Download the full CGSGI Winter 2011 Newsletter (PDF)

It definitely had something to do with the magnetism of Bill Clinton.

The pursuit of wealth for the greater good

Giustra, Slim donate $100-million each to Clinton Foundation

Tycoon rallies industry to help the poor

Friends In High Places – Lifestyles Magazine (PDF)

Training and certification to enhance sustainable employment opportunities

New York, July 11, 2011 — The Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI)announced today the signing of agreements with SENA and CAMACOL Bogotá andCundinamarca (CAMACOL B&C) that establish the first on-site job training andcertification program for construction workers in Colombia. CGSGI will develop aportable, on-site training facility in the Ciudad Verde (“Green City”) low-income housingdevelopment in Soacha, Cundinamarca, near Bogotá, the capital of Colombia to offerfree training and certification for 5,000 construction workers. The on-site trainingprogram will utilize courses developed by SENA, the National Learning Service ofColombia, and trainees will be evaluated by CAMACOL B&C, the Colombian Chamberof Construction. Workers will receive certifications from SENA for the competencies inwhich they have been trained.

Colombia’s Administradoras de Riesgos Profesionales (ARPs — occupational riskmanagement companies) have concluded that the nation’s construction sector ischaracterized by high levels of job turnover, employment instability and rates ofaccidents. CGSGI’s program aims to strengthen Colombia’s construction workforce,improve productivity, and reduce accident rates by offering specific training needed inthe market including working at heights, on-site layout, cementing, structures, masonryand electric and hydraulic installations.

Ciudad Verde has been selected because it is one of Colombia’s largest low- incomehousing developments, stretching over 300 hectares, and designed to provide housingsolutions for about 150,000 residents. There are nine builders participating in theconstruction of 42,000 units in Ciudad Verde, and construction workers from all builderswill be eligible for enrollment in the training, which will be offered free of charge.”We are pleased to be participating in this innovative training project. It will improve thequality of Colombia’s construction workforce and offer certifications that will providebetter opportunities for sustainable and quality employment for thousands of workers,”said President Bill Clinton.

The training center in Ciudad Verde is expected to officially open on July 11, 2011.SENA will dedicate one course instructor for every thirty trainees, and CAMACOL B&C— as an extension of its Manos que Construyen (“Hands that Build”) program — willprovide twelve evaluators to test trainees prior to SENA’s issuance of certifications.

About The Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative

Established in June 2007 by President Bill Clinton and philanthropist Frank Giustra, theClinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI) is an innovative partnershipamong the William J. Clinton Foundation, the private sector, governments, localcommunities, and other NGOs that seeks to narrow the wealth gap in the developingworld by empowering the poor through effective, results-oriented economic and socialdevelopment projects. CGSGI focuses on alleviating poverty through market-drivendevelopment that creates jobs and increases incomes, and by strengthening factors thatenable economic growth such as health and education. CGSGI creates value by forgingcross-sectoral partnerships, designing innovative programs and bringing them to scale,aligning stakeholders, and mainstreaming best practices. The Initiative is committed toassuring transparent and efficient use of resources, and integrating rigorous monitoringand evaluation into its projects. For more information about CGSGI, please visit: http://clintonfoundation.org/what-we-do/clinton-giustra-sustainable-growth-initiative/

About SENA

SENA is a Public Establishment of National Order within the Ministry of SocialProtection of the Republic of Colombia. SENA is responsible for investing in the socialand technical development of Colombian workers, offering and delivering freecomprehensive professional learning and the development of persons in productiveactivities that contribute to the social, economic and technological development of theCountry.

About CAMACOL

The Colombian Chamber of Construction CAMACOL is a national non-profit associationthat brings together businesses and individuals involved in the construction sector valuechain. One of its twelve regional members is CAMACOL Bogotá D.C. andCundinamarca (CAMACOL B&C). One of CAMACOL B&C’s strategic objectivesconsists of involving affiliated companies in social responsibility projects for differentgroups of beneficiaries. To that effect, CAMACOL B&C designed and implemented aprogram dubbed Manos que Construyen (“Hands that Build”) with the objective ofgenerating mechanisms and alliances that contribute to the quality of life of the workers,allowing their integration into the value chain, promoting both a sense of belonging inthe sector and commitment with results, quality of products and processefficiencies. Manos que Construyen Project was established in 2006 by CAMACOLB&C.

About The William J. Clinton Foundation

The William J. Clinton Foundation is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, founded byPresident Bill Clinton with the mission of strengthening the capacity of peoplethroughout the world to address pressing global challenges. Working in collaborationwith governments and other partners, the Foundation applies a unique problem-solvingmethod to each of its seven initiatives, which work to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic,fight climate change, and develop sustainable economic growth in Africa and LatinAmerica. In the U.S., the Foundation works to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic andhelps to expand economic opportunity by increasing access to low-cost financialservices and empowering entrepreneurs. Through these efforts, the Foundation hashelped 1.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS access lifesaving treatment, 40 cities fightglobal climate change, and nearly 4,400 schools promote healthier educationalenvironments. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org.

