180 million people. Clinton said the development of a university component was only natural.

"Universities are a hotbed of citizen service," he said. "Young people here will come of age, and be able to live their entire lifetime where philanthropy will be seen in an entirely different way."

Clinton's message appeared to be well received by the students. Rebecca Otten, a Tulane junior from Milwaukee, said that one statement by the president stood out: "Find the little things we can do every day to make the world a better place."

Otten was scheduled to start her freshman year in fall 2005. After the storm, she knew she had to return to help rebuild the city. Otten said she would have probably been involved with community service regardless of where she went to school, but New Orleans allowed her to get more involved.

"I've had so many more [service] opportunities here, and it has really enriched my college career," Otten said.

Clinton segued his speech to New Orleans recovery by saying positive change can happen, "around the corner or around the world.

"This city is unique in American history. There are very few places like it anywhere in the world," he added. "It is inconceivable that this country would not want the complete and total rebuilding of this place in a way that not only preserves this unique, incredible place, but also to give it a better future. It is a great test of our national character … whether this city comes back stronger than it was when Katrina hit. And all of us can play a role in that."

In closing Clinton left the audience food for thought: "People who work together generally do better than people who fight. People who build generally do better than people who wreck. People who learn generally do better than people who insist on staying ignorant. And people who care generally do better than the heartless. We know that."