رجل اعمال ســودانى يتبـرع بـ 100 مليون جنيـه للتمنية فى افريقيـا

September 19, 2005
Clinton Initiative Seeks Commitments
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 1:06 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton convinced world and business
leaders to commit more than $1.25 billion to address major global problems,
ranging from poverty to clean energy.

The question is, will they follow through?

In his closing remarks Saturday the first annual Clinton Global Initiative,
the former president promised progress reports on the more than 190 initiatives.

Clinton told participants -- including ######### of state and business leaders
-- to remember the impact their work can have on future generations, saying
''we are so arrogant because we are obsessed with the present.''

The three-day event, which coincided with a world summit at the United
Nations, included a series of workshops on topics including religious
conflict, poverty and the environment.

At a Saturday session, former Vice President Al Gore said Hurricane Katrina
should serve as a warning that the world must not ignore the consequences of
global warming.

''We face a global emergency, a deepening climate crisis that requires us to
act,'' Gore said.

Scientists are split over whether a manmade change in world climate is
fueling stronger storms.

At least one recent study suggested that a rise in the surface temperature
of tropical seas may be responsible for an increase in the severity of
hurricanes. But many say the temperature rise is a natural environmental cycle.

The price of admission was $15,000, and participants were required to commit
to some sort of action to help solve a major global problem. If they don't
follow through, they won't be invited back to what organizers intend to make
an annual event.

The pledges secured at the conference included a $300 million commitment
from Swiss Re, a reinsurance and financial services organization, to start
an investment fund for promoting clean energy in Europe.

Other major contributors were Sir Tom Hunter, a Scottish entrepreneur who
pledged $100 million to fight poverty in the Third World, and Mohamed
Ibrahim, a businessman from Sudan who said he would give $100 million for an
investment fund for African businesses.