Clinton Global Initiative University
Building on the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together world leaders to take action on global challenges, President Clinton launched the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) in 2007 to engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world.Each year, CGI U hosts a meeting where students, national youth organizations, topic experts, and celebrities discuss solutions to pressing global issues. CGI U 2012 will be held at George Washington University, Washington, DC from March 30-April 1, 2012. At this meeting, nearly 1,200 attendees will come together to make a difference in CGI U's five focus areas:
- Education
- Environment & Climate Change
- Peace & Human Rights
- Poverty Alleviation
- Public Health.
Commitments to Action
Commitments to Action, a unique feature of CGI U membership, translate practical goals into meaningful and measurable results. Commitments are new, specific, and measurable initiatives that address social or environmental challenges on campuses, in communities, or in different parts of the world. Varying in scope and duration, many commitments are the result of new and diverse partnerships between students, universities, nonprofits, and national youth organizations, with members combining efforts to expand the impact of new ideas. To learn more about the commitments process, feel free to browse the CGI U Commitments Guide., found at www.cgiu.org. Since the inaugural CGI U Meeting at Tulane University in 2008, more than 3,000 commitments have been made by students, universities, and youth organizations. The CGI U commitments staff is available on site during CGI U Meetings and afterwards to work with members on developing their commitments and track progress.
CGIU 2012 Attendees
Since the inaugural CGIU Meeting at Tulane University in 2008, more than 3,000 commitments have been made by students, universities, and youth organizations. This year ten University of Houston students were selected to represent four individual and two group “Commitments to Action” in the areas of Education, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health, and will attend the 2012 CGI U in Washington, DC. A profile for each student is provided on the following pages, which includes information about each of their respective “Commitments to Action”.
Maria Ivanez
Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Political Science
Hometown/Home Country: Katy, TX
Commitment Title: The Participa Initiative
Commitment Focus Area: Education
The “Participa” initiative will strive towards obtaining greater participation of Spanish-speaking parents in their child’s education that are limited to participate due to the inability to communicate in English. Parent participation forms an important part in a child’s school education and this initiative will offer translation and accessibility to their children’s school work in Spanish. Parents will also be encouraged to participate in English lessons for the sole purpose of having the ability to be more active in their child’s schoolwork.
Vivian Hernandez
Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Journalism
Hometown/Home Country: Houston, TX
Commitment Title: S.P.E.A.K (Students Protecting Exploited Adults and Kids)
Commitment Focus Area: Peace & Human Rights
S.P.E.A.K (Students Protecting Exploited Adults and Kids) highlights the global issue of Human Trafficking and the domestic issue of sexual abuse. S.P.E.A.K. week will be developed and implemented at the University of Houston. S.P.E.A.K week would be organized and dedicated to raise awareness concerning the aforementioned issues. The overall objective along with raising awareness of these global issues would be to culminate the week with a fundraiser to raise money for future awareness efforts. My personal commitment is to bring these issues to the forefront of the university consciousness.
Ayesha Kahn
Class Standing: Graduate Student
Major: Biomedicine
Hometown/Home Country: Pakistan
Commitment Title: Meri Khwaish (My Wish)
Commitment Focus Area: Education
Meri Khwaish (My Wish) – will be an educational non-profit media and social networking campaign geared toward girl empowerment in Pakistan. The Meri Khwaish campaign will create a girl character that will be influenced by but not entirely based on strong and independent Pakistani women leaders who have made a mark for themselves throughout history, respecting the country’s cultural and religious values while also advancing greater gender equality.
Ambreen Rahman
Class Standing: Senior
Major: Biology
Hometown/Home Country: Houston, TX/Pakistan
Commitment Title: Domestic and Dating Violence Prevention in High-Risk Teenagers
Commitment Focus Area: Public Health
The commitment will be to develop student-driven education for 300 students in specified high-risk high schools and middle schools to address teenage dating violence and domestic violence. The action plan will be to develop and executive a collaborative approach with administrators, teachers and students to form educational networks and create safe space to voice and combat domestic violence, including intimate partner violence, in all its physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological forms.
Joseph Konkel
Class Standing: Graduate Student
Major: Business Administration
Hometown/Home Country: Bellaire, TX
Commitment Title: Bauer Social Impact (BSI)
Commitment Focus Area: Poverty Alleviation
Bauer Social Impact (BSI) involves five distinct projects impacting five areas. BSI will create a positive impact and social good in the poorest and most underprivileged peoples in the Americas, specifically indigenous peoples. BSI is partnering with NGO’s and local entities to enable women and entrepreneurs in: the Navajo Nation, Peru, Mexico, Vietnam, and Houston to free themselves from poverty; while, at the same time building the first business school academic center dedicated to non-profit management and microfinance in the nation.
Daniel Pinto
Class Standing: Graduate Student
Major: Business Administration
Hometown/Home Country: Sugar Land, TX
Commitment Title: Bauer Social Impact (BSI)
Commitment Focus Area: Poverty Alleviation
Bauer Social Impact (BSI) involves five distinct projects impacting five areas. BSI will create a positive impact and social good in the poorest and most underprivileged peoples in the Americas, specifically indigenous peoples. BSI is partnering with NGO’s and local entities to enable women and entrepreneurs in: the Navajo Nation, Peru, Mexico, Vietnam, and Houston to free themselves from poverty; while, at the same time building the first business school academic center dedicated to non-profit management and microfinance in the nation.
Cecilia Cai
Class Standing: Senior
Major: Biology
Hometown/Home Country: People’s Republic of China
Commitment Title: PAIR Summer Fellows Program
Commitment Focus Area: Education
Partnership for Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) commits to engaging high school refugee students as valuable community leaders. PAIR will enable the students to personally develop as leaders by providing summer volunteer opportunities. The students will enrich themselves and their communities as PAIR Summer Fellows that work alongside college and community volunteer to mentor middle school refugee students.
Cassie Gianni
Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Economics
Hometown/Home Country: Houston, TX
Commitment Title: PAIR Summer Fellows Program
Commitment Focus Area: Education
Partnership for Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) commits to engaging high school refugee students as valuable community leaders. PAIR will enable the students to personally develop as leaders by providing summer volunteer opportunities. The students will enrich themselves and their communities as PAIR Summer Fellows that work alongside college and community volunteer to mentor middle school refugee students.
Valerie Hang
Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Education
Hometown/Home Country: Sugar Land, TX
Commitment Title: PAIR Summer Fellows Program
Commitment Focus Area: Education
Partnership for Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) commits to engaging high school refugee students as valuable community leaders. PAIR will enable the students to personally develop as leaders by providing summer volunteer opportunities. The students will enrich themselves and their communities as PAIR Summer Fellows that work alongside college and community volunteer to mentor middle school refugee students.
Arielle Gutierrez
Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Interdisciplinary
Hometown/Home Country: Katy, TX
Commitment Title: PAIR Summer Fellows Program
Commitment Focus Area: Education
Partnership for Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) commits to engaging high school refugee students as valuable community leaders. PAIR will enable the students to personally develop as leaders by providing summer volunteer opportunities. The students will enrich themselves and their communities as PAIR Summer Fellows that work alongside college and community volunteer to mentor middle school refugee students.