(22 Sep 2016) Bill Clinton closed the final meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Wednesday, an arm of the broader Clinton Foundation.
The former U.S. president spoke about fond memories he had throughout the charity's 11 years and touted CGI's work.
He said the initiative had marked a "profound advance" in global philanthropic efforts and had helped 435 million people in 180 countries.
Clinton spent much of his address recalling specific people who have been helped by CGI commitments, including making life-saving drugs more widely available and expanding access to clean drinking water.
The annual CGI gathering in New York has brought together an unusual blend of political leaders, philanthropists and celebrities, including Ben Affleck who took to the stage to explain why he founded the ' Eastern Congo Initiative' - which helps farm coffee and cocoa in Africa.
"My story is just that I was at a point in my life where I was feeling, even by Hollywood standards, sort of especially vacuous and meaningless and like I was really doing nothing with this good fortune that I had. That I had been doing nothing to give back, that I had a moral encompass to do something, that I had done nothing. You know a moral incumbency to help those less fortunate."
Affleck says the farmers are hard workers and just needed help rebuilding their farming infrastructure.
"We started working with farmers, the first export was 40 tons in 2012, of cocoa, and today there is over 1,000 tons in 2016 that they've exported. That is enough for 15 million chocolate bars. And we are doing the same in coffee, Starbucks has stepped in and we brought in private sector partners like Starbucks and like Theo chocolate and brought them together with these farmers who's capacity we have tried to build and create these marriages where we can walk away. This is self-sustaining and sufficient and can go on and doesn't have to be continuing aid."
Regardless if his wife, Hillary, is elected president, Clinton confirmed this is CGIs final year, a decision that he said is painful.
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