Look To The Stars News: Clinton Foundation

Barbra Streisand To Launch Massive Charity Auction

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Barbra Streisand is set to auction many of her personal items for charity.

Julien’s Auctions will host the auction, to be held October 17-18, with more than 400 items to go under the hammer.

“What good does it do in storage,” said the 67-year-old. “Let someone else enjoy it. These things, they’re not forever. We pass them on and reap the benefits for something important.”

Proceeds from the auction – to be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel – will go to the Streisand Foundation, which gives grants to “national organizations working on preservation of the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues and nuclear disarmament” and has given large donations to programs related to women’s health.

Among the beneficiaries will be City Year, which Streisand said “brings together a core of diverse young leaders that provide vital resources to youth in local neighborhoods”; the Clinton Foundation (“We gave a big chunk to the climate change initiative”); and the Cedars-Sinai Women’s Heart Health Center, which supports cardiac research for women.

“For decades women have been treated based on medical research done on men,” said Streisand. “So it’s about time that proper research be done and communicated to women so they’ll be more informed about their health.”

Auction lots include a wicker chair from her sunroom, a baby grand piano, many designer dresses, costumes from films such as “Funny Lady,” “The Way We Were” and “Meet the Fockers,” an old phonograph she bought when she was 18 and “one of the first pieces of furniture I ever bought: A dental cabinet. That’s hard to part with actually. I wish I had room for it. I don’t.”

Selections from the auction will be on public view aboard the Queen Mary 2 during its trans-Atlantic cruise this month and then in Ireland, New York and Beverly Hills.

“The community is better served if I get rid of it and give all the proceeds to my foundation, which does really good work,” she said.

To view the lots and find out more, visit the Julien’s Auctions website.

Keep A Child Alive Announces 2008 Black Ball Details

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Keep A Child Alive’s fifth annual Black Ball Gala, hosted by Ambassadors Alicia Keys and Iman, will take place at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Thursday, November 13, and will honor the global AIDS work of three remarkable humanitarians.

The event – chaired by Jessica Alba – will begin with a cocktail party followed by a seated dinner with extraordinary live performances by Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Joni Mitchell, Jack White, Jennifer Hudson and more very special guests to be announced.

Keep A Child Alive’s humanitarian honorees are an incredible group of people who have used their will, fame, and courage to change the lives devastated by this pandemic. Guest presenters pay tribute to the work of the honorees through powerful moving footage.

This year the organization will honor Simon Fuller, CEO & founder of 19 Entertainment Limited for spearheading the Idol Gives Back phenomenon and mobilizing Americans to take action; Queen Latifah, for being one of the incredible pioneers in the fight against AIDS; and Jackie Branfield, founder of Operation Bobbi Bear for being a true hero in the lives of children in South Africa. Previous honorees include Bono, rock star and campaigner for Africa; Dr. Stephen Lewis of The Stephen Lewis Foundation and author of Race Against Time; Richard Beckman of Condé Nast Media Group; Nick Reding of Sponsored Arts for Education; and Dr. Shaffiq Essajee Pediatric Advisor on AIDS for the Clinton Foundation.

More info about the event can be found at www.keepachildalive.org.

Bill Clinton Speaks At AIDS Conference

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The eyes of the world are this week firmly fixed on AIDS 2008, the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

The week-long conference officially opened on Sunday night, and last night (August 4) featured a rousing speech by former US president Bill Clinton.

“AIDS is a very big dragon. The mythological dragon was slain by Saint George, the original knight in shining armor, but this dragon must be slain by millions and millions of foot soldiers,” he told activists, leaders, and experts who gathered for the conference. “We know there is so much yet to be done: to expand prevention, treatment and care, to strengthen undeveloped health systems.”

The conference will draw around 25,000 participants from across the globe, including Oxfam Ambassador Annie Lennox, UN head Ban Ki-moon, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, Margaret Chan, and Keren Gonzalez – a 12-year-old from Honduras who has been actively involved in a number of HIV-related programs aimed at young people since the age of 9, including acting as editor for a magazine aimed at children aged 8 to 12 years affected directly and indirectly by HIV/AIDS.

