Vetting Senator Clinton...

As President-Elect Obama prepares for taking office on January 20th, speculation abounds on the names surfacing as potentials for major cabinet positions. One name that has been the subject of much discussion in the past few days is that of Senator Hillary Clinton. President-Elect Obama met with her in Chicago to discuss the possibility of naming her as the next Secretary of State. In the vetting process, however, it is her husband, former President Bill Clinton, that is under the most media scrutiny.

In an article from today's issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, World Affairs Council President & CEO Jane Wales is quoted on what this process will mean for President Clinton's philanthropic work, and how Senator Hillary Clinton's appointment might change and restrict the work of the Clinton Foundation, and President Clinton's work more generally.

Here, Jane Wales interviews President Clinton at the Aspen Ideas Fest about the power of philanthropy to affect change and other global issues.

Honoring Muhammad Yunus & his Microfinance Movement

Tonight, the World Affairs Council of Northern California honors Nobel Peace Prize recipient Professor Muhammad Yunus at our 2008 Awards Dinner held at the Ritz Carlton. We celebrate the progress the microfinance industry has made in eradicating global poverty by honoring the roots it as has grown in Northern California. We recognize three local companies representative of these efforts: Kiva, MicroCredit Enterprises and MicroPlace. As part of our gift of thanks to Professor Yunus, the musical group Talisman will give a live performance.

In preparation for the event, World Affairs Council CEO & President Jane Wales published an op-ed on how tested microfinance strategies from the developing world can be applied here at home. Read the op-ed as it appeared in last Friday's San Francisco Chronicle.