Melina Dunham
Ecogenia's Development Manager
Melina Dunham, Ecogenia’s Development Manager, shares on her experience at the 2024 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Summit.
Against the backdrop of the overwhelming and troubling polycrises we are grappling with, I did not know what to expect. Not to mention the carbon footprint of traveling to the U.S from Greece. Would it be worth it?
It was. My first time at New York Climate Week was the right balance of energizing, and insightful. As a young professional and founding member of a startup non-profit, it meant a lot to be there. The opportunity to represent Ecogenia and serve in my role as an EU Climate Pact Ambassador in these global spaces and conversations was deeply inspiring.
The impetus behind my participation was the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a distinguished platform that brings together a diverse community of leaders from various sectors to collaborate on addressing the world’s most pressing challenges. Through its unique model, more than 10,000 organizations have launched over 4,000 Commitments to Action, impacting the lives of over 500 million people in 180 countries. Ecogenia is honored to join this global network and participate in the initiative’s ongoing efforts to foster measurable, sustainable change
We were selected as Commitment Makers, and during the two-day Annual Summit, I had the opportunity to meet Secretary Clinton and connect with leaders. As Commitment Makers, we announced our commitment to scale our youth climate corps model to five new municipalities across Greece by 2027. You can read more about our full, multi-year commitment on CGI’s website here.
Civic service was under the stoplight at CGI, which was incredible to witness. Stephen Greene presented the important work and impact he is leading at UK Year of Service, and CorpsAfrica also presented their Commitment. I was thrilled to see youth corps earn their rightful place in the conversation, especially in the fitting setting of CGI, as it was under President Clinton that AmeriCorps was founded, which directly inspired our work at Ecogenia.
It is deeply encouraging and energizing to be a part of the growing ecosystem of civic service organizations and national programs around the world.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Overall, connecting with and meeting people was the highlight of the week. I can confidently say that NYCW strengthened my firm belief in the fact that pragmatic optimism inspires action, which is what we need. Being around people who are also doing the work, and together, cultivating a culture of possibility, was infectious.