AIDS 2008 will provide many opportunities for the presentation of important new scientific research and for productive, structured dialogue on the major challenges facing the global response to AIDS. The conference theme of Universal Action Now emphasizes the need for continued urgency in the worldwide response to HIV/AIDS, and for action on the part of all nations. International partners in the event include UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations, the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS/International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, the World YWCA, and the Asian Harm Reduction Network.

Bill Clinton flew to the conference from Africa, where he had been visiting projects funded by the Clinton Foundation to fight AIDS and malaria.

“Today 1.4 million people with AIDS are using treatments purchased by the Clinton Foundation,” he said. “Thanks to the efforts of our partners, they cost about 120 dollars a year.”

More information about the conference can be found at www.aids2008.org.

Bill Clinton Refocuses On Charity

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Former US president Bill Clinton is fueling a new charity drive for both the corporate world and the community at large.

World wide poverty, climate change and health care – all issues of his own Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) – were on the agenda as Clinton spoke in Manhattan last week. CGI, a project of the Clinton Foundation since 2005, aims to link global leaders with real solutions to world problems.

Already this year CGI has several projects under way. Visa Inc has committed to small business development and literacy for 10 million people over five years; the Energy and Resources Institute has committed to bringing solar light to millions of rural Indians who normally rely on kerosene lanterns after dusk; Fundación Paraguaya is to provide education for sustainable agriculture in developing countries over the next 10 years; Standard Chartered Bank maintained its commitment to microfinance African and Asian institutions to benefit millions of farmers and negotiated a hydro-power project in Uganda to reduce emissions and decrease power costs; and Action by Lizzy Dupont has produced practical, instructional health videos in sign language for the deaf in Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Morocco.

Clinton said, “Health care problems are profound, many people go to bed hungry every night, one in four deaths every year are claimed by AIDS, TB, malaria and infections related to contaminated water.”

Besides endorsing the current US policy of both distributing food to the needy as well as cash to famine-area farmers, Clinton also made mention to his New York audience of issues specifically affecting Americans at home.

“In this decade we’ve had the biggest increase in income inequality in America in 80 years… Income is 1,000 dollars lower today than the day I left office, while health care costs have doubled. At any given time in the year about 100 million will be without health care and the cost of a college education is up 75 percent. The average debt of a college graduate is 50 percent higher than it was at the beginning of this decade. You see that there is a fair amount of inequality problems in America and climate change affects us all.”

Time's 100 - Tony Blair By Bill Clinton

Mon, 19 May 2008 10:54:57 -0000

President Bill Clinton wrote a tribute to Tony Blair’s philanthropic achievements for this year’s Time 100 list.

“When my friend Tony Blair stepped down as U.K. Prime Minister last year, I advised him to take some time off with his family and make a list of the issues he felt passionately about and that he could continue to pursue. It was the least he had earned after a decade of modernizing his country’s economy, making the U.K. one of the few nations to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions more than required to meet their Kyoto target and leading the G-8 to historic commitments to support Africa and fight global poverty.

Tony listened to my advice graciously but ignored it completely by immediately accepting a new job as Middle East envoy for the Quartet. I have always admired Tony’s willingness to wade into troubled waters. Ten years ago, he did a masterly job in helping to end 30 years of sectarian violence and broker a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Now he is demonstrating the dedication and intensity to promoting economic opportunity in the Middle East, learning from his Irish experience that showing the concrete benefits of peace can play a crucial role in making a just and lasting peace possible.

Tony, 54, also knows that even the benefits of an enduring peace in the Middle East and the dramatic reductions in terrorism it would bring could be wiped away if we don’t save the planet from the worst consequences of global warming. So he has taken on another big challenge: shaping a new global agreement to cut carbon emissions. Because my foundation is involved with projects to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in more than 40 large cities on six continents, I know how important and difficult Tony’s work is, and I look forward to the visionary leadership he will bring to it.
As his friend, I hope Tony finds fulfillment in advancing the public good as a private citizen. As a member of our interdependent global community, I thank him for not taking a day off when we need him the most.