CGSGI Fall 2010 Newsletter

Port-au-Prince, Haiti— Today, President Bill Clinton and philanthropists Frank Giustra and Carlos Slim accompanied by Haitian Government officials, announced the creation of an innovative new $20 million fund for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Haiti. This is a project of the Clinton Foundation, through the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, and Fundación Carlos Slim. This new fund was established in response to a call from President Préval and Prime Minister Bellerive for more tools to help Haitian entrepreneurs make sustainable improvements in their businesses and communities, and create more jobs.

 “The fund we are announcing today recognizes the important role small-and medium-sized enterprises play in helping to build a modern, self-sustainable economy that will allow Haiti to one day stand on its own two feet,” President Clinton said. “With this fund, we hope to empower entrepreneurs with tools to transform their aspirations, hard work, and good ideas into profitable businesses that create jobs and help fuel the growth of the Haitian economy.”

 “We’re pleased and excited to be working alongside the people of Haiti as they rebuild their country,” explained Giustra. “By aligning the fund alongside local needs and priorities, we’re giving Haiti’s entrepreneurs the tools and resources they need to put their talent and determination to work in the months and years ahead. We’ve seen a real spirit of optimism here and it’s definitely contagious.”     

 “Employment is the way to fight poverty and dignify a human being,” said Carlos Slim. “Small and medium size enterprises generate greater and more diverse employment opportunities, economic activity and human and business development. Investing in equity and giving access to credit, increases businesses’ viability, makes companies more efficient, and accelerates growth.”

This charitable Fund will provide equity and financing for SMEs in Haiti that currently lack access to traditional financing and capital markets, with a particular focus on job creation. The Fund will be market-driven and will seek financial returns on its investments, as well as returns on the Fund as a whole, and profits will be re-invested in the Fund to enable additional future investments. Neither President Clinton, the Clinton Foundation, nor Fundación Carlos Slim will derive profits from the Fund. The Fund and its investments will be aligned with the Haitian government’s priorities, institutions, and processes, including the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) and its procedures. The Fund will seek to collaborate with local institutions and provide technical assistance to the businesses in which it invests. The Fund also will welcome additional investors.

 This announcement builds on President Clinton’s long-standing efforts to help Haitian businesses grow.  In October 2009, President Clinton, at the request of the Haitian Government and along with the IDB, convened a private sector conference.  More than 600 potential investors attended.

 The Fund will be managed by a Management Committee and lead by a Fund Manager.

 About the William J. Clinton Foundation

Founded by President Bill Clinton, the William J. Clinton Foundation focuses on worldwide issues that demand urgent action, solutions, and measurable results — global climate change, HIV/AIDS in the developing world, childhood obesity and economic opportunity in the United States, and economic development in Africa and Latin America. For more information, visit www.clintonfoundation.org.

 About the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative

The Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative is an innovative partnership between the William J. Clinton Foundation, the private sector, governments, local communities, and other NGOs to increase the scope, scale, impact, and sustainability of social and economic development efforts in areas where poverty is widespread. Established in June 2007 by President Bill Clinton and Frank Giustra, CGSGI focuses on alleviating poverty in the developing world through market-driven development that creates jobs and increases incomes, and by strengthening factors that enable economic growth such as health and education. CGSGI is an effort to transform the way businesses do business in the developing world, by creating opportunities and models for all industries seeking to work responsibly in those regions.

 About Fundación Carlos Slim

For the past 24 years the Foundation’s objective has been to realize high social impact actions, mainly in the following areas:  nutrition, health, education, culture, research, social justice, environment, natural disasters, sports, urban slum upgrading and urban renewal, credit and financial support to micro, small and medium size enterprises. www.carlosslim.org

CGSGI Spring 2010 Newsletter

CGSGI (Canada) is a registered Canadian charity that supports the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative. The funds raised will be used for the procurement of food, water, shelter, and medical supplies in Haiti. Funds will also be allocated to the areas of healthcare, education, women and children’s issues, and toward long-term reconstruction that will assist earthquake survivors. One hundred percent of the donations will be directed to Haiti relief efforts.

“CGSGI (Canada) wishes to thank all those who so generously supported the relief efforts in Haiti,” said Giustra. “Both President Clinton and I believe that not only do we need to address Haiti’s immediate needs, but we must also assist the Haitian people in realizing their long-term hopes for stability and prosperity.”

About the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative
The Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI) is an innovative partnership among the William J. Clinton Foundation, the private sector, governments, local communities, and other NGOs to increase the scope, scale, impact, and sustainability of social and economic development efforts in areas where poverty is widespread.

Established in June 2007 by President Bill Clinton and Frank Giustra, CGSGI focuses on alleviating poverty in the developing world through market-driven development that creates jobs and increases incomes, and by strengthening factors that enable economic growth such as health and education. CGSGI is an effort to transform the way businesses do business in the developing world, by creating opportunities and models for all industries seeking to work responsibly in those regions. For more information, visit www.clintonfoundation.org/cgsgi.