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Clinton Urges a World of Sharing

Clinton Urges a World of Sharing

Published 01-28-05

Submitted by World Economic Forum

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - Former president William J. Clinton called on participants at the Annual Meeting 2005 of the World Economic Forum to embrace "a vision of the 21st century world that shares prosperity and benefits".

This vision, Clinton said, is of a world that we would like to be "a place of sharing". Interviewed by US public television talk show host Charlie Rose, Clinton told political, business and civil society leaders who packed the plenary session: "We share responsibilities and we share prosperity and benefits. We share a sense of community that stretches across religious and ethnic lines."

Although it is necessary to fight for freedom and against terror, Clinton added, it is not possible to defeat everyone who might want to harm the US. "Of course, we can never defeat all our actual and potential enemies in a world that is as open and porous as our world has to be," he said. Clinton explained that that is the reason he finds global partnership essential. Clinton talked briefly about his foundation which is providing generic drugs for 100,000 HIV/AIDS victims in Africa, India, China and the Caribbean. He said there were plans to extend the aid to western Russia.

He cautioned against becoming overly obsessed over the likelihood that Iran might develop its own nuclear bomb. Asked if the US should now send more forces to Iraq, Clinton said he was not sure that Washington had enough troops to do that.

On the Middle East, Clinton said that it is important for the US to become involved in the process again. "Whenever we get involved, fewer people die," he said. "What we must not do is to let the delay destroy the prospects for peace. We need to not let the thing just simmer."

Clinton added that the world today is highly interdependent, "which produces things like 9/11 and the violence between the Israelis and Palestinians. Interdependence means they can't escape each other. But interdependence also means that 30% of American households will send money to tsunami victims a half a world away. That is the beginning of the democratization of international assistance."

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