Bill Clinton, the 42nd U.S. President, started the William J. Clinton Foundation, to work towards ending poverty and AIDS. This organization also funded the Clinton Global Initiative, which focuses on environmental issues.

Clinton Asks Miners To Dig Deep

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:07:27 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Former US president Bill Clinton and Canadian mining financier Frank Giustra, partners in the new Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI), are asking the mining and financial community to dig deep into their pockets.

Invitations have been sent out for a March 1 event to be held in Toronto, where comedian Robin Williams and musicians Elton John, Shakira, and Burton Cummings are expected to perform. The cost will range between $25,000 and $300,000 per table, and proceeds will help CGSGI assist mining communities long after the industry leaves.

“When Frank Giustra brought forward the idea of having the world’s mining sector pull together in support of alleviating poverty and building sustainable local economies in developing countries, I knew it would only succeed if the industry was serious about being actively involved,” said Mr Clinton.

Donations to CGSGI from mining sector companies have amounted to nearly $350 million, including Giustra’s own pledge of $100 million. Lundin for Africa, the philanthropic arm of the Lundin Group of Companies, has also pledged $100 million.

“The Lundin contribution sends a strong signal that the resource sector is prepared to step up and take the initiative off the drawing board and turn it into a reality for developing countries around the world,” said Mr Giustra. “I firmly believe that this innovative partnership between the [”Clinton Foundation":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/7-clinton-foundation] and the business community – and the mining industry in particular – will have a profound and positive effect on the lives of countless people in the developing world during the months and years ahead."

Jolie Commits To War Affected Children

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:58:56 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An organization founded by an award-winning actress has pledged to help with the education of over 1 million children affected by conflict around the world at this year’s annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Angelina Jolie addressed the conference, attended by participants from a variety of business, academia, entertainment, and environmental organizations, on September 27 in New York. As part of the three day meeting, she told the audience how the members of the Education Partnership For Children Of Conflict have contributed to the education of war-affected children in over 10 different countries since she founded the Partnership in 2006. Along with Partnership co-founder, Gene Sperling, who is also Director of the Centre For Universal Education at the Council for Foreign Relations, Jolie outlined the commitments that they have made for the coming year.

“Education can transform the lives of children in conflict, giving them the tools to create a better future for their families and their nations,” said Jolie to the 1,000 members of the Global Initiative, who were gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities of education, climate change, global health, and poverty. “This Partnership is putting words into action, and demonstrating that even in the most difficult circumstances, every child can and should have a chance to learn.”

The Education Partnership For Children Of Conflict was founded from a commitment made at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative, a yearly meeting of world leaders launched by Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation in 2005. Its mission is to help the world move beyond its current state of globalization to a more integrated global community of shared benefits, responsibilities, and values. It provides a catalyst for action by “bringing together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.” Since its inception, and through the commitments made by over 100 world recognised organizations, the Initiative has provided over 3.2 million people with clean energy services in the developing world, provided 1.2 million patients in Sudan, Chad, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo with emergency care, and assisted with providing life-saving services to 857,300 children under the age of 5 in 25 countries.

Jolie and Sperling started the Education Partnership to help fund new education projects for children in conflict, post-conflict, refugee, and emergency situations. During her address at the meeting, she outlined the future for the Partnership, and its goals for the next year. She revealed they have received an investment of $148 million from 19 world organizations in 15 countries to reach their goals, which include:

Provide schooling to 350,000 children in conflict affected areas around the globe.

Improve the learning environment, safety, materials, and teacher quality of a further 690,000 children.

Assist 200,000 Iraqi refugee children.

Assist 300,000 youths affected by the conflict in Darfur.

“These are children who need a safe place to learn; a place to heal; a place to learn reconciliation and a place to just be children,” said Jolie. “All they have left is their minds. We don’t want them to grow up and feel they have nothing to live for.”

The three day meetings follow another high profile meeting held in New York earlier in the week, in which two heavy weights in the fight to stop climate change addressed the United Nations.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Vice President Al Gore took part in the 8 hour discussion on September 24, which hoped to spur global negotiations on climate change.

