America’s Billionaires Focus on Liberia and Its President, as Forbes Magazine Holds 2nd Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit with Focus on Liberia and Entrepreneurs United Nations Headquarters, NY – Liberia and its President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, were a centerpiece on Wednesday, June 5, at the 2nd Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit, a gathering of 150 of the world’s richest men and women who have committed to finding solutions to extreme poverty. According to a dispatch from New York, among those in attendance were: Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft and Co-Chair, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; John Chambers, Co-Founder Wesray Capital and Special Envoy for Malaria UN; Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Media; Jeff Skoll, former President of EBay and founder of the Skoll Foundation; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and Bono, Co-Founder of One and Red and lead singer of U2. The program also included philanthropists from Africa, including Dikembe Mutombo, former basketball superstar from the DRC, and Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings of Nigeria. Also in attendance were some of the world’s greatest innovators, including Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In opening remarks setting out the purpose of the day-long program, Randall Lane, the Editor of Forbes Magazine, said that with the theme of “Solutions to Extreme Poverty” – looking at applications for market-based permanent solutions – the summit would “turn today’s talk into real action by concentrating our collective influence and problem-solving skills on Liberia.” President Sirleaf participated fully in the day’s program, learning about the many innovations and programs that have succeeded around the world and could represent new models of thinking for Liberia. During the luncheon hour, the President got her opportunity to address the distinguished audience. Over the course of an hour, President Sirleaf responded to questions posed by Moira Forbes, President and Publisher of Forbes Woman, about the history of Liberia and her own story of struggle. She embraced Liberia’s potential, underscoring the resilience of the Liberian people. When she mentioned that this year, Liberia will celebrate 10 years of uninterrupted peace,” the audience broke out in sustained applause. The President said she hoped that her legacy would be to return hope and opportunity to the Liberian people – by restoring basic services, and giving every Liberian, particularly the youth, an opportunity for a quality education and a job to be able to provide for themselves and their family. Following the President’s remarks, the participants examined real opportunities and challenges by brainstorming on how to bring to scale three social entrepreneurial projects which had been presented by Dr. Rajesh Panjabi, CEO of Tiratien Health; Scott Gilmore, Founder and CEO of Building Markets; and Chid Liberty, CEO, Liberty & Justice.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:02:47 +0000
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