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Vancouver Philanthropist Pledges $100 Million to Poor

by ScienceDave | June 21, 2007 at 04:48 pm | 311 views | 1 comment | 2 recommendations

Along with former US President, Bill Clinton and Mexican Telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, Vancouver based Frank Giustra has initially pledged $100 million to kickstart the Clinton Foundation's Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative. Giustra has also dedicated half of all his future mining profits to the cause. That's right, for the rest of his life.

"There is no reason why other business sectors can't come together in partnership with governments and other organizations to tackle important issues," Giustra said at a press conference this morning in New York.

"I am honored to join President Clinton in launching the Clinton-Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative today," Giustra said. "I firmly believe that this innovative partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the business community - and the mining industry in particular - will have a profound and positive effect on the lives of countless people in the developing world during the months and years ahead.

The new initiative will focus its efforts in Latin America and other parts of the developing world, and will identify opportunities to assist local leaders in addressing social, economic, and environmental issues in a cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable way, consistent with the Foundation's proven track record on health and development elsewhere in the developing world