by Trevor Williams | January 25, 2015
A benevolent army is arising to help fill the gap between what policy makers and the private sector can do reduce poverty globally and keep capitalism on sustainable footing, former President Bill Clinton said in
Atlanta Jan. 17.
An “explosion of non-governmental organizations” has sent the number of foundations soaring past 1 million in the U.S. alone, with more than half of them formed in the last two decades, with another million or so groups estimated to have formed in China andIndia combined, Mr. Clinton said in a keynote speech at the Operation Hope global forum.
Mr. Clinton, known for his post-presidency philanthropic work through the Clinton Global Initiative, gave a 45-minute tour of the world that amounted to a pep talk urging more than 1,000 attendees do their part to foster "inclusive economics,” providing the light of opportunity to those struggling though dark times. Operation Hope is a nonprofit that focuses on financial literarcy and inclusion for poor populations.
"This idea that private citizens can do public good is very important,” Mr. Clinton said.
One of his top achievements as president, he said, was seeing the growth rates in the lower income brackets match those of the top segments amid the technology-led boom of the 1990s. He warned that capitalism eventually becomes a victim of its own success if its main beneficiaries forget those that haven’t been as fortunate.