The end of George Bush’s reign as two-term American president will soon be coming to a close, but what do presidents do when they’re out of a job? Most of them try to use their name for the greater good. Like former president Bill Clinton; however, he has gone beyond what most presidents before him have done once they’ve retired from the highest political job in the land. He’s left politics.
Bill Clinton has not only started his own foundation, which funds AIDS projects in 25 different countries, funds health care projects, sells medicine in 69 countries, and funds a childhood obesity project in America, he has also gotten the global warming bug from Vice President and friend Al Gore and has begun to fund climate change initiatives as well. And, whereas he got involved with his wife’s campaign and toured with her around America, for the past 8 years he’s been heavily involved outside of Washington.
His Global Initiative is a project that brings together a community of global leaders, university students, and private citizens to identify and implement innovative solutions to the world’s “most pressing challenges.” (William J. Clinton Foundation) Talks between leaders include subjects such as poverty control, global health and education.
His Climate Change Initiative works with 40 of the world’s largest cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. CCI assists in “making energy-savings improvements to buildings, transit systems, lighting and waste management.” Along with these his foundation also has an HIV/AIDS Initiative, which works with governments and communities to increase awareness, lower the cost of medicines needed and find treatment for those not receiving it.
Clinton has also started economic initiatives and opportunities by helping families and individuals keep more of the money they make “by supporting state and city efforts to promote access to basic financial services.” The program also matches inner-city entrepreneurs to business leaders in order to help them achieve their goals. His Hunter Development helps people in Rwanda and Malawi launch projects that generate agricultural productivity and help to alleviate poverty.
In fact President Clinton may be making even more of a global difference than he did when he was in office. The job allowed him the clout, however, to pull something like this off. And I have tremendous admiration for someone who uses his powers and resources to bring people together for the greater good. And let’s face it; the greater good doesn’t often involve politics.
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