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Press Release: President Clinton Honors Four Extraordinary Individuals at Inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Awards


Members of the Clinton Global Initiative recognize individuals whose work is empowering people and making a difference.

President Clinton presented the Inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Awards Thursday evening at Carnegie Hall, honoring four extraordinary individuals whose outstanding achievements have inspired change and made a positive impact on the world.

“The amazing people we celebrate here today are proving without a doubt that one person can change the world,” President Clinton said. “I hope that by shining a spotlight on their achievements, others will be inspired to join their efforts or take further action to improve lives and build a stronger future.”

The 2007 Clinton Global Citizen Award Winners are:

  • Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, has helped lift millions of people out of poverty through education, healthcare, and microfinance programs in Bangledesh and beyond. He founded BRAC on the belief that poverty must be tackled from a holistic viewpoint, transitioning individuals from being aid recipients to becoming empowered citizens in control of their own destinies.
  • Vicky Colbert, Executive Director, Escuela Nueva Foundation, has become the single most influential person in the education of rural Colombian students through her innovative Escuela Nueva methodology (Spanish for “New School”), which reshapes the roles of teachers, administrators, and the community, making learning relevant to the daily lives and contexts of students. This approach is being implemented in classrooms in over half of the rural schools in Colombia and throughout Latin America and Caribbean, improving the level of education for hundreds of thousands of students.
  • Andre Agassi, Founder, Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, created a tuition-free college preparatory academy, providing educational and recreational opportunities for students in under-served areas of his hometown of Las Vegas, NV. With the first graduating class expected in 2009, Agassi remains a strong supporter of the growth and future success of young people in Nevada.
  • John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems. Under his leadership, Cisco has become not only a global technology leader, but also a global leader in corporate social responsibility. He has spearheaded a diverse portfolio of programs, primarily focused on using technology to impact basic needs, education and socio-economic development.

After a rigorous review process, award winners were selected based on their vision, ingenuity, demonstrated commitment to creating positive social change and the measurable impact of the projects they initiated. Honorees were chosen from each of the following fields: government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private sector, and entertainment.

This special event, which was emceed by actress Jessica Biel, included special musical performances by Tony Bennett and the African Children’s Choir. Award winners were recognized in front of a crowd of their peers: fellow leaders in government, nonprofit, business and entertainment sectors who had gathered in New York for the Clinton Global Initiative’s 2007 Annual Meeting to discuss solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

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