September 22, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
During a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative, President Obama said his mother inspired him to help the poor and other disadvantaged people, and he called on others to continue to be philanthropic despite the tough times.
As a young boy, Mr. Obama said he saw his mother’s dedication to helping impoverished women in South Asia — a period in which she helped the Ford Foundation pioneer a program to provide small loans to female business owners. “She championed the cause of women’s welfare,” he said.
Her charitable passion prompted him to become a community organizer in the southside of Chicago and work with local churches, he said.
Today, his administration wants to foster philanthropy and service among Americans by expanding AmeriCorps and doing more to bring together government, business, and charities to fight global problems. Building “creative collaborations,” he said, is key to his domestic and foreign policy goals.
For example, in Afghanistan and Pakistan the U.S. military can destroy militant networks, but humanitarian assistance and efforts to support democracy will ensure countries do not turn into the broken places that breed political violence, he said.
Given the importance of philanthropy, President Obama called on the 1,200 or so people at the event to continue their charitable endeavors despite the bad economy. “Your commitments have never been more needed,” Mr. Obama said.