“The time has come to stop looking back at the Kyoto Protocol,” said Schwarzenegger. “The consequences of global climate change are so pressing it doesn’t matter who was responsible for the past. What matters is who is answerable for the future. And that means all of us.”

The gathering, which included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, sent a strong political message about the urgency of lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

“The time to act is now,” said Al Gore at the conclusion of the meeting.

Bill Clinton's GIVING Is Coming Out

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:45:55 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Former President Bill Clinton’s new book, GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World, hits bookshelves next week. GIVING is Clinton’s latest effort to inspire activism and public service in the world at both the corporate level and at the individual level.

Citing compelling examples of both, he says, “I’ve done my best in this book to demonstrate what I’ve seen firsthand through my Foundation’s work in Africa and around the world: that all kinds of giving can make a profoundly positive difference. The amount of good that so many individuals and NGOs have been able to do has proven to me that almost everyone, regardless of income, available time, age, and skills, can do something useful for others and, in the process, strengthen the fabric of our shared humanity.”

GIVING shines the spotlight on the work of several people and organizations and their remarkable stories. It looks at the act of giving and gives examples of how that in itself can offer fulfillment and a life-changing experience for the giver. Clinton also outlines steps we can all take, and guidelines towards contributing to a better world.

“Bill Clinton’s actions and deeds during his post-presidential years, both directly and through his foundation, have had an extraordinary impact on the lives of millions,” said Sonny Mehta, Chairman and Editor in Chief of Knopf, the book’s publisher. “His new book suggests that all of us can have a profound influence on the lives of others through acts of giving. I believe this book has the power to change both our outlook and our communities, and it will make a real contribution towards turning the world into a better place.”

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World goes on sale September 4, 2007 and is also available simultaneously in Audio and Large Print from Random House.

Elton's Charity To Raise AIDS Awareness In India

Mon, 21 May 2007 13:32:12 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Sir Elton John has joined with CARE International UK and other leading international aid agencies to put food at the forefront of the fight against HIV and AIDS in India.

A £500,000 ($1 million) contribution from the Elton John AIDS Foundation is crucial to ensuring the success of the new Balasahyoga project, which aims to improve the quality of life of children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS and their families in India’s Andhra Pradesh state by providing care, support and treatment services.

The project will help 150,000 people affected by HIV and AIDS get better access to food and nutrition, as well as a chance to build sustainable livelihoods.

Sir Elton said, “If we have learned anything from this epidemic over the past 20 years, it is that success is only possible with collaboration. I hope this project will serve as a model for public/private partnership of HIV and AIDS treatment and care in India.”

Geoffrey Dennis, Chief Executive of CARE UK warns that it is almost impossible to fight the HIV virus without effective nutrition. Malnourished people have weaker immune systems and are much more susceptible to infection. To stay strong children infected with HIV can need as much as twice the amount of food that healthy children need.

“The fight against HIV cannot be won using drugs alone. Some anti-retroviral therapies are only effective when taken on a full stomach, so drug treatments must be run alongside programmes which ensure those affected have access to reliable food supplies. The need for food might soon overtake the need for anti-retroviral treatment in some areas of the world”, he added.

The HIV virus has reached epidemic levels in Andhra Pradesh. To fight it CARE International, along with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Family Health International (FHI), the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) have joined forces.

Sir Elton has commended NACO for its vision and leadership in inviting world class partners such as CHAI, FHI and CARE International to join them in Andhra Pradesh in delivering a holistic package of services to those that so desperately need them.

“I am proud that my own Foundation can complement CIFF’s funding of this project by contributing the vital ingredient of sustainable food security”, he said.

Streisand Donates $1M to Climate Change Initiative

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:22:02 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Singer Barbra Streisand announced this week that she will donate $1M to former president Bill Clinton’s favourite charity, the Climate Change Initiative.

The initiative – part of the Clinton Foundation – aims to bring together a consortium of major cities around the world to actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Streisand has been funding global climate change efforts since the late 80s, and she recently announced an October tour in aid of charity.

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