With a simple click at the United Nations on March 4th, President Bill Clinton kicked off our movement to build a healthier world.

“It is a profoundly important day," said the 42nd President of the United States, before he walked down from the UN speaker’s podium, along with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to give the first donations to MASSIVEGOOD on a small laptop.

Following President Clinton's first click, MASSIVEGOOD went live. Leisure travelers in the United States are now able to “click” on MASSIVEGOOD at travel agencies and on commercial travel websites like Travelocity and Accor Hotels, and contribute $2 to fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and to improving the dismal state of maternal and child health in the developing world.

"This is basically an instituionalized version of what we saw happen after the Haiti earthquake where people were texting in $10 or $5," Clinton said. "These systems, I predict, will empower ordinary people to change the future of the world in ways that we can only begin to imagine."

Joining President Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations were Raymond Chambers, UN Special Envoy for Malaria, Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS, Her Royal Highness Princess Cristina of Spain, First Lady of Namibia Penehupifo Pohamba, Audun Bjørlo Lysbakken, Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, Graeme Wheeler, World Bank Managing Director and Philippe Douste-Blazy, Chairman of the Millennium Foundation.

Panel members discussed how a "citizen solution" such as MASSIVEGOOD can provide needed funding to the global health crisis, while potentially revolutionzing the way we think about fundraising.

"Today's launch in the United States will be followed by expansion to European countries, and then elsewhere," said the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "We hope MASSIVEGOOD will become a truly global phenomenon."

Entitled “Click for Health, Click for Life,” this event was hosted by the Millennium Foundation’s Chairman Philippe Douste-Blazy and Managing Director Bernard Salomé. MASSIVEGOOD is the flagship project of the Millennium Foundation. 

Funds raised through MASSIVEGOOD will be distributed to UNITAID, an innovative funding mechanism for the purchase of drugs that has already saved millions of lives by lowering the price and increasing the availability of key treatments in poor countries.

Jorge Bermudez, Executive Secretary of UNITAID, also addressed the special session. “With MASSIVEGOOD contributions, we hope to be able to expand our work and treat more children, women and men and give them a chance of a longer, productive life,” he said.

Finally, in a change from the typical high-level United Nations meeting, participants also got a special film screening - “Masterpieces,” Spike Lee's new 1-minute film, made for MASSIVEGOOD and featuring  Mary J. Blige, Samuel L. Jackson and Susan Sarandon, writer Paul Auster and physicist Brian Greene.

NYC Launch Week

President Clinton's "first click" at the United Nations was the final event of the MASSIVEGOOD launch week in New York City. On February 26th, we offered a preview of MASSIVEGOOD to travel and tourism executives at the New York Times Travel Show. On March 2nd, will.i.am and South African diva Yvonne Chaka Chaka got together in downtown Manhattan to celebrate MASSIVEGOOD at a slamming party at the Esquire house.

Celeberties, political figures and travel industry leaders - New York City's best was in full form this week to launch MASSIVEGOOD. 

But now it is up to you to help us spread the word, because after all, MASSIVEGOOD is about simple solutions and small efforts for huge effect. Take a look at this website and share articles, video content and other goodies. Follow us at @joinmassivegood or become our facebook friend at www.facebook.com/massivegood.

Most importantly, look for MASSIVEGOOD when you travel. One click at a time, we can really make a change.

1

March 12, 2010 12:35 PM

By Jean-Philippe

Impressive ! I support MASSIVEGOOD !

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