As the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting returned to New York this week, leaders from across the world converged to tackle a host of urgent issues—ranging from climate resilience and global health to the future of finance and the rising tide of political violence. The event, founded in 2005 by former President Bill Clinton, has long positioned itself as more than just a forum for discussion. Instead, it’s a stage for forging partnerships and launching practical projects—what CGI calls “Commitments to Action”—that aim to deliver measurable change in areas like economic empowerment, education, inclusive growth, and climate resilience.
This year’s gathering, which kicked off on September 24, 2025, brought together an eclectic mix of voices: heads of state, nonprofit pioneers, business innovators, and philanthropists. But it was the sobering tone set by President Clinton at the opening session that underscored the stakes. Addressing attendees, Clinton didn’t shy away from the nation’s troubles. “It would be irresponsible, almost jarring, for us to take off and not acknowledge the traumatic rise in political violence that we’ve seen in our country,” he said, referencing the shooting deaths of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, according to the Associated Press. “We’re pulling further and further away from one another.”
Clinton’s concerns didn’t stop there. He lamented the dismantling of domestic and foreign aid programs, a “war on science and public health,” education cuts, trade wars, and growing threats to freedom of speech. “We’re trying to do everything we can to provide a counterweight to a lot of the negative things that have taken place in the last several months,” he explained, highlighting CGI’s new format that leans heavily on working groups designed to address these pressing challenges head-on.
One of the most anticipated sessions featured Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green, who traveled to New York specifically to spotlight his state’s pioneering efforts in building resilience. According to the Governor’s Office and as reported by Hoodline, Green was scheduled to participate in a session titled ‘Investing in Community Resilience’ on September 26, 2025. There, he outlined Hawai‘i’s science-based approach to policymaking, its aggressive climate action strategies, the housing challenges the state faces, and ongoing efforts to create equitable infrastructure. Governor Green also took part in roundtables exploring the intersection of health and climate resilience—a timely topic as island communities worldwide grapple with rising sea levels, extreme weather, and public health threats amplified by climate change. During his absence, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke assumed acting governor duties, ensuring continuity of leadership back home.
The focus on actionable solutions was echoed by new faces at CGI this year, including IndiaP2P and EquiRize. These innovative platforms, led by co-founder Neha Juneja, joined the Greenhouse Cohort and the Innovative Finance Working Group at the invitation of CGI. Their mission: to advance gender-smart and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-aligned finance. IndiaP2P, a peer-to-peer lending platform, unlocks capital for women entrepreneurs, while EquiRize enables investments that align with SDG values. Their debut at CGI marks a growing recognition that financial innovation is crucial to accelerating progress on the world’s most urgent goals.
Juneja, reflecting on the opportunity, told Smstreet, “The CGI platform is unique in that it doesn’t just gather people—it demands concrete action and measurable commitments. We are excited to bring our vision of SDG-Aligned and gender-smart finance into conversations that are steering global investment strategies.” As part of the Greenhouse Cohort, IndiaP2P and EquiRize will benefit from CGI’s mentorship, network, and support, helping to scale their solutions both within India and on the global stage. Their participation also underscores the growing role of women-led and values-driven finance in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future.
CGI’s commitment to practical impact was perhaps best illustrated by its headline announcement: a partnership between the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Unitaid, and Wits RHI to provide Gilead Sciences’ HIV prevention drug lenacapavir in 120 low- and middle-income countries at a price of $40 per person annually, starting in 2027. The Gates Foundation, meanwhile, announced a similar agreement with Indian manufacturer Hetero Labs. President Clinton linked these efforts to recent foreign aid cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration, warning that such reductions could result in more than 6 million additional HIV cases and potentially 4 million more deaths in Africa. In July, GOP leaders halted a further $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the U.S.-backed program credited with saving millions of lives in Africa since its launch under President George W. Bush. Neil Bush, Points of Light Chairman and brother of the former president, commented that PEPFAR’s legacy remains a point of family pride and sees the new CGI initiative as philanthropy stepping up to fill critical gaps.
But the calls for action didn’t end there. Activist and philanthropist Abigail Disney challenged CGI attendees to be bolder in their giving, urging them to support cultural movements rather than just programs. “I don’t care where you are on the political spectrum—there is mistrust, there’s fear and there is anger, and we should all be very alarmed,” Disney said, adding, “And I hang around big philanthropies these days and I don’t see any alarm. I don’t think that’s because they’re not alarmed. I think that’s because they’re afraid. Everybody’s afraid.”
Throughout the two-day event, which was broadcast live on Fox News Channel starting at 9:00 PM Eastern Time, CGI’s ethos of optimism and solution-seeking remained front and center. “If we hold our heads high, keep our eyes and ears open and deal with others with an outstretched hand and not a clenched fist, we’ve got a chance to keep hope alive,” Clinton said. “We have the chance to make a meaningful difference in other people’s lives.”
As the world faces mounting challenges—climate change, health crises, economic inequality, and political polarization—CGI’s annual meeting served as a reminder that collaboration, innovation, and concrete action are still possible. Whether through state-level leadership in Hawai‘i, groundbreaking financial platforms in India, or new global health partnerships, the spirit of CGI endures: hope, tempered by realism, and a stubborn refusal to give up on progress.
