Our Report from the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York

The Green Family Foundation (GFF) team traveled to New York for the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting on September 20-23, 2010.  FastForward Haiti founder Laurence Magloire and Director Tatiana Magloire attended the event and illustrated GFF and FastForward's dedication to the repatriation of Haitian culture. The events were held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, pictured left.

Green Family Foundation President Kimberly Green was selected to appear in this year's CGI Stories. CGI Stories are interviews with CGI commitment-makers filmed on-site at Clinton Global Initiative meetings. The session allowed President Green to share the successes of GFF's commitments to Haiti action items, speak about the success of Sinema Anba Zetwal and the foundation's membership in the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).

The Special Session: The Recovery in Haiti forum was moderated by President Bill Clinton, Founding Chairman of the Clinton Global Initiative and U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti. Remarks were made by René Preval, President of Republic of Haiti; Denis O'Brien, Chairman, Digicel. Clinton thanked the CGI members participating in the Haiti Action Network. He also spoke of Haiti's agricultural sector, and the steps being taken to boost production and export of Haitian food products.

Denis O'Brien, head of the Haiti Action Network, explained how network members meet monthly (usually in Port au Prince, Haiti) to report on and discuss issues and challenges in achieving their objectives. O'Brien said there were 120 ongoing projects in the Haiti Action Network, "and working groups in education, energy, enterprise, environment, health, sanitation, shelter, and very very importantly a project about saving and nurturing Haiti's deep culture." You can watch The Recovery in Haiti special session here.

Another high note of this year's Clinton Global Initiative meeting was the recognition of GFF's partner organization, EarthSpark International, at the opening plenary session. EarthSpark and its Co-Founder and Executive Director Dan Schnitzer were praised by President Clinton and honored onstage in front of hundreds of NGO leaders, heads of state and corporate executives. Mention was made of EarthSpark International's commitment to develop two new renewable microgrids and five new clean energy stores in Haiti. GFF is committed to supporting the work of EarthSpark International in Haiti.

The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network, a coalition of humanitarian organizations co-founded by AmeriCares and the Population Council, were featured during the opening plenary session of this year's CGI meeting. On display in the CGI halls were the Dignity and Action Kits that are distributed to girls who participate in the Haiti Adolescent Girls Network programs. Contents of the kit, shown at right, include personal hygiene products and safety items, as well as information and emergency resources. Many of the products have been donated and some will be purchased in Haiti to support the local economy. We congratulate the Haiti Adolescent Girls Network and commend their continued commitment to helping young women in Haiti.

The Global Citizens Awards were established in 2007 and recognize individuals who have demonstrated visionary leadership in solving pressing global challenges. The Green Family Foundation congratulates all 2010 honorees, especially Dr. Jean W. Pape, director of GHESKIO (Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections) and professor of medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Pape was honored in the Leadership in Civil Society category.

The CGI Exchange, a forum for CGI members to showcase their projects and accomplishments at the annual meeting, was held Monday, September 20, 2010. The Green Family Foundation had a booth at the event, and enjoyed the opportunity to feature our ongoing commitments, explain our projects and explore new partnership opportunities. FastForward Haiti's Laurence and Tatiana Magloire developed a multimedia exhibit, and GFF members networked with other CGI members about the important cultural work they perform in Haiti. Specifically, the upcoming Sinema Anba Zetwal sight and sound tour of Haiti. Participitating in CGI Exchange were some esteemed colleagues with deep ties and commitments to Haiti's future. Among them were Conor Bohan of  H.E.L.P. (Haitian Education & Leadership Program, Ciné Institute founder David Belle, and Dr. Bruce Charash, founder and co-chair of Doc to Dock.

At this year’s CGI, GFF showcased the collaboration with Fastforward Haiti  by sponsoring an installation in one of the CGI "Whisper Rooms." The "Whisper  Room" is designed to create a space where CGI members can host others interested in learning more about their CGI commitments to Action. GFF featured the next phase of the 2009 Cultural Repatriation and Preservation project by presenting select footage of the screenings – and the short films that are shown at the Sinema Anba Zetwal screenings. Copies of the Haiti Box set were available for visitors to see the product and learn more about the Association for Cultural Equity and the important legacy left to us by Alan Lomax. The GFF "Whisper Room" was very well-attended and provided another opportunity to highlight the foundation’s efforts in Haiti.

The Green Family Foundation is proud to be a member of the Clinton Global Initiative and will continue to honor the commitments it has made to the CGI and to the people and country of Haiti.

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