The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was set up in 2005 by president Clinton with the idea of bringing together world leaders to discuss and find solutions to the worlds problems. The Initiative did not want to run programmes itself but wanted to be a platform for discussion where programmes could be devised and resources and values could be shared through the CGI global networks. Central to the intiative was getting it members (world leaders and organisations) to make their discussions and solutions a reality by putting their programmes into action.

In order for the Initiative to make sure that things actually happen, they require every member to write a commitment for what they will do. These commitments can be either financial or non-financial and have to be new (adding to what they currently do, be innovative), specific (address a particular problem with realistic objectives) and measurable (to track and report on the impact of their commitment so that the results can inform/ stimulate any future work). Examples of these commitments include:

• At the 2007 CGI’s Annual Meeting, the Hashoo Foundation (HF) made a Commitment to support the advancement and empowermet of women in the northern areas and chitral region of Pakistan, by creating a social entreprise, the Honeybee Farming project to provide employment.
• At the 2006 CGI Annual Meeting the Solar Energy Foundation (SEF) and Good Energies, Inc made a commitment to bring electricity to Rema, an Ethiopian village. They did this by installing 1,100 solar panels in Rema, generating electricity for more than 5,500 people.

Click here for more examples of the CGI’s members commitments

As well as getting it’s members to make commitments the Initiative wanted to broaden it’s net and encourage as many people as possible to take action to make a real change in their communities. So in 2007 the CGI set up MyCommitment.org where people from around the world can make a commitment (giving time, finances, setting up a programme or business etc) to help solve problems in their communities.

You can browse the CGI website to see who else has made a commitment and if they are looking to develop partnerships to help them to achieve it. If this fits into what you are doing then this may offer some great opportunities for partnership working. Go and have a look at the partnership list by clicking here.