Opening Remarks—Ensuring Resilient Livelihoods
On September 25, 2012, Dr. Judith Rodin, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, delivered opening remarks at the "High Level Event on Ensuring Resilient Livelihoods." The event was hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation, UN Foundation and USAID.
Excerpt
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you, Nancy, and thanks to Administrator Shah, USAID, and the United Nations Foundation for partnering with us to organize this event, and for putting resilience at the center of your development efforts.
I would also like to thank Sundaa Bridgett-Jones from The Rockefeller Foundation’s Resilience Team who worked so hard to organize this event and make sure we were able to come together today to talk about this most important idea.
I’d like you all to take out your smartphones and set them to vibrate. That, right there, takes tungsten—it’s the rare metal that puts the buzz in your text message.
Many of our cellphones’ most sensitive components are derived from rare earth metals mined in central Africa – including tungsten. The same materials are used in everything from jet turbines to high tech medical devices. Armed groups already fight to control and exploit these conflict minerals.