Clinton Global Initiative meeting at the University of Miami will bring together leaders from government, business, and civil society to address ongoing hurricane recovery needs facing the Caribbean, including health care, housing, clean energy, education, mental health, small business support, and climate resiliency
Today, April 3, 2018, President Clinton will formally launch the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery, bringing together more than 300 leaders in government, business, and civil society at the University of Miami to discuss and develop solutions that address immediate and long-term hurricane recovery needs facing the region.
At the meeting, stakeholders will work toward CGI Commitments to Action – new, specific, and measurable projects to address critical issues such as health care, housing, clean energy, education, small business support, mental health, and climate resiliency to assist with immediate needs as well as the long-term recovery in the region. This Action Network builds on the successful CGI Commitment to Action model, which over the years, has brought together leaders from across sectors to improve the lives of more than 430 million people in 180 countries worldwide.
Major plenaries will include discussion of strategies to support sustainable, inclusive, and resilient rebuilding of the region. President Clinton will welcome featured participants, including Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Commonwealth of Dominica; Irwin LaRocque, secretary-general, Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Governor Kenneth Mapp, Virgin Islands of the United States; Jenniffer González-Colón, resident commissioner, Puerto Rico; Stacey Plaskett, delegate to the United States House of Representatives, Virgin Islands of the United States; Julio Frenk, president, University of Miami; Bill Horan, president, Operation Blessing International; Lynn Jurich, CEO, Sunrun; Ann Young Lee, CEO, J/P Haitian Relief Organization; Andrea Luecke, executive director, The Solar Foundation; Carolyn Miles, president and CEO, Save the Children; Michael Nyenhuis, president and CEO, Americares; Denis O’Brien, chairman of the board, Digicel; Jose Maria Figueres Olsen, former president of Costa Rica, and board member, Rocky Mountain Institute; Alan Ricks, co-founder, Mass Design Group; Thomas F. Secunda, founding partner, vice chairman & global head of financial products & services, Bloomberg LP; Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president, Rockefeller Foundation; Javier Soto, president and CEO, Miami Foundation; Thomas Tighe, president and CEO, Direct Relief; Sally Yearwood, executive director, Caribbean-Central American Action, among others.
“I was really struck by, not only the determination, but the positive attitudes that so many people had in the wake of horrible circumstances” —President @BillClinton on meeting with communities recovering from Hurricanes Irma and Maria #IdeasIntoAction pic.twitter.com/jjQwcA1Ffb
— Clinton Foundation (@ClintonFdn) April 3, 2018
Earlier this year, at the urging of the leaders of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica, President Clinton hosted a planning meeting to catalyze new work and build on existing efforts already helping the region. During that meeting, President Clinton shared Commitments to Action that were already in development, including the rebuilding of schools and homes in Dominica; and the installation of solar equipment at primary care clinics in Puerto Rico. Additional commitments will focus on both recovery as well as building greater resiliency in the region.
This gathering also follows previous trips made by President Clinton to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica (link is external), and Puerto Rico (link is external) where he viewed ongoing efforts by the Foundation, partners, and local leaders to build back in the wake of last year’s hurricane season.
The Action Network will support this work by providing its members with opportunities to:
– Identify critical areas of need where they can have the deepest impact;
– Coordinate work and avoid duplication of efforts;
– Connect across sectors to build new partnerships and increase impact;
– Share lessons learned, best practices, and common resources with a larger community; and
– Work with local leaders to develop more resilient approaches and practices for the region.
The Action Network will meet in person on a quarterly basis, with opportunities for members to coordinate across sectors and geographies throughout the year. This approach to supporting disaster recovery and rebuilding builds on previous work, including the CGI Haiti Action Network, which was established 10 years ago when four hurricanes struck the country and continued through the devastating 2010 earthquake, has led to 130 Commitments to Action in Haiti worth more than $500 million when fully funded and implemented, in areas including health, education, energy, enterprise, agriculture, and infrastructure.
