(Courtesy of Clinton Foundation)
Students hoping to attend the Global Clinton Initiative University must apply to attend this conference by Feb. 2010.
President Bill Clinton started Global Clinton Initiative University in 2007 for the purpose of bringing together student leaders, according to the CGI U Web site.
To attend CGI U, students must go though an application process in which students are to prepare a “Commitment To Action,” which is a specific plan to deal with world problems. The final application deadline is Feb. 1, 2010, according to the CGI U Web site. The 2010 CGI U meeting will take place April 16 through 18, 2010 at the University of Miami.
The Commitment to Action, according to the Web site, must fall under one of the five focus areas. The focus areas include Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation and Public Health.
Shane Doyle, who previously attended CGI U from Montana State University, said participating was something he will never forget.
“CGI U was the most inspirational, motivational and practical conference I’ve ever had the privilege of attending,” Doyle said.
Mark Arnoldy, a 23-year-old senior psychology major at CU, attended CGI U with the idea of NepalNUTrition. He said his “Commitment to Action” attempts to battle the problem of malnutrition in Nepal.
NepalNUTrition address the problem that in Nepal, nearly 99% of severely malnourished children lack access to effective treatment according to the NepalNUTrition Web site. Arnoldy’s “Commitment to Action” included specific ways to solve the problem such developing sustainable funding to finance the purchase of the peanut butter in Nepal.
Arnoldy said that his inspiration for the idea stemmed after he almost died from an allergic reaction after eating something containing nuts in Nepal.
“I soon learned that the very product that threatened me with death could provide life to the more than 100,000 severely malnourished children in Nepal,” Arnoldy said. “One year later, I created NepalNUTrition to produce a fortified peanut butter locally in Nepal to help put an end to acute malnutrition.”
Keisha Senter, director of CGI U, stressed the significance of the meeting in allowing youth like Arnoldy to take concrete steps to solving world issues.
“CGI U will be more than just a weekend meeting in Miami,” Senter said. “It will be a opportunity for students, these future leaders, to come together and accept President Clinton’s challenge to do their part in making a different in the world.”
When asked what advice he would give students planning to apply, Arnoldy said that “Commitments to Action” should be focused and specific. However, Arnoldy also stressed that anyone interested should not hesitate to apply.
“You by no means have to be an expert to apply so I don’t think any student should be discouraged from applying even if they are still in idea stage,” Arnoldy said. “This is all about making a smart commitment you are dedicated to completing, not having all the answers to begin with.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Lindsay Mullineaux at Lindsay.mullineaux@colorado.edu.
