CNN and CNN International will produce town-hall-style summits in April, August and September to discuss HIV/AIDS, poverty, religious conflict, and global governance in conjunction with the Clinton Global Initiative.
CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, anchor Anderson Cooper, and chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will moderate the panels. Former President Bill Clinton will be a featured guest at each of the events.
“Creating a platform for thoughtful discussion by opinion leaders once again highlights CNN’s position as a global platform for news and debate on critical issues,” said Rena Golden, senior VP, CNN International.
The first event, “End of AIDS: A CNN Global Summit with President Clinton” will premiere on April 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET. This event spins the global HIV/AIDS crisis with a scenario in which the disease has been eradicated and asks what role, if any, governments and drug companies played in the pandemic. CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will moderate the meeting and panel of leading HIV/AIDS experts while CNN Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange reports from Botswana, where 40 percent of the population is infected.
In August, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will moderate the second summit from New Orleans which will focus on poverty and what is being done to reduce it in the U.S. and other countries.
CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will moderate the final summit in September to discuss topics of global significance including climate change, mitigating religious conflicts, public health and effective global governance. The third summit takes place on the eve of CGI 2006 which takes place September 20-22 and coincides with the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is a non-partisan catalyst for action, which convenes each September in a meeting for global leaders including heads of state, non-profit organizations and business leaders to discuss challenges facing the world today.
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