Johnson C. Smith University News
March 25, 2013
President Clinton Announces the
Launch of the Clinton Global Initiative University 2013 Commitments “Bracket”
Challenge
JCSU
Students to Present Sustainability Village Project
Today,
President Bill Clinton announced the launch of the third annual Clinton Global
Initiative University (CGI U) Commitments Challenge, a competition of ideas
from college and university students in the form of a “bracket.” This year,
more than 1,000 students, including four students from Johnson C. Smith
University, will be in attendance.
The sixth
meeting of CGI U will be held at Washington University in St. Louis from April
5-7, falling on the same weekend as the NCAA “Final Four” men’s and women’s
basketball championships.
“While we
all pay attention to great student athletes during ‘March Madness,’ our CGI
University Commitments Challenge celebrates great student ideas to address some
of the world’s most pressing issues,” said President Clinton. “Whether
empowering poor families in Nepal to start their own fish farms, launching an
annual event for disability rights, or securing engineering apprenticeships for
students who’ve dropped out of high school in Kenya, these 16 new CGI U
Commitments to Action in our ‘bracket’ competition reflect the passion,
potential, and problem solving skills of our next generation of leaders.”
Beginning
today, the public can vote for their favorite CGI U 2013 commitment at www.cgiu.org/bracket.
Votes will
be tallied and posted in real-time, and those not attending CGI U can follow
the action at cgiu.org. The winning
commitment will be announced at the closing plenary session of CGI U, which
will feature President Clinton and Stephen Colbert on April 6 at 3:30 p.m. CDT.
The session will also feature an interview with President Clinton that will be
taped to air in a special CGI U-themed episode of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” during the week of
April 8, as well as a Q&A session with students in attendance.
The 2013
CGI U Commitments Challenge Voting Schedule:
- The first round of voting will open today and will end
Thursday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m. CDT
- The quarterfinal round of voting will end Monday, April
1 at 1:00 p.m. CDT
- The semifinal round of voting will end Thursday, April
4 at 1:00 p.m. CDT
- The final round of voting will end Saturday, April 6 at
1:00 p.m. CDT
The CGI U
2013 program will feature sessions that will examine issues throughout CGI U’s
five focus areas: Education, Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Human
Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health. The meeting will examine
critical topics, such as combating prescription drug abuse among young people,
what it takes to launch a business as a young entrepreneur, and how to empower
the next generation of girls and women around the world. These sessions will
allow students to gain further insight into today’s pressing global challenges
and acquire the skills needed to make progress on their own Commitments to
Action.
The full
agenda for CGI U 2013 can be found at cgiu.org/meetings/2013/agenda.asp.
The
student commitments being featured in the CGI U 2013 Commitments Challenge
include:
Takachar:
Turning Urban Waste into Value
Commitment by: Kevin Kung
School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In 2013,
Kevin Kung, a member of Engineers without Borders, committed to partner with
five urban waste cooperatives that collect waste from 1,500 households in the
Kibera slum in Kenya. Through this collaboration, Kung will transform the waste
into affordable charcoal briquettes that can be used as cooking fuel.
The
Mobile Science Lab: Toys from Trash
Commitment by: Prachiti Dalvi and Pranali Dalvi
School: Duke University
In 2013,
Prachiti Dalvi and Pranali Dalvi committed to help primary school students
build scientific models and conduct hands-on experiments using local scrap
materials through Mobile Science Lab. They hope to make science education more
accessible to children in their birth city of Mumbai.
Water
Tower Construction and Clean Water Education in More Tomorrow, Belize Commitment by: Cody
LaBarber; Zach Bever; Jake Pitts; Courtney Hill
School: University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
In 2013,
Cody LaBarber, Zach Bever Jake Pitts, and Courtney Hill committed to build a
water tower that will provide clean water to the village of More Tomorrow,
Belize by the end of the year. After construction is complete, they will train
the local residents to properly use and maintain the tower.
The
Chester Sound
Commitment by: Kassandra Sparks and Trip Lenahan
School: Swarthmore College
In 2013,
Kassandra Sparks and Trip Lenahan committed to create the Chester Sound, a
hip-hop music education program that pairs Swarthmore College students with
youth from Chester, Pa., a neighboring city that suffers from high rates of
poverty and violence. Throughout the semester, college students will bring the
youth to Swarthmore’s state of the art recording studio, where they will work
together towards the creation of their own album.
Sustainability
Village Project
Commitment
by: Christophe Fatton; Omar Cossio; Shaquana Jackson; Sandy Mathurin
School: Johnson C. Smith University
In 2013,
Christophe Fatton, Omar Cossio, Shaquana Jackson, and Sandy Mathurin committed
to introduce sustainable farming techniques at a community garden in Charlotte,
N.C. that will serve as an agricultural model for communities in Haiti. Fatton,
the group leader and a Haitian citizen, hopes the project will help his home
country recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake.
Compost
Methods to Improve Soil Fertility
Commitment by: Glenda Alfaro
School: Mount Hood Community College
In 2013,
Glenda Alfaro committed to replenish nutrient-poor soil and stimulate
agricultural production through composting in Jardins de la Nueva, El Salvador.
In November 2013, she will distribute composting bins to 12 families and teach
them the basic procedures for composting at home, bringing her knowledge of
environmental technology to her native country.
Education
Re-engineered
Commitment by: Beatrice Mwonga and Halima Olapade
School: Drexel University
In 2013,
Beatrice Mwonga and Halima Olapade committed to connect high school dropouts in
Kenya with apprenticeships at local companies, with the goal of matching five
young people and five companies in the first year. Born and raised in Africa,
both Mwonga and Olapade believe that offering young people apprenticeships will
help offset the growing income divide across the continent.
DREAMzone
Commitment by: Davier Rodriguez
School: Arizona State University
In 2013,
Davier Rodriguez committed to establish a national network of allies that will
support undocumented students, offering a four-hour ally certification course
that breaks down preconceived notions of undocumented students and educates
participants on federal, state, and local challenges. As a first-generation
college student and the son of Cuban immigrants, he hopes to increase access
and support for undocumented students in Arizona.
BlocPower
Commitment by: Donnel Baird
School: Columbia University
In 2013,
Donnel Baird committed to market and finance energy efficiency and renewable
energy retrofits to 1,000 churches, charter schools, small businesses, and
other non-profits in American inner cities, and hire local low-income
unemployed residents to do the job. Baird’s program will address both the
threat of climate change and high unemployment rates in inner cities.
UPleaft
Commitment by: Maria Claudia Sarta Herrera, Jessica Troiano, and Elizabeth
Kelly
School: New York University
In 2013,
Maria Claudia Sarta Herrera, Jessica Troiano, and Elizabeth Kelly committed to
create an all-natural beverage company, UPleaft, to generate income for farmers
in Colombia and give consumers a healthier alternative to traditional
high-sugar soft drinks. The company will establish partnerships with urban and
rural smallholder farmers to create a sustainable income source. Additionally,
they hope to mobilize members of the community to train farmers in eco-friendly
farming, harvesting, and processing techniques, as well as provide them with
access to financial services.
Disability
Rights as Human Rights
Commitment by: Kristin Duquette, Sean Snyder, and Charley Wedeen
School: Trinity College
In 2013,
Kristin Duquette, Sean Snyder, and Charley Wedeen committed to develop
“Disability Rights as Human Rights,” a program that will promote a broader
understanding of disabled experiences. The group plans to launch a program
called “A Day in a Wheelchair,” asking able-bodied students to use wheelchairs
for 12-48 hour periods, and expect the program to spark a discussion regarding
rights for those with disabilities.
Plan
D
Commitment by: Salman Hirani and Zishan Hirani
School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
In 2013,
Salman Hirani and Zishan Hirani committed to create Plan D, a dermatological
pathology app that analyzes abnormal growths, moles, and discolorations on the
skin. Using this information, they will compare images to a database of clinically
diagnosed skin malignancies and provide users with a breakdown of potential
diagnoses, as well as a list of local physicians.
KHE
Project
Commitment by: Emily Santos, Krupa Desai, and Henry Osman
School: Washington University in St. Louis
In 2013,
Emily Santos, Krupa Desai, Henry Osman committed to create the KHE Project, a
text-message based hotline to address the ongoing issue of gender violence in
South Africa. Specifically, the KHE Project will connect victims of rape and
sexual assault with counseling resources and educational materials, while
preserving the anonymity of its users and taking advantage of the widespread
use of mobile phones in South Africa.
Sustainable
Engineering Solutions
Commitment by: Malini Kannan, Kyle Wilson, and Brian Li Kam Wah
School: University of California, San Diego
In 2013,
Malini Kannan, Kyle Wilson, and Brian Li Kam Wah, a team of engineering
students from UC San Diego, committed to work with faculty and partner
organizations to provide rural residents in the Philippines with
locally-sourced engineering solutions to improve their quality of life.
Specifically, they will create portable ceramic water filters to increase
access to potable water, design a charging circuit that will allow residents to
use a solar panel and battery powered LEDs, and construct hurricane straps that
will increase safety and eliminate damage done to local homes by typhoons.
Renewable
Energy for Development and Sustainability
Commitment by: Daniel Sopdie, Aseya Kakar, and Linda Nkosi
School: Wartburg College
In 2013,
Daniel Sopdie, Aseya Kakar, and Linda Nkosi committed to build a biogas
digester that converts animal and plant waste into gas for a refugee camp in
Mpaka, Swaziland. By creating an alternative gas that can be used for cooking,
heating, and lighting, the group hopes to improve daily standards of living,
increase the capacity of the youth to learn, and enable the Mpaka community to
be more sustainable through the reduction of deforestation.
Sustainable
Fish Farming Project
Commitment by: Kanchan Amatya
School: University of Oklahoma
In 2013,
Kanchan Amatya committed to create the Sustainable Fish Farming Project, a
microfinance initiative that will provide 500 families in Nepal with funding to
start their own fish farms. By providing loans to villagers at a five percent
interest rate, partnering with local NGOs to provide trainings on fish farming
techniques, and using existing ponds and rice paddies in the region, Amatya
hopes to build an enterprise that will bring both financial and nutritional
stability to Nepal.
View and
share session webcasts from CGI U 2013 by visiting: http://www.cgiu.org. Follow us on Twitter at @CGIU and @ClintonGlobal or on Facebook at Facebook.com/CGIUniversity for
meeting news and highlights. The event hashtag is #CGIU.
Press
registration is now open to members of the media. To apply, please complete the
form at: cgilink.org/YE3ZA5.
The
deadline to apply for press credentials is Tuesday, April 2 at 5 p.m. ET.
Journalists may apply for credentials on-site, but pre-registered media will be
given priority. For questions about press registration, please email press@clintonglobalinitiative.org.
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About
CGI U
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) brings together college students
to address global challenges with practical, innovative solutions. CGI U
participants do more than simply discuss problems – they take concrete steps to
solve them by creating action plans, building relationships, participating in
hands-on workshops, and following up with CGI U as they complete their
projects. Previous CGI U meetings have taken place at Tulane University, the
University of Texas at Austin, the University of Miami, the University of
California at San Diego, and the George Washington University, and have
convened more than 4,500 students from nearly 750 schools, more than 130
countries, and all 50 states. To learn more, visit cgiu.org.